Hey gay, are you tired of all the boring reality shows on TV right now? Do you need a splash of color in your life? Are you absolutely parched and searching for some tea? You’re in luck because RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 9 have been renewed at MTV and Paramount Plus. Gag me on the eleganza!
In addition to the regular season and its spin-off, RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked — the after-show where one queen is usually getting yelled at, and another is complaining about coming in second place — has also been renewed, according to the press release obtained by Variety. Untucked accompanies both the regular season and All Stars. As RuPaul says, if you’re not watching Untucked, you’re only getting half the story, hunny.
No premiere date has been announced for either season 16 or All Stars 9, but Drag Race’s regular season is being advertised as the 15th anniversary of the show’s first season in 2009. That would slot it sometime in 2024, likely during late Winter or early Spring, similarly to season 15. All Stars 8 debuted in May 2023, so season 9 will likely follow suit and debut in the late Spring or early Summer of 2024.
The renewal of both shows is hardly a surprise, given Drag Race’s sheer ubiquity at the 2023 Emmy Awards. The franchise received a total of nine nominations, making it the most nominated reality program of 2023. Among the nominations for Outstanding Reality Competition Program and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program (RuPaul), the show is also nominated for Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program.
Indeed, the casting for RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 was some of the best the show has seen in recent years. Trans icon and Miss Continental winner Sasha Colby walked away with the crown and $200,000 cash prize, but she fought tooth and nail against fierce competition, the likes of which included lip sync assassin Anetra, runway powerhouse Luxx Noir London, and old-school Texas drag queen Mistress Isabelle Brooks. The season saw record-high viewership numbers, and was the first to strut its stuff on the cable network MTV after previously taking up residence on VH1 since 2017.
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16 will stick with MTV and All Stars season 9 will remain with Paramount Plus where it’s been since season six (2021). The cast for the original season has not been announced yet, but if it’s anything like season 15 the queens will be revealed around a month prior to the premiere, likely in Dec. 2023. The cast for All Stars 9 also hasn’t been announced yet, but we have our top picks.
