A Quick Look at the Deep South

When Katori Hall’s drama P-Valley debuted on Starz in 2020, it showed us a world that had never been in the spotlight on television. P-Valley follows the erotic dancers at the strict but beloved strip club The Pynk, run by Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan), the club’s gender-nonconforming owner. Set in the fictional town of Chucalissa, Mississippi, the series also expands beyond The Pynk, following its characters as they defy Bible Belt social norms. Now, as fans await a third season of the critically acclaimed drama, Annan takes viewers through unseen parts of the Deep South. Starz’s new docuseries Down in the Valley highlights the people, businesses, experiences and traditions that make black neighborhoods in places like Memphis, Dallas, Baton Rouge and Charleston, Mississippi, so unique and culturally rich. Acting as a guide, the actor shows his natural dynamism by getting up close and personal with the people in these communities who, despite limited resources, have found a way to shine. Over six 30-minute episodes, Annan offers insight into everything from sex work to hoodoo in a wide-ranging series. While these stories are compelling, they would be better presented in hour-long segments.

“Down in the Valley” opens in Memphis, Tennessee, a town similar to Chucalissa from “P-Valley.” Directed by Haimy Assefa, who shares directing credit with Patrick Altema, the docuseries is saturated with the blue and purple tones of light characteristic of the fictional series. In Episode 1, “The Diamonds of Memphis,” Annan visits the Diamond of Memphis strip club, where dancers are being auditioned for its reopening. Though Annan talks to several women, including newcomer Cherry, a single mom hoping to land a spot on the club’s roster, and Georgia Peach, an OG who has no problem putting more eco-friendly dancers in their place, this opener is the weakest of the series. The episode ends with viewers learning about Tamika, a self-taught seamstress who owns the Naked Attire clothing brand that the dancers dream of. At the same moment Annan goes to a new place.

Over the course of the rest of the season, fans will meet everyone from rapper Jucee Froot, who sings the theme song “P-Valley,” to the Smith family of Charleston, Mississippi, who have owned acres of land in the city since the 1940s. Annan laughs, dances, cries and breaks bread with a variety of intriguing characters, but there are two standouts. In Episode 2, “Saints and Sinners,” viewers are introduced to ShaRonda Parker, aka The Nasty Lady, a sex educator who, at the time of filming, owned Private Partz and Gifts, the only brick-and-mortar sex boutique in Baton Rouge. Selling more than just sex toys, the entrepreneur is also a sexual health and wellness advocate who hosts events and workshops covering a wide range of topics, including sexual pleasure and the importance of STD testing. In progressive venues across the country, Parker’s work may not seem new. But viewers learn of the shame and exclusion she has experienced in her own community. In the Bible Belt, religion is so ingrained in the culture that it’s fascinating to see a woman who holds her freedom and faith close to her heart at the same time.

In Episode 3, “Out of the Mud,” Annan lands in Dallas, where he connects with MC Marley Santana, aka Bandana Fresh, a gay rapper who shares a very similar backstory to “P-Valley” character Lil’ Murda (J. Alphonse Nicholson). In this installment, the rapper reflects on the pain of being in the closet, using hypermasculinity and violence as a mask, and what happened when someone he loved and trusted outed him. As with Parker, Santana’s story could have been told in its own hour-long block.

Though Annan is endlessly fast-paced, and “Down in the Valley” covers several locations and a full cast of characters, the show’s frantic pace makes it feel rushed and fragmented. If viewers’ only window into this particular Southern ecosystem is “P-Valley,” then “Down in the Valley” still barely scratches the surface. While the music, food, and people of the Deep South are highlighted, and the consequences of poverty and violence are also present, there’s so much to explore. Hopefully, this quick glimpse is just the beginning.

“Down in the Valley” premieres July 5 on Starz, with new episodes airing weekly on Fridays.