RuPaul's Drag Race
Seen it?2009 | 18 seasons | Reality
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It won 15 Emmys, it earned strong reviews (84% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it held a wide audience for several seasons. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for most people. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Easygoing.
- The pace
- 18 seasons and 255 episodes: a long-haul commitment.
- What might put you off
- Rated TV-14. Probably too much for younger kids.
- A big time investment at 18 seasons.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Join RuPaul, the world's most famous drag queen, as the host, mentor and judge for the ultimate in drag queen competitions. The top drag queens in the U.S. will vie for drag stardom as RuPaul, in full glamazon drag, will reign supreme in all judging and eliminations while helping guide the contestants as they prepare for each challenge.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
84% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
7.5 out of 10
- AwardsVery strong
Won 15 Emmys: Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program, Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Costumes for a Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Program, Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Competition Program, Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program and 11 more. Won 5 Critics' Choice Awards: Critics' Choice Television Awards: Best Reality Show Host, Critics' Choice Real TV Awards: Best Competition Series, Critics' Choice Real TV Awards: Best Unstructured Series, Critics' Choice Real TV Awards: Ensemble Cast in an Unscripted Series and 1 more. Won 1 PGA Award: Producers Guild of America Awards: Outstanding Producer of Game & Competition Television. Also nominated for 14 more Emmys, 3 more Critics' Choice Awards and 1 DGA Award. Plus 1 other award.
- Reach & staying powerStrong
Ran for 18 seasons and reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 759K people sought it out in the past year
Season by season
The show overall is a Saturday Special. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 18 is the high point.
Season 12009 · 9 episodes · 5.5 out of 10Monday- Season 22010 · 12 episodes · 5.5 out of 10Monday
- Season 32011 · 16 episodes · 4.8 out of 10Monday
- Season 42012 · 14 episodes · 5.4 out of 10Monday
- Season 52013 · 14 episodes · 5.5 out of 10Monday
Season 62014 · 14 episodes · 6.3 out of 10Weeknight- Season 72015 · 14 episodes · 5.2 out of 10Monday
- Season 82016 · 10 episodes · 5.8 out of 10Monday
- Season 92017 · 14 episodes · 5.9 out of 10Monday
- Season 102018 · 14 episodes · 6.3 out of 10Weeknight
- Season 112019 · 14 episodes · 5.8 out of 10Monday
- Season 122020 · 14 episodes · 5.6 out of 10Monday
Season 132021 · 16 episodes · 7.3 out of 10Sunday- Season 142022 · 16 episodes · 7.0 out of 10Sunday
- Season 152023 · 16 episodes · 6.4 out of 10Weeknight
- Season 162024 · 16 episodes · 6.6 out of 10Weeknight
- Season 172025 · 16 episodes · 7.4 out of 10Sunday
- Season 182026 · 16 episodes · 8.1 out of 10Saturday
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Created by RuPaul, Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato
- RuPaulSelf - Host
- Michelle VisageSelf - Judge