The new series centers on the ultra-exclusive Palm Royale Club and its affluent members, as well as one woman who’s fighting tooth and nail to join this high society circle.
It seems like many viewers can’t get enough of the rich and famous—even fictionalized versions of them. Whether they intend to view the one percent through a satirical or biographical lens, one thing remains certain: TV shows about incredibly wealthy characters are gaining popularity once more. The first examples that come to mind are HBO’s Succession, The White Lotus, and The Gilded Age, and more recently, FX’s FEUD: Truman Capote vs. The Swans. Now, the list is about to get a new entry with the upcoming Apple TV series, Palm Royale.
In just seven days, the show’s first trailer garnered an impressive 7.3 million views on YouTube. So safe to say, plenty of people are excited to see another series capture the complicated lives of those at the top. Yet unlike the other shows, Palme Royal’s main character is neither affluent nor popular.
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An Underdog Story
Apple TV’s official description of the show writes: “In 1969, an ambitious woman aspires to cross the line between the haves and have-nots to secure her seat at America’s most exclusive, fashionable, and treacherous table: Palm Beach high society.”
Based on the trailer, the series takes on a more comedic tone with an “underdog” story (but as with other shows of its kind, a fair share of juicy society scandals). Enter its leading lady, Maxine Simmons (played by Kristen Wiig): an ordinary woman who wants to be extraordinary—that is, a part of the private social circles that lounge at the Palm Royale.
Though not much else has been revealed by Apple TV yet, the trailer’s description hints at how the show will tackle Maxine’s desires and antics “Palm Royale asks the same question that still baffles us today: ‘How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?’ it writes. “Palm Royale is a testament to every outsider fighting for their chance to truly belong.”
Star-Studded Cast
If having Kristen Wiig as its leading lady is any indication, the show promises rollicking performances from a strong cast. Other actors and actresses in the show include Laura Dern, Ricky Martin, Allison Janney, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Amber Chadae Robinson, and Kaia Gerber. Carol Burnett and Bruce Dern will also be making special guest appearances in the show.
Tate Taylor, Abe Sylvia, and Claire Scanlon, as well as Stephanie Laing, will be directing the series. Abe Sylvia is its showrunner and executive producer, with Laura Dern and Jayme Lemons sharing executive producer credits as well.
Book Inspiration
The series loosely takes inspiration from the book Mr. and Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel. “Loosely” because the premise of the novel quite clearly takes different turns from the show, though one can see where Palm Royale got certain influences from. The book also carries a comedic, satirical tone and takes place in 1969, except Maxine Simmons starts out as a high-profile socialite who’s struggling in the wake of her husband’s affair.
After a public meltdown, Maxine becomes an ostracized divorcee who desperately wants to return to her old life. As such, she pursues the crown of the Mrs. American Pie pageant, which awards the nation’s best wife and mother. The issue is, Maxine will need to find or build a family of her own to be eligible for the competition—which is how the story begins.
In both the show and novel, Maxine wants to be a certain someone, and will do whatever it takes to reach that goal; however, one will need to tune in to find out if she gets to do that, or better yet, if it was worth it at all.
Palm Royale is set to premiere on Apple TV on March 20, 2024.
Banner photo from the Apple TV+ Press Release.
