RuPaul rules VH1 with more Drag Race and Untucked

RuPaul’s world domination continues: VH1 has unsurprisingly ordered more Drag Race, as well as a new season of Untucked, the spin-off series that takes you behind the scenes of the drag competition. The “herstoric” 15th season of the flagship show will mark a monumental 200 episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

“When I hear season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, I have to pinch myself–I just won’t tell you where,” says Mama Ru in a press release. “We never take for granted the opportunity we’ve been given to showcase drag excellence and tell authentic queer stories. Thank you to the fans, World of Wonder, VH1, our cast and crew, and most of all, our brave and beautiful queens.”

RuPaul’s Drag Race first premiered in 2009 on Logo TV before switching to VH1 in 2017. The iconic series has since spawned an empire. Beyond Untucked, there have been spin-offs such as RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, RuPaul’s Drag U, and RuPaul’s Celebrity Drag Race, plus a host of international versions, including Thailand, Canada, the UK, and beyond.

The show has also launched a number of drag personalities–Bob The Drag Queen, Shangela, Trixie Mattel, Katya Zamolodchikova, Alyssa Edwards, the list goes on–many of whom have launched their own shows, podcasts, acting careers, and etc. (They’ve even made it into the MCU now that Shea Coulée has been cast in Ironheart!) That’s on top of the multiple Emmy awards for the series and its host.

Although drag culture certainly still exists in its own unique niche, clearly, no one has done more to bring it into the mainstream than RuPaul. The competition’s current peak of popularity is evident in the major upgrade to Celebrity Drag Race, which has evolved into a higher-production-value combo of Drag Race and The Masked Singer. The second season premieres this Friday, August 12. Here’s to many more years of Drag Race to come!