HBO has renewed its docuseries They were here for the fourth season, starring a new trio of drag queens.
Former RuPaul’s Drag Race champions Sasha Velor and Jaida Essence Hall and Canada drag race winner Priyanka will star in the fourth season, which begins filming later this month. The upcoming season will follow the trio to two US cities over the course of six episodes, with a deeper and more immersive look at local political systems and players, anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and opposition, and their effect on LGBTQ+ community like Sasha, Jaida and Priyanka work to spread love and connection through the art of drag.
New hosts replace Bob the Drag Queen, DJ “Shangela” Pierce and Eureka O’Hara on They were here. The change comes two months after a former production assistant for the series, Daniel McGarrigle, filed a civil lawsuit against Pierce alleging that Pierce raped McGarrigle during the filming of the first season in 2020. Pierce has denied the allegations, saying that the claim “has no basis in fact or law”; HBO said it and They were here producer Buckingham Productions investigated the allegations and found “sufficient evidence” to support them.
“In this increasingly hostile political climate, we are grateful to HBO for their dedication to telling LGBTQ+ stories that are relevant to the moment and documenting our history,” We’re Here co-creators and executive producers Johnnie said in a statement. Ingram and Steven Warren. “We are thrilled to expand our drag family and bring much-needed love to people on the front lines of hate.”
Said Nina Rosenstein, HBO’s executive vice president of late-night programming and specials: “With the continued aggression toward the LGBTQ+ community and the growing hostility directed at drag performers, it is more important than ever for another season of They were here. Time and time again, the series has proven that love is stronger than hate, and we want to continue to encourage the community by showcasing these rich and important stories. We owe a huge thank you to Bob, Shangela, and Eureka for sharing their personal stories and for their incredible contributions over the past three seasons. We are also excited to welcome our three new queens to the They were here family and dive into our new season.”
The three new hosts said in their own statement: “We have been very inspired by the stories and the important work that has been done over the past three seasons of They were here. We look forward to continuing this journey across the country to raise voices, spread the love, and showcase new stories through the art of drag. We thank all the They were here team for choosing us to join this life-changing experience.”
Ingram and Warren executive produced the third season of We’re Here with director Peter LoGreco and Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman and Erin Gamble for The Intellectual Property Corporation, part of Sony Pictures Television.
