One of the saddest, eeriest coincidences is the ‘Monarch’ storyline similarity to the Judds

Monarch, a new drama about country music on FOX, may have reminded some fans of recent genre happenings. Susan Sarandon plays the iconic character of Dottie Roman, a legendary country music matriarch who heads country music's first family. Despite being diagnosed with cancer, Dottie is determined to live out her last few months on her terms, regardless of how long she has left.

With her daughter by her side, she decides to take a lethal dose of pills in her bedroom to end her life. She died last spring by suicide in her bedroom.

Naomi Judd, a beloved member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, was one half of the mother-daughter duo The Judds. Judd's funeral was preplanned – and the Judds' hit “Love Can Build a Bridge” was played both at her funeral and on Monarch's fictitious farewell.

At the time of Naomi Judd's death, she was planning a final tour with her daughter Wynonna and a documentary with music industry veteran Jason Owen.

According to Owen, Sarandon's Monarch scenes were shot months before Judd died, and the similarities are pure coincidence. Two years before Judd's death, FOX committed to the Monarch script after reading the script. The network officially ordered it in May 2021.

The premiere of Monarch has been delayed

As a result of COVID-19, Monarch was delayed from premiering in January 2022 after the NFL championship game. The cast started shooting in September and completed the first few episodes by October 2021. The plotline was unknown to Judd or her family before she died in April 2022. She hadn't seen the episodes.

As Owen and Melissa London Hilfers dreamed up the character's funeral, the fanfare needed to recall Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, and George Jones's funerals. It is fitting for Dottie to receive a legendary country funeral because she is the fanciful Queen of Country Music, he says.

The funeral idea came from the idea that they were icons and deserved big celebrations of their lives. As a Judds fan since childhood, Owen chose the music for most of the show, including “Love Can Build a Bridge” in the funeral scene. The tour was Owen's idea of reminding people of the duo's music.

The CMT arrangements have been finalized

A song he could sing together with Dottie and her sister, Nellie, was also required. His goal was to ensure every detail was perfect, so the family felt at peace when he was planning Judd's final arrangements for CMT through his grief and shock. After the funeral, when he returned to work and watched cuts from Monarch episodes, he realized how similar art and reality were.

Through working so closely with the Judds in recent years, Owen began to feel like a family member because the Judds were his first concert as a child. He brought them back to make sure Naomi had the legacy she deserved and produced a final tour. He thought it would be Naomi's last time on stage.

Watchers should understand Owen's point

Neither the writers nor the producers patterned the Roman family on the Judds, and Owen says viewers should understand that the Roman family isn't modeled after a single family. Our country is divided at the moment, Owen says.

One of the things that I enjoyed about the classic old soaps from Dynasty to Dallas was that they helped me escape the noise when times were tough. I hope that Monarch will provide the same kind of escape and enjoyment.

In this over-the-top Texas drama, big hair, amazing clothes, great scandals, and great music make this a fun, over-the-top look at country music and its stars.

It's everything I could have imagined.” According to the initial ratings for the series, Monarch has a 50 percent higher rating than House of the Dragon, the next highest-rated broadcast or cable drama from 2022.

EP says ‘Saddest, Eeriest Coincidence' in the ‘Monarch' storyline is similar to Judd's

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Dakota Cameron

Dakota Cameron is a seasoned web content writer and covers the Hollywood movies for the MovieThop Website
Ms. Cameron began his professional life as a freelance blogger. Later, he worked for Witbe as a content writer for two years. His interests include blogging, reading, movies and travel.
Ms. Cameron graduated in Journalism and Mass Communication from University State of Georgia University. He is fluent in French, Spanish, and other languages.