(L to R) Aunjanue Ellis as Dr. Mattie Moss Clark, Kierra Sheard as Karen, Angela Birchett as Jacky, Raven Goodwin as Denise, Christina Bell as Twinkie and Sheléa Frazier as Dorinda. Photo credit: Lifetime
April 14, 2020 – Hallelujah! The Lifetime Original Movie The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel hit a high note on Saturday night, delivering 2.7 million Total Viewers in L+SD, according to Nielsen Media Research, making it Lifetime’s highest-rated movie since 2016 and the strongest original movie on all of television for 2020 across key demos, including both broadcast and cable. Additionally, The Clark Sisters was the best ad-supported cable original movie since 2018 in key demos, with 1.1 million Adults 25-54, 905,000 Adults 18-49 and 813,000 Women 25-54. With the success of The Clark Sisters, Lifetime now claims the top three original movies on ad-supported cable in 2020 in key demos, along with Stolen By My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story and Chris Watts: Confessions of a Killer.
On social media, #TheClarkSisters ranked #1 across all TV on April 11 with over 700,000 interactions, according to Nielsen Social. #TheClarkSisters was the top social Lifetime movie over the last year.
Hailing from executive producers Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel recounts the story of the legendary pioneers of contemporary gospel music and their trailblazing mother, Mattie Moss Clark (Aunjanue Ellis). Credited with bringing Gospel music to the mainstream, the five Clark sisters (Christina Bell as “Twinkie,” Kierra Sheard as “Karen,” Raven Goodwin as “Denise,” Sheléa Frazier as “Dorinda,” Angela Birchett as “Jacky”) overcame humble beginnings in Detroit, enduring abuse, loss, rejection, betrayal, and sibling rivalries to achieve international fame as icons of the Gospel music industry. Grammy-winner, songwriter and gospel record producer and artist Donald Lawrence produced all the re-recorded Clark Sister hits for the movie. Christine Swanson (Chicago P.D.) directed, based on a script written by Sylvia L. Jones and Camille Tucker. In addition to Latifah, Blige, and Elliott, executive producers also include Holly Carter who also executive produces for Relevé Entertainment and Shakim Compere executive produces for Flavor Unit. Loretha Jonesalso executive produced.