The reality competition franchise Drag Race has been credited for bringing drag culture to mainstream television. The franchise has RuPaul, the most famous and commercially successful drag queen of all time, as the host, mentor, and inspiration. Its first instalment, RuPaul’s Drag Race, aired in the United States in 2009, and has been awarded twenty-nine Emmy awards, among other accolades. As of 2024, the show has over sixteen seasons, with numerous spin-offs including Untucked and All Stars, and several international adaptations spawning in four continents. From its first season onwards, the series has adopted elements from earlier LGBTQ subcultures and moulded them to fit the episodic structure of the competition. RuPaul’s Drag Race provides new ways to present and celebrate queer history, while educating its audience through a creative and varied entertainment formula.