Queen of the South is an American crime drama television series developed by M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller. The series premiered on June 23, 2016, and concluded on June 9, 2021, with 62 episodes aired on USA Network. It is an adaptation of the telenovela La Reina del Sur which airs on USA's sister network Telemundo; both are adapted from the novel The Queen of the South by Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte. The series was renewed for a fifth season on August 29, 2019. Production of the new season was suspended indefinitely on March 14, 2020, due to COVID-19, but resumed in fall 2020. On March 8, 2021, it was announced that the fifth season would premiere on April 7, 2021, and serve as the series' final season.

La Reina del Sur is a Spanish-language telenovela based on a novel of the same name by Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte. It premiered on 28 February 2011. The first season is produced by the American television network Telemundo in conjunction with the Antena 3 network and RTI Producciones, while the second and third seasons are co-produced by Telemundo Global Studios and Netflix. The series depicts the rise of Teresa Mendoza, a young woman from Mexico who becomes the most powerful drug trafficker in southern Spain.