GLOW (TV series)

Page last edited 2,695 days ago
From Film, Print, Cards & Games Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

GLOW
Glow TV show logo.png
Genre Comedy-drama
Created by Liz Flahive
Carly Mensch
Starring
Opening theme
Ending theme
Composer(s) Craig Wedren
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 10
Production
Executive producer(s)
Running time 29-37 minutes
Production company(s) Tilted Productions
Perhapsatron
Fan Dancer
Distributor Netflix
Release
Original network Netflix
Original release June 23, 2017 (2017-06-23) – present

GLOW is an American comedy-drama television series created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch.[2] The series revolves around a fictionalization of the characters and gimmicks of the 1980s syndicated women's professional wrestling circuit, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (or GLOW) originally created by David McLane.[3] The first season consists of 10 episodes[4] and was released via Netflix on June 23, 2017.[5]

Premise[edit | edit source]

Set in Los Angeles in 1985, Ruth Wilder, a struggling actress, receives an invitation for an audition along with dozens of other women in a fledgling professional wrestling promotion called the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW). She gets at odds with GLOW's director Sam Sylvia due to her tendency to overact in the ring. Further complicating matters is her best friend, former soap opera actress Debbie Eagan, who confronts Ruth after discovering her affair with her husband and their fight immediately makes them the promotion's top stars.

Cast[edit | edit source]

Main article: List of GLOW characters

Main[edit | edit source]

Recurring[edit | edit source]

Several professional wrestlers made cameos throughout the season. These include John Morrison as Salty "The Sack" Johnson, a trainer who appeared the first episode, Brodus Clay and Carlito, who played Carmen's wrestler brothers, Joey Ryan, as a wrestler known as 'Mr. Monopoly', Ryan's real-life wife and wrestler Laura James played his valet 'Crystal', Alex Riley who played a wrestler known as 'Steel Horse', Brooke Hogan as night club manager Amber Fredrickson, and Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian as unnamed wrestlers.

Production[edit | edit source]

The idea for the series came when Flahive and Mensch, who at the time were looking to make a new female-centric show, came across the 2012 documentary GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.[15][16] Before this series, neither woman had heard of the GLOW wrestling league, and they became intrigued by the premise of producing a fictionalized version of it.[16] Both women found the storyline intriguing as a way of exploring the aftermath of the 1970s Woman's Liberation Movement, with Flahive's telling Rolling Stone "We wanted to look back on the 1970s, coming out of the women's movement, and into the 1980s, and ask the question: Did it work? Did things get better?"[15] To this end, it was important for the series to maintain a tension between whether or not the league was exploiting women or empowering them.[15]

Soundtrack[edit | edit source]

The series features several songs from the 1980s, as well as tracks from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.[1]

Featured songs
  1. "The Warrior" by Scandal
  2. "You Make Me Feel" by Sylvester
  3. "Separate Ways" by Journey
  4. "Stir It Up" by Patti LaBelle
  5. "The Look" by Roxette
  6. "We Don't Get Along" by The Go-Go's
  7. "4-3-1" by The Jetzons
  8. "Every Little Bit" by Jackie James
  9. "Life in a Northern Town" by The Dream Academy
  10. "Movin' Out" by Billy Joel
  11. "Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears
  12. "Rock You Like a Hurricane (2011 Re-recording)" by Scorpions
  13. "Ready Steady Go" by Generation X
  14. "Dare" by Stan Bush
  15. "Theme of Exodus" by Ernest Gold
  16. "Angel" by The Jetzons
  17. "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie
  18. "Car Wash" by Rose Royce
  19. "Magic Moments" by Perry Como
  20. "Things Can Only Get Better" by Howard Jones
  21. "Invincible" by Pat Benatar

Quiet Riot's cover of "Cum On Feel the Noize" was used for the series' trailer. Songs covered by the cast include the Thompson Twins' "Hold Me Now" and Barbra Streisand's "This Is One of Those Moments".[1]

Episodes[edit | edit source]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Pilot"Jesse PeretzLiz Flahive & Carly MenschJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
Ruth Wilder, an actress struggling to find work, receives an invitation for an audition from her casting director. She arrives at an old boxing gym, where she and dozens of other women are auditioning for Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW). On the first day of tryouts, Ruth is dismissed by director Sam Sylvia when her acting skills come into conflict with the training; her day worsens when her purse is snatched by a group of skateboarders. With nowhere else to go, she begins watching professional wrestling videos to develop her persona and returns to the gym for another shot at the audition. Things go awry when her best friend Debbie Eagan confronts her after discovering that she has been having an affair with her husband Mark. Their legitimate catfight in the ring inspires Sam to keep Ruth in the program.
2"Slouch. Submit."Wendey StanzlerLiz Flahive & Carly MenschJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
During the second week of tryouts, Sam tests the candidates' personalities. He then leaves the training to Cherry Bang while he goes out to try and get Debbie to be the star of his promotion. Tensions arise in the ring when Melrose reveals Cherry's previous affair with Sam and Cherry locks her in a sleeper hold. Melrose further mocks Cherry by faking a miscarriage with a bottle of ketchup. Sam uses the incident and Ruth's affair with Mark to brainstorm on a storyline in the ring. At the end of the day, Sam promises Cherry double her pay if the promotion pulls through. Ruth discovers that Sam will cast her as Debbie's evil arch-nemesis, much to her chagrin.
3"The Wrath of Kuntar"Claire ScanlonNick JonesJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
The ladies meet their producer Sebastian "Bash" Howard while Sam hands them a script for them to work on, with Ruth reading stage directions. After the script reading session, Bash invites everyone to a party at his Malibu mansion, with Debbie riding in his helicopter. There, Bash brings the ladies to his dressing room to help them further develop their in-ring personas while Ruth puts a drunk Debbie in a taxi back home. As the ladies flaunt their new outfits, Sam and Bash argue over the direction they want the promotion to go. Following the argument, Sam agrees to work with Bash's vision of giving the girls stereotypical gimmicks. The girls pass on their persona tests except for Ruth, who leaves Sam and Bash clueless over her character.
4"The Dusty Spur"Melanie MayronSascha RothchildJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
With five weeks left before shooting GLOW's pilot episode, Sam and Bash announce that the ladies will stay at The Dusty Spur motel in Van Nuys as part of their training. As Ruth struggles to find her character, she is assigned to work with Sheila the She-Wolf. Training is interrupted by Carmen's father Goliath Jackson and her two brothers, who urge her to go home instead of pursuing a wrestling career. After Goliath slaps Sam, Carmen agrees to leave the gym, but Bash fakes an affair with her to convince Goliath to let Carmen make her own decisions. Tammé is concerned about her "Welfare Queen" gimmick, but Sam has her watch his old exploitation films for inspiration. Meanwhile, Ruth gets into an argument with Sheila after discovering a dead squirrel in her bed while Debbie moves into the motel after another quarrel with Mark.
5"Debbie Does Something"Phil AbrahamRachel ShukertJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
As the ladies continue their training, Sam and Bash have a meeting with KDTV executive Glen Klitnick, who offers GLOW a Saturday morning timeslot and a potential sponsor in the form of indoor/outdoor lifestyle store chain Patio Town. Debbie has her parents take care of her son while she continues her training. Dawn and Stacey spend the night making prank calls to everyone in the motel while Justine is heavily attracted to pizza delivery boy Billy Offal. Ruth and Rhonda travel to Patio Town's new Calabasas branch to meet CEO Patrick O'Towne, who declines to sponsor GLOW until Sam convinces him to reconsider by staging a vignette with Ruth during the ribbon cutting ceremony. It is here that Ruth develops her Soviet gimmick, but shortly learns of Sam's affair with Rhonda. Meanwhile, Melrose joins Debbie and Carmen to watch a local wrestling show, where Debbie discovers the thin line between wrestling and soap operas.
6"This Is One of Those Moments"Kate DennisJenji KohanJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
Sam calls in Ruth and Debbie early morning at the gym to build them both as main eventers. Ruth sells an idea for the match, but Debbie walks out, still refusing to work with her former best friend. To further develop her character, Ruth asks for help from Gregory, the motel's Russian manager, who takes her to a Russian Jewish family party. When Michael, the bris celebrant, overhears Ruth talking about Yentl, he asks her to sing one of Barbra Streisand's songs. Meanwhile, Debbie is having difficulty taking in-ring storylines while Justine confronts Sam over him using GLOW as his personal casting couch. After much convincing by Sam, Debbie finally decides to start a program with Ruth. Later that night, Justine sneaks into Sam's office and steals his camera.
7"Live Studio Audience"Jesse PeretzRachel ShukertJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
As the ladies gear up for their first show on Friday, Sam and Bash argue over production costs, especially after Sam's camera was stolen. In order to make the best possible main event, Ruth and Debbie begin training with Carmen's brothers. Meanwhile, Sam discovers that Rhonda found his camera in her locker, but he knows that Justine was trying to frame her. On the night of the show, Carmen experiences stage fright and passes out after leaving the gym. The scheduled tag team match goes awry when Dawn and Stacey wear Ku Klux Klan outfits in the ring. After coming to, Carmen discovers that Bash has been cut off financially by his mother after spending over $600,000 on developing GLOW. Debbie and Ruth's training pays off as they both get over the crowd on their main event, but Debbie suddenly walks out of the match when she sees Mark and argues with him backstage before he hands her the divorce papers. Rhonda saves the show by getting the other ladies to rap with her in the ring.
8"Maybe It’s All the Disco"Sian HederNick JonesJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
Sam takes Ruth to a Maya-themed theater as a potential venue for GLOW's next show. Mark admits to Debbie that he never meant to serve the divorce paper to her and that he has been taking therapy sessions to help fix their marriage. Meanwhile, the ladies celebrate Sheila's birthday by taking her to a roller disco, Rhonda breaks up with Sam, and Ruth secretly undergoes an abortion after her pregnancy test comes out positive.
9"The Liberal Chokehold"Lynn SheltonLiz Flahive & Carly MenschJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
While most of America is focused on the TWA Flight 847 hijacking, KDTV executives present Sam and Bash the timeslot for GLOW, but Sam discovers that Bash is strapped for cash. In order to raise the $9,000 to secure the venue, the ladies host a bikini car wash at the motel. When they collect only $287 and change from their car wash, Bash brings them to his mother's anti-drug charity event to speak as former drug addicts using wrestling as a reformation tool. Their act convinces Bash's mother to allow them to use their ballroom at the Hayworth Hotel. Meanwhile, after confiding with Justine over his failed projects, Sam discovers that she is his illegitimate daughter.
10"Money’s in the Chase"Tristram ShapeeroLiz Flahive & Carly MenschJune 23, 2017 (2017-06-23)
As the ladies pack up for the Hayworth, a drunk Sam returns to the motel to try and mend things with Justine while Debbie bails out to move back in with Mark. Ruth puts herself in charge of the event. With hardly any attendance in the ballroom, Tammé, Melrose, and Sheila pay several moviegoers from across the street to watch their show. Glen informs Cherry that she got the lead role in the station's upcoming cop drama series, but she has to quit GLOW in the process. The opening match goes out of control when the crowd does not take kindly to Arthie's "Beirut the Mad Bomber" gimmick and Rhonda is hit in the head with a beer can thrown by an audience member. Sam spots Debbie and Mark in the audience and calls her a quitter. Carmen overcomes her stagefright when her father and brothers start cheering for her. The main event is a tag team match with Ruth and Jenny defeating Dawn and Stacey, only for Ruth to double-cross Jenny and pin her to win the GLOW Crown. Her coronation is suddenly interrupted when Debbie challenges her to a match. Debbie finishes off Ruth with a flying cross body to become the GLOW Champion. Tammé, however, steals the Crown as part of Sam's plan to continue the storyline.

Reception[edit | edit source]

GLOW was praised by critics upon its release; receiving a 97% approval rating from review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, the site's consensus being "With spot-on 1980s period detail, knockout writing, and a killer cast, GLOW shines brightly."[17] The series has a Metacritic score of 81 out of 100, based on 35 critics.[18] Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly gave the first season an A rating, calling it "a silly-smart masterpiece, with an ensemble cast entirely made up of breakout characters".[19] Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic said, "...it’s just a blast to watch women having so much fun. GLOW fully owns its campiness and its showy aesthetics, but it’s smart and subversive underneath the glitter."[20]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 McNally, Victoria (June 23, 2017). "The 'Glow' Season 1 Soundtrack Is a Pumped-Up '80s Masterpiece". Bustle.com. Retrieved June 27, 2017. 
  2. ↑ Nellie Andreeva. "Netflix Orders Jenji Kohan’s ‘GLOW’, Comedy Series About 1980s Female Wrestlers | Deadline". deadline.com. Retrieved May 31, 2016. 
  3. ↑ Elizabeth Wagmeister. "Jenji Kohan Producing Netflix Comedy Series 'G.L.O.W.' About '80s Female Wrestling League". variety.com. Retrieved May 31, 2016. 
  4. ↑ "'Orange Is the New Black' Creator Sets '80s Women's Wrestling Comedy Series 'GLOW' at Netflix - Hollywood Reporter". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved May 31, 2016. 
  5. ↑ "'GLOW,' Netflix's Women's Wrestling Comedy, to Launch June 23" (in en). The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/glow-netflixs-womens-wrestling-comedy-launch-june-23-981905. 
  6. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (August 29, 2016). "Alison Brie To Star In Netflix Comedy Series 'G.L.O.W.' From Jenji Kohan". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 29, 2016. 
  7. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (August 30, 2016). "'G.L.O.W.': Betty Gilpin To Co-Star In Netflix's 1980s Wrestling Comedy Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 30, 2016. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Petski, Denise (September 17, 2016). "Britney Young & Sydelle Noel Join Netflix Comedy Series 'G.L.O.W.' From Jenji Kohan". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 17, 2016. 
  9. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 31, 2016). "Marc Maron To Co-Star In Netflix Comedy Series 'G.L.O.W.' From Jenji Kohan". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 31, 2016. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Petski, Denise (September 22, 2016). "'G.L.O.W.': Jenji Kohan Netflix Comedy Series Adds Britt Baron, Jackie Tohn & Five More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 22, 2016. 
  11. ↑ Petski, Denise (December 16, 2016). "Chris Lowell Set To Recur On Netflix's 'GLOW'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 16, 2016. 
  12. ↑ Daniel Holloway. "Jenji Kohan's Netflix Wrestling Comedy 'G.L.O.W.' Casts Gayle Rankin (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. Retrieved September 28, 2016. 
  13. ↑ Denise, Petski (October 21, 2016). "Ellen Wong Joins Netflix's 'G.L.O.W.; 'She's Gotta Have It' Adds Sydney Morton". Deadline. Retrieved October 21, 2016. 
  14. ↑ Petski, Denise (December 17, 2016). "Alex Rich Joins 'GLOW'; 'Animal Kingdom' Adds Jennifer Landon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 17, 2016. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Scherer, Jenna. "Get in the Ring: How 'GLOW' Recreates the Golden Age of Lady-Wrestling TV". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 24, 2017. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Birnbaum, Debra. "Why 'GLOW' Creators Made Women's Wrestling Series". Variety. Retrieved June 24, 2017. 
  17. ↑ "GLOW: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 23, 2017. 
  18. ↑ "GLOW". [[wikipedia:Metacritic|]]. Retrieved 2017-07-02. 
  19. ↑ Franich, Darren (2017-06-12). "GLOW is unlike any show we've ever seen". [[wikipedia:Entertainment Weekly|]]. Retrieved 2017-07-02. 
  20. ↑ Gilbert, Sophie. "'GLOW' Is a Total Delight" (in en-US). [[wikipedia:The Atlantic|]]. https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/06/glow-review-netflix/531303/. Retrieved 2017-06-30. 

External links[edit | edit source]


Category:2017 American television series debuts Category:2010s American television series Category:American comedy-drama television series Category:English-language television programming Category:Netflix original programming Category:Television series based on actual events Category:Television series set in 1985 Category:Television shows filmed in Los Angeles Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles

Retrieved from "https://fpcandgwiki.shoutwiki.com/w/index.php?title=GLOW_(TV_series)&oldid=52911"