A League of Their Own (2022 TV series) explained

Genre:Comedy drama
Starring:
Music:
  • We Are Dark Angels
  • Zachary Dawes and Nick Sena
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:8
Executive Producer:
  • Will Graham
  • Abbi Jacobson
  • Hailey Wierengo
  • Jamie Babbit
  • Desta Tedros Reff
Producer:
  • Michael Cedar
  • James Dodson
  • Michelle Badillo
Cinematography:
Editor:
  • Peter CabadaHagan
  • Jessica Brunetto
  • Aleshka Ferrero
Runtime:46–60 minutes
Company:
Network:Amazon Prime Video

A League of Their Own is an American comedy drama television series co-created by Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson, who also stars. It is an adaptation of the 1992 film of the same name with new characters and storylines, about the formation of a World War II-era women's professional baseball team. Chanté Adams, D'Arcy Carden, Roberta Colindrez, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Kelly McCormack, Molly Ephraim, Melanie Field, and Priscilla Delgado also star. The series premiered with 8 episodes on August 12, 2022. The series was renewed in March 2023 for a four-episode final season, but in August 2023, Amazon announced that the second season would be scrapped due to delays caused by the WGA strike.

Premise

The series, set in 1943, is about the formation of the Rockford Peaches, a women's team in the nascent All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.[1] While her husband is away at war, Carson Shaw leaves her small town life to pursue her dream of playing professional baseball. Maxine Chapman is an African-American woman obsessed with baseball, who cannot even get people to allow her to try out and struggles to get considered for any baseball team.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Guest starring

In addition, Don Fanelli co-stars as Alan Baker, Lil Frex co-stars as Ana, and Rae Gray co-stars as Terri.

Production

Development

In 2017 Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham approached Sony Pictures with the idea to reboot the late Penny Marshall's 1992 film A League of Their Own. Graham loved the film growing up and approached Jacobson with the idea for a contemporary reboot, expanding it to explore race and sexuality. Graham and Jacobson contacted Marshall (before her death in 2018) and Geena Davis to ask for their blessing before moving forward with the project.

Graham and Jacobson decided to expand the topics explored to include racism in the league as well as the stories of queer players.[8] They hired a researcher to gather detailed information about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and met with surviving players. Max's character is an amalgamation of three real-life Black women players from the Negro leagues: Toni Stone, Mamie Johnson, and Connie Morgan.

In March 2018, it was announced that the series was in development at Amazon.[9] It is the second television adaptation of A League of Their Own, following a short-lived 1993 CBS series.

Jamie Babbit directed the pilot episode, which was shot in southern California. Babbit, Hailey Wierengo, and Elizabeth Koe are executive producers along with writer-producers Graham and Jacobson, who also co-stars.[10] The series is Jacobson's second major project following Broad City, which ran for five seasons.[1]

On August 6, 2020, it was announced that Amazon had ordered the one-hour comedy series.[11] [12] On March 14, 2023, Amazon Prime Video renewed the series for a four-episode second and final season.[13] [14] On August 18, 2023, Amazon scrapped the second season due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.[15]

Casting

On February 14, 2020, D'Arcy Carden, Chanté Adams, Roberta Colindrez, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Kelly McCormack, Melanie Field, and Priscilla Delgado were announced. Nick Offerman was cast in June 2021 as Casey "Dove" Porter, the team's coach. Molly Ephraim and Kate Berlant were cast in recurring roles.[16] In July 2021, Rosie O'Donnell announced she is set to guest star as a bartender at a local gay bar in the series.[17] On July 6, 2021, Saidah Ekulona was announced as a recurring cast member. In September 2021, Patrick J. Adams, Patrice Covington, Lea Robinson, Andia Winslow, Rae Gray, and Lil Frex were cast in recurring capacities.[18] [19] On November 8, 2021, it was announced that Nat Faxon, Kevin Dunn, Marquise Vilsón, Marinda Anderson, Don Fanelli, and Nancy Lenehan were cast in recurring roles.

Filming

After the pilot was shot in Los Angeles, filming was delayed due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Production took place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from mid-July through October 2021.[20] Filming officially began on July 11, 2021, on the south side of Pittsburgh in the old Schwartz Market.[21] Additional filming locations included Ambridge, the Fifth Street Park, Aliquippa at Morrell Field, and the city of Greensburg's Amtrak train station.[22] [23]

Release

A world premiere screening took place at Tribeca Film Festival on June 13, 2022.[24] [25] To promote the show a 30th Anniversary screening of the original film was held in Los Angeles by Cinespia on August 7.[26] The series premiered on Prime Video on August 12, 2022.[27]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the show an approval rating of 94% based on reviews from 83 critics, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A League of Their Own puts some spin on its pitch, lobbing a serialized expansion that swerves dangerously close to anachronism but hits home thanks to a roster filled with all-stars and a field rich with possibilities."[28] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[29]

Jenna Scherer rated the series an A− for The A.V. Club and stated: "That the show effortlessly weaves this diverse tapestry of women's stories is no easy feat. But League is funny as hell to boot, using a quasi-contemporary conversation style and modern slang ("Fucking fuckers!") that feels oddly at home in the 1940s setting."[30] Autostraddle critic Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya wrote positively about the LGBTQ+ content in the series: "Thirty years after the original, this story finally gets to be as gay as it should be...And it's not just the sheer number of queer characters but also the great space and weight given to queerness within just about every single plotline and subplot of this new A League of Their Own that truly makes up for the lack of explicitly gay content in the original movie — and then some."[31] Daniel D'Addario of Variety wrote that the show "feels a bit overextended" but hailed the acting: "there are strong performances throughout a deep ensemble and a winning eagerness to be openly, earnestly emotional."[32] Linda Holmes of NPR also praised the acting and noted: "D'Arcy Carden, who a lot of TV audiences will mostly know as Janet ("not a robot" but ... kind of a robot) on The Good Place, is warm and bold and quite dreamy in this role — deeply human, in fact."[33] In a less positive review, Ben Travers rated A League of Their Own a B− in IndieWire and wrote that splitting the narrative between two parallel story lines "creates pacing issues where things like the team's inaugural baseball game gets surprisingly short shrift" but also noted "most of its first season problems are common issues for freshman TV shows, and the Prime Video original smooths out with each passing episode."[34] Peter Travers of ABC News also stated that the series "lacks the warm, gooey center of Marshall’s feel-good movie" but praised it as "refreshingly queer and diverse".[35]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)Result
2023GLAAD Media AwardsOutstanding New TV SeriesA League of Their Own [39] [40]
2023Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted SeriesGbemisola Ikumelo[41]
2023Outstanding Costume Design (Television or Film) Trayce Gigi Field[42]

Notes and References

  1. News: Soloski . Alexis . August 5, 2022 . In 'A League of Their Own,' Abbi Jacobson Makes the Team . . August 9, 2022 . 0362-4331.
  2. Web site: Goldberg . Lesley . February 14, 2020 . 'A League of Their Own': Meet the Full Cast for Amazon's Comedic Reboot . August 8, 2020 . The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. June 7, 2022 . Tracy E. . Gilchrist . Abbi Jacobson's A League of Their Own First Look Is a Gift to Lesbians, Bi Women . June 8, 2022 . The Advocate.
  4. Web site: May 13, 2022 . Devan . Coggan . The Rockford Peaches return in 'A League of Their Own' exclusive look . May 17, 2022 . EW.com .
  5. Web site: Petski. Denise. July 6, 2021. 'A League Of Their Own' Casts Saidah Ekulona; Alli Chung Joins 'The Hardy Boys'. live. November 17, 2021. Deadline. https://web.archive.org/web/20210706180408/https://deadline.com/2021/07/a-league-of-their-own-saidah-ekulona-alli-chung-the-hardy-boys-1234785813/ . July 6, 2021 .
  6. Web site: Petski. Denise. November 8, 2021. 'A League Of Their Own': Amazon Series Adds Six To Cast Including Nat Faxon, Kevin Dunn, Marquise Vilsón, Marinda Anderson. live. November 17, 2021. Deadline. https://web.archive.org/web/20211108222818/https://deadline.com/2021/11/a-league-of-their-own-nat-faxon-kevin-dunn-marquise-vilson-marinda-anderson-don-fanelli-nancy-lenehan-amazon-1234869848/ . November 8, 2021 .
  7. Web site: 'A League Of Their Own': Abbi Jacobson On A More Inclusive, Queer-Friendly Riff On The Beloved Movie [Interview] ]. August 9, 2022 . theplaylist.net.
  8. Web site: Goldberg. Lesley. August 7, 2020. Amazon's 'A League of Their Own' Will Lean Hard Into Sexuality and Racism, Creators Say. live. July 14, 2021. The Hollywood Reporter. https://web.archive.org/web/20210712121334/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/amazons-a-league-own-will-lean-hard-sexuality-racism-creators-say-1306346/ . July 12, 2021 .
  9. Web site: Holloway. Daniel. March 31, 2018. 'A League Of Their Own' Series in the Works at Amazon. August 8, 2020. Variety.
  10. Web site: Del Rosario. Alexandra. July 29, 2021. Rosie O'Donnell To Make Guest Appearance In Amazon's 'A League Of Their Own' Series. live. August 3, 2021. Deadline. https://web.archive.org/web/20210729181045/https://deadline.com/2021/07/rosie-odonnell-amazon-a-league-of-their-own-series-1234802330/ . July 29, 2021 .
  11. Hibberd. James. August 6, 2020. Amazon orders A League of Their Own TV series, reveals changes to story line from film. August 8, 2020. Entertainment Weekly.
  12. Bradley. Laura. November 8, 2019. D'Arcy Carden and Abbi Jacobson, Already in a League of Their Own, Will Lead Amazon's "A League of Their Own". Vanity Fair. August 8, 2020.
  13. Web site: 'A League Of Their Own' To End With Four-Episode Second Season At Prime Video . . Denise . Petski . March 14, 2023 . March 14, 2023.
  14. Web site: Gomez . Dessi . 2022-03-16 . 'A League of Their Own' Fan Campaign Calls for Longer Renewal With Airplane Banner Over Studio (Video) . 2023-03-17 . TheWrap .
  15. Web site: 2023-08-18 . Otterson . Joe . 'A League of Their Own' Season 2 Scrapped at Amazon . Variety . 2023-08-19 .
  16. Web site: Goldberg. Lesley. June 30, 2021. Amazon's 'A League of Their Own' Recruits Nick Offerman for Key Role (Exclusive). live. July 14, 2021. The Hollywood Reporter. https://web.archive.org/web/20210630193219/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/amazon-a-league-of-their-own-nick-offerman-1234976002/ . June 30, 2021 .
  17. Web site: Rosie O'Donnell to Guest on Amazon's New A League of Their Own Series. People. Dave. Quinn. July 29, 2021. July 29, 2021.
  18. Web site: Patrick J. Adams Joins 'A League Of Their Own' Amazon Series As Recurring. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. September 10, 2021. September 10, 2021.
  19. Web site: 'A League Of Their Own': Amazon Series Adds Five To Recurring Cast. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. September 16, 2021. September 16, 2021.
  20. Web site: June 11, 2021. Paid Extras Sought For 'A League Of Their Own' TV Series Filming In Pittsburgh. live. June 16, 2021. CBS Pittsburgh. https://web.archive.org/web/20210612005443/https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2021/06/11/a-league-of-their-own-tv-series-extras-pittsburgh/ . June 12, 2021 .
  21. Web site: Reed. Bryant. July 12, 2021. 'A League Of Their Own' Begins Filming In The Pittsburgh Area. live. July 14, 2021. CBS Local. https://web.archive.org/web/20210712102216/https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2021/07/12/a-league-of-their-own-begins-filming-in-the-pittsburgh-area/ . July 12, 2021 .
  22. Web site: Axelrod. Joshua. October 5, 2021. Greensburg Amtrak stop becomes Rockford Station for Amazon's 'A League of Their Own'. live. December 23, 2021. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. https://web.archive.org/web/20211005195642/https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/tv-radio/2021/10/05/greensburg-amtrak-league-of-their-own/stories/202110050125 . October 5, 2021 .
  23. Web site: Sinichak. Jessica. July 11, 2021. Pittsburgh is in a League of Its Own with New Television Series. live. July 14, 2021. Pittsburgh Magazine. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711185143/https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/pittsburgh-is-in-a-league-of-its-own-with-new-television-series/ . July 11, 2021 .
  24. Web site: Lewis . Hilary . April 21, 2022 . Tribeca to Feature World Premieres of 'League of Their Own' TV Show, Derek Jeter Docuseries . June 7, 2022 . The Hollywood Reporter .
  25. Web site: A League of their Own 2022 Tribeca Festival . June 7, 2022 . Tribeca.
  26. Web site: August 7, 2022 . Glenn . Garner . Abbi Jacobson Is Engaged to Jodi Balfour, A League of Their Own Costars Are 'So Happy' for Her . People magazine .
  27. Web site: Nemetz . Dave . June 7, 2022 . A League of Their Own Gets Summer Release Date at Prime Video — Watch the Peaches Play Ball in New Teaser . June 7, 2022 . TVLine.
  28. a_league_of_their_own_2022 . A League of Their Own . tv . 1 . September 5, 2022 .
  29. a-league-of-their-own-2022 . A League of Their Own . tv . 1 . August 11, 2022 .
  30. Web site: Scherer . Jenna . 2022-08-10 . A League Of Their Own serves up a whole new crop of Peaches . . 2022-08-15 .
  31. Web site: Upadhyaya . Kayla Kumari . 2022-08-10 . League of Their Own Reboot Makes Queer Subtext Into Bold Text . 2022-08-15 . Autostraddle .
  32. Web site: D'Addario . Daniel . August 11, 2022 . 'A League of Their Own' Is a Timeless Story Lost in Time: TV Review . Variety.
  33. News: Holmes . Linda . 2022-08-11 . New Peaches, new problems: 'A League of Their Own' makes a successful move to TV . NPR . 2022-08-15.
  34. Web site: Travers . Ben . August 10, 2022 . 'A League of Their Own' Review: Abbi Jacobson's Prime Video Reboot Is an Off-speed Pitch Worth Waiting For . . August 21, 2022 .
  35. Web site: Peter Travers . Peter Travers . August 12, 2022 . Review: New 'A League of Their Own' casts a refreshing eye on baseball . ABC News.
  36. Web site: The Critics Choice Association Women's Committee Launches The Seal of Female Empowerment in Entertainment (SOFEE) – Critics Choice Awards . CriticsChoice.com . September 20, 2022 .
  37. Web site: Human Rights Campaign to Honor Emmy Winner Sheryl Lee Ralph, Prime Video's Hit Series "A League of Their Own" at First D.C. National Dinner Since 2019 . 2022-11-13 . Human Rights Campaign . October 20, 2022 .
  38. Web site: NCLR Celebrates 45th Anniversary with First In-Person Gala since 2019 . National Center for Lesbian Rights . 2022-11-13 .
  39. Web site: Complex . Valerie . 2023-01-18 . GLAAD Announces Nominees For The 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards . 2023-01-19 . Deadline . en-US.
  40. Web site: Chuba. Kirsten. GLAAD Media Awards: 'Bros,' 'A League of Their Own' Take Top Prizes. Hollywood Reporter. March 30, 2023. March 31, 2023.
  41. Web site: Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series Archives . 2022-12-22 . Film Independent . en-US.
  42. Web site: 2023 NAACP Image Awards Nominations: See the Full List . 2023-01-12 . . January 12, 2023 .

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