Wrestling show is gripping and fun... like the real thing
NETFLIX’S latest comedy drama GLOW is all about wrestling divas with bad blood and great hair – and it’s already being hailed as a knockout.
Glamorous Ladies Of Wrestling takes a nostalgic look at the world of the women’s sport with hilarious and, at times, heart-wrenching results.
It’s all girl power, killer 80s anthems, neon spandex and hair spray.
The Netflix website has correctly put it in the box it reserves for shows classed as “irreverent, offbeat, witty”.
The series follows a group of women clinging to their last chances of making it, with Mad Men’s Alison Brie in the role of Ruth Wilder, a struggling actress who decides to steer her dream in a very different direction.
LEGEND
The series is inspired by the real-life wrestlers of the GLOW era and Brie is joined by Britney Young as Carmen, the daughter of a wrestling legend trying to make her own mark, and Betty Gilpin (Nurse Jackie) as a former soap star turned brawler Debbie.
The motley crew of Hollywood misfits take their cue from Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron), a washed-up movie director tasked with leading them to wrestling stardom.
The series is executive-produced by Orange is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan and it doesn’t shy away from tackling contentious issues such as race tension.
When a black woman (Kia Stevens) voices her discomfort at playing the “Welfare Queen” her complaint is discussed – but inevitably ignored – by the director.
The show’s success lies in its attention to detail in depicting an over-the-top world from the mad costumes to the fake shrieks of pain.
When it came to the fight scenes, stunt doubles were not an option and the cast were all put through their paces at bootcamp to get the moves just right. Thirdgeneration professional wrestler Chavo Guerrero Jr was brought in to train them up to acquire “basic ring knowledge” and the WWE champ did his job well. Geurrero’s uncle Mando trained the real-life female wrestlers ahead of GLOW’S first season back in the 80s, so you could say that he had a little insider knowledge.
The series also sees Foundations singer Kate Nash in her Netflix debut as Rhonda, an out-of-work model from London who previously worked with Kohan on Salem witch trials movie The Devil You Know. There’s not much more to say other than the entire series is available to stream from this weekend. Oh, and this – with a cast of feisty women, snappy scripting and an overload of nostalgia, GLOW is a must-watch.