GLOW

[Leighton]

Has anyone started this, on Netflix?  Ten-episode first series, each episode around 30 minutes.  It's set in the mid-80s world of GLOW - Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling - and is funny, and a bit sad, and feels very comfortably settled in its 80s time period.

I watched the first three episodes between 1am-2.30am last night, and I'm very glad I did.  Each episode flies by!  Even if you're not a fan of wrestling I'd still give it a go - it's not just about the wrestling, it's more about career and the relationships between the characters.

[Diane]

Has anyone started this, on Netflix?  Ten-episode first series, each episode around 30 minutes.  It's set in the mid-80s world of GLOW - Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling - and is funny, and a bit sad, and feels very comfortably settled in its 80s time period.

I watched the first three episodes between 1am-2.30am last night, and I'm very glad I did.  Each episode flies by!  Even if you're not a fan of wrestling I'd still give it a go - it's not just about the wrestling, it's more about career and the relationships between the characters.

Although I feel pretty strongly that wrestling is not my thing (!)  I am somewhat interested in the show because I like a couple of the lead actresses, Alison Brie (best known from Community and for playing Trudy on Mad Men) and Betty Gilpin, known to me from Nurse Jackie, where she played the addled resident who has a hot affair with Dr. Cooper.

[Leighton]

I genuinely think even non-wrestling fans will appreciate it

[Leighton]

Oh, there's even a Sondheim/Company shout-out in episode 6!

[Chris L]

Don't tempt us go get involved in watching another TV series, Leighton!

(Though it does sound interesting and I'm glad you watched Black Mirror. How far have you gotten?)

[Leighton]

(Up to the end of s2e1; have spent today watching three hours of political shows, finishing the last four episodes of American Gods and now GLOW.  I think I'll finish the last four episode of GLOW and then pick Black Mirror back up!)

Ten episodes, 30 minutes each ... not a huge commitment and it's really great fun!

[Vera Charles]

(Up to the end of s2e1; have spent today watching hours of political shows, finishing the last four episodes of American Gods and now GLOW.  I think I'll finish the last four episode of GLOW and then pick Black Mirror back up!)

Ten episodes, 30 minutes each ... not a huge commitment and it's really great fun!

I thought you had reports to write, young man. 😉

[Leighton]

(Up to the end of s2e1; have spent today watching hours of political shows, finishing the last four episodes of American Gods and now GLOW.  I think I'll finish the last four episode of GLOW and then pick Black Mirror back up!)

Ten episodes, 30 minutes each ... not a huge commitment and it's really great fun!

I thought you had reports to write, young man. 😉

Finished them - I'm a machine

[Leighton]

@scenicdesign71 we've chatted a bit about this already

[scenicdesign71]

[Ed.:  Thanks, Leighton, and apologies -- I don't know how I missed this thread, but I'm moving my post over here with a few edits/additions, and shutting down the duplicate thread I inadvertently started last night!]

When the trailer for GLOW first appeared online, my immediate reaction was knee-jerk recoil from the subject matter -- immediately followed by the sinking suspicion that Jenji Kohan and Liz Flahive might be jumping their respective career sharks, as it were.  But after reading several over-the-moon reviews, I cautiously decided to give it a try.

...and promptly devoured all of Season One in a single five-and-a-half hour binge, ordering takeout food at one point in order to keep watching uninterrupted.

Amid all the glories of Peak TV -- I'm as devoted to The Leftovers as anyone (although, being HBO-less myself, it'll be a few more months before I'm able to catch S3) -- I can't recall the last time a show gave me as much sheer guilt-free delight as GLOW.  As Leighton said,

[It's] funny, and a bit sad, and feels very comfortably settled in its 80s time period.  Each episode flies by!

And, I would add, the show is preposterously enjoyable on each of those counts, and a few others to boot.  (Although, in a weird way, the episodes didn't seem to "fly by," exactly -- the series certainly has an addictive pull, but not in the featherweight, somewhat meandering vein of many half-hour comedies.  Despite its deceptively fluffy material, these are satisfyingly full, meaty, elegantly-structured episodes).

Between the wrestling milieu and the 80s-pop-culture one, I started watching the series with the vague, snotty assumption that it couldn't possibly fail to insult the intelligence of any viewer not already predisposed to adore brainless, over-the-top camp for its own sake.  I'm relieved to report that I was happily disabused of that prejudice well before the end of the first episode.  For a show that's full-unto-bursting with heart and humor, GLOW is almost unreasonably smart and nuanced.  And vice versa.

I might even check out the 2012 documentary (also currently available on Netflix) that inspired the series -- if only to while away the long months until S2.  (I devoutly trust that there will in fact be a S2.  If by some bizarre quirk of fate GLOW somehow doesn't get renewed for at least a second season, I may have to boycott OITNB in protest).

[Leighton]

I started watching the series with the vague, snotty assumption that it couldn't possibly fail to insult the intelligence of any viewer not already predisposed to adore brainless, over-the-top camp for its own sake. 

This is basically me

[scenicdesign71]

This is basically me

Ack -- my sentence was clumsily stacked with too many layers of self-cancelling negatives: "Snotty assumption" -- "Couldn't fail..." --  "Insult the intelligence..." --  "Already predisposed [or not]..."?

So... what's basically you, @Leighton?

i.e.:  You, too, approached GLOW harshly assuming that it would insult your intelligence?
or, contrariwise:  You'd count yourself among those for whom mindless camp is its own reward?

(This is why I can't hold a simple conversation, and tend to just bloviate into the void instead).

[Leighton]

The latter.  I happily indulge in mindless camp and have watched professional wrestling with great enthusiasm since 1992 or so!

[DiveMilw]

I started watching the series with the vague, snotty assumption that it couldn't possibly fail to insult the intelligence of any viewer not already predisposed to adore brainless, over-the-top camp for its own sake.  

This is basically me

And I!!  (oh wait, I just read Leighton's response and I guess I'm not agreeing with him.  )
I thought this would be a bad, low budget series with average writing.  Had it not been for Leighton's talking about it I wouldn't have watched it.  Or maybe I would have but I wouldn't have gone past the first episode.  I am about to watch ep 5 and am really enjoying the series.  I'm trying not to binge it and watch only one episode a day but one day I watched at least two episodes.  

[DiveMilw]

I finished!  That was extremely entertaining!!  I hope we don't have to wait too long for season 2.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Was the ending a tribute/nod to "Broadcast News?"  It had to be, right?