A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN: SEASON ONE
Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D'Arcy Carden, Roberta Colindrez, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Kelly McCormack, Priscilla Delgado, and Nick Offerman
Creators: Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham
NICK
As a fan of 1992’s A League of Their Own, I was intrigued at the opportunities a series would provide the story to go in different directions. Unfortunately, those attempts either aren’t explored or don’t work. It’s not particularly poorly written or acted, but it just… happens. It's almost like a Hallmark-style remake of the film, as a lot of the characters feel like impressions of the original cast. Even the racism plotline (the most interesting part) doesn’t blend well with the series, and it likely would have made for a better series on its own. Ultimately, a swing and a miss for Amazon.
QUENTIN
Based on the hit movie, A League of Their Own can’t escape the shadow of the classic 1992 film. In name, the characters are different from those in the movie, but they are essentially watered-down caricatures of the same archetypes (D’Arcy Carden = Geena Davis, Melanie Field = Rosie O’Donnell, etc.). Furthermore, show creators Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham seemingly just took Netflix’s GLOW and dressed it up in a Rockford Peaches baseball uniform, which means the series lacks an identity of its own. With plotlines of racism and a queer sexual awakening also feeling stale and shallow, this one belongs on the bench.
