A Look Ahead at Netflix's 'GLOW'

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

As a preteen in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, I was a die-hard professional wrestling fan. I’d tune in to watch (then) WWF shows Raw and Smackdown every week. I collected wrestling action figures, I wore the t-shirts, I slammed around my equally riled up friends and cousins as we all tried to embody our favorite superstars. With talent like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, The Undertaker, and so many more, it was hard not to be sucked in to the mystifying, adrenaline-filled world of pro wrestling at its peak in the ‘Attitude Era’.
 
And, as a pubescent male, I had an even greater affinity for the beautiful WWF/WWE Divas. When WWE brought the Vengeance pay-per-view to the Pepsi Center in Denver, I waited in line for a few hours for tickets and a chance to meet my Diva crush, Torrie Wilson. Athletic and stunning, the women of pro wrestling sent my heart aflutter through my pre-teen and teenage years.
 
This summer, Netflix is looking to kickstart my heart and tickle my funny bone with their new comedy series GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling). Created by the team behind Orange is the New Black, GLOW creates a fictional story around the real wrestling promotion of the same name from the ‘80s. The real G.L.O.W. was quintessentially ‘80s, extremely over-the-top, and full of unique characters (all evidenced in this opening theme rap). The new series looks to follow the success of a 2012 documentary on the promotion. 

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​GLOW stars the always amazing and ever-talented Alison Brie as a down-on-her-luck actress who auditions for a role seeking ‘unconventional women’, which ultimately ends up being an audition to act as a wrestler in a wacky wrestling promotion. Brie looks to be an absolutely perfect fit as the series’ main character, Ruth Wilder – and she definitely rocks her ‘80s hair well too! From the trailers alone, it’s obvious that Brie will bring humor, intensity, emotion, and likeability to the role. Brie is joined by Marc Maron, who portrays Sam Sylvia, a has-been director who assembles the promotion and looks to take it to stardom.
 
The series boasts a star-studded, all-female crew of creators and executive producers, consisting of Liz Flahive (Nurse Jackie, Homeland), Jenji Kohan (Weeds, Orange is the New Black), and Carly Mensch (Nurse Jackie, Orange is the New Black). Add in a cast of over a dozen diverse female cast members, along with the show’s fourth executive producer Tara Herrmann (Destination Truth, Orange is the New Black), and the crew seems to have created a great show with an exceptional story and a balance of laughs and feelings. The group of ‘unconventional women’, many of whom have been labeled as ‘different’ or who have reached a tipping point in their lives, find a home in the wrestling ring.
 
What is sure to be a summer binge blockbuster, GLOW is packing a punch and bringing a strong, female-powered story to the small screen. Make sure you get your ringside seats and watch the action on Netflix, starting tomorrow, June 23rd! 

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