A Preview of ‘A League of Their Own’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say, that reboots, or a reimagining of a popular franchise are often met with a touch of skepticism and understandably so. Because time and time again, we’ve seen the retelling of a story, deconstruct what made the original so great in the name of creative freedom or sometimes the end result is just a cookie cutter clone of the original. One devoid of the heart and magic that its predecessor brought to the table. But regardless of where you stand regarding the retelling of a grand tale, sometimes they do turn out to be something quite worthwhile and hold a flame to the original and sometimes… they are an outright necessity.

Because sometimes the original story in question, was constrained by the era it was released in. For special effects have come a long way and if the story featured a great deal of those, a reboot would be a good thing. Not to mention, who we were as a society in the era in which the story was released, kept certain concepts out of that tale, or it was put together in a format that didn’t allow for greater exploration of various ideas and not revisiting those worlds and those opportunities would be unfortunate since so much was left on the table. If anything, this particular aspect of why reboots and the reimagining are indeed important is top of mind today, simply because Prime Video is about to be host to a story that returns to a beloved franchise and opens it up in ways the original never could.

For the 1992 film A League of Their Own, while powerful and historic, since it put women front and center in a film at a time where that simply wasn’t the case… was constrained by the times and it's running time. For that was a very conservative era in our history and there is only so much one can explore in a movie, and that prompted the story to focus only on the experiences of the Rockford Peaches and it's two stars, Kit and Dottie. But there was so much more to dive into regarding this story, and that’s precisely why the upcoming 2022 iteration of A League of Their Own is of note. Because this is a reimagining of this iconic story that allows for those explorations to take place and well… what this series dives into now, is brilliant to least. 

Because this is a series that puts 1943 America on display in a proper manner, by spotlighting the struggles of women of that era in great detail, and by spotlighting women in general by putting them front and center in this tale. Not to mention, it also features appropriate diversity by having a cast that features BIPOC individuals and individuals from all walks of life, such at LGBTQ+ individuals. Who in this era, were not spotlighted in popular media or spoken of really. At least, not in a positive or inclusive manner. Which also allows for powerful stories to be told and incredible journeys to take place. The kind that speaks to how history hasn’t changed as much as we might like in some areas while providing us with a far more realistic representation of an era of history that is often whitewashed and romanticized in American popular media. 

Allowing for this franchise to finally reach its true potential and tell a far deeper story about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, one that also pays tribute to its roots. For this story still features plenty of baseball and plenty of fun, which were critical to the success of the original and well, all of these elements make this a must-see series. Simply because it takes the source material and elevates it to new heights and makes it relevant to our lives today and properly offers representation and diversity and stories that will resonate with viewers everywhere, and the best news of all… is you don’t have to wait that much longer to enjoy it. For A League of Their Own arrives on Prime Video on Friday, August 12, 2022, and we here at NTG hope you check it out and swing back here as well. To geek out with us via our episode-by-episode recaps and to check out our interviews with the cast and creators of the show as we countdown to the series premiere of a revolutionary and brilliant reimagining.

---