There are so many television shows that have been cancelled way too soon. Some of them were one-season shows that managed to have incredible storytelling and acting, but still somehow got the boot. In fact, we’re still mourning the loss of shows like Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, The Society, and How to Die Alone. But there’s a series that Prime Video cancelled after one perfect season, and frankly, we’re still not over it.
What Is Prime Video’s ‘A League of Their Own’ About?
A League of Their Own exists in many people’s minds as the seminal classic film from 1992, starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Lori Petty (and a little-known singer named Madonna). Most millennials remember the famous line, “There’s no crying in baseball!” but the movie is also memorable because it helped to shine a light on a fascinating and real time in our country’s history that is often forgotten. With the men away fighting in World War II, there was no one to carry on playing baseball at home. A few men realized that women could play (and were actually good enough to bring in crowds of paying fans), and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was born. The film is so much fun to watch, but is a product of its time. The movie doesn’t dig into many deeper issues that these women were experiencing at that time in history.
“There Should Be a Range of What a Successful Show Is”: Abbi Jacobson Says ‘A League of Their Own’ Had the Fanbase To Be Successful
“I do think there’s a place to have a show that has a great audience, and it doesn’t have to be as successful as your most successful show.”
That’s where Abbi Jacobson stepped in. The Broad City star decided, with Will Graham, to create a television series in 2022 that revolves around these women’s baseball teams during the war, but with a much more compelling lens. A League of Their Own is set in 1943 and features several different female perspectives, including the protagonist Carson Shaw (Jacobson) and a talented Black baseball player named Maxine Chapman (Chanté Adams). But the television show is able to explore a far more realistic and interesting depiction of this time in history, including a focus on how racism affects Maxine’s efforts to join the league and an examination of LGBTQ+ relationships in the 1940s. What results surpasses the film’s more simplistic and straight-forward charm and offers viewers a beautiful blend of dramatic, heart-wrenching moments, and comedic delights.
‘A League of Their Own’ Features Incredible Performances by D’Arcy Carden, Abbi Jacobson, and Chanté Adams
Aside from her writing skills, Jacobson’s brilliant performance as Carson is the key reason why A League of Their Own is successful. Jacobson proves that she can master a more dramatic role just as much as the sidesplitting comedy she demonstrated in Broad City. She’s definitely the backbone of the series with her depiction of Carson’s kind heart, quest for a better life, and sexual awakening, but there are so many other incredible performances to praise as well. Adams makes Max an intriguing character whose go-getter behaviors illustrate her tenacity and feistiness. One of the best parts of the show is Max’s scenes with bestie Clance (Gbemisola Ikumelo). The two actors have a fantastic chemistry that brings the magic of female friendship to the screen in such a beautiful and unpredictable way.
Many of the secondary characters also prove their worth, including D’Arcy Carden, Kate Berlant, and Melanie Field. Even some of the minor characters bring the laughs with their shorter time on-screen. There are also several guest-stars that make A League of Their Own a world you love to get lost in. Nick Offerman takes on Hanks’ role as the coach of the Rockford Peaches, and nails that balance between gruff and lovable. Rosie O’Donnell also makes an appearance as the owner of an underground gay bar. Her character brings to the surface some of the overlooked aspects of life during this time in history when homophobia ran especially rampant. As an actor that appeared in the film version of A League of Their Own as well, her meaningful role in the series feels all the more special. All of these characters demonstrate the team spirit that the series relies on to portray ballplayers we’d actually root for. Each character has their own unique motivations and hang-ups, but they all work together to create a series that truly sings in its honesty and authenticity.
Prime Video Unfortunately Cancelled ‘A League of Their Own’ After 1 Season
When A League of Their Own premiered in the summer of 2022, reviewers had nothing but praise for the dramedy. A review for Collider noted that it delivered “a profound home-run,” and rated it an A+. At first, it seemed like good news when the series was picked up for a second season, but despite the immense love for the series, Prime Video announced in March 2023 that the show would only be coming back for a four-episode season (half of the episodes in Season 1) to tie things up with these characters. Then, in an even crueler twist of fate, Prime Video declared in August 2023 that A League of Their Own would be cancelled for good, with no chance at fans getting to see these beloved characters one more time. The streamer claimed that the recent writer and actor strikes had contributed to the financial decision to end the series permanently. However, Jacobson noted in a 2024 interview with Collider that she believed the streamer had used the strikes as “an easy way for them to cancel the show.”
With an impressive 95% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes critics score and a devoted fan base, it does still seem surprising that Prime Video wouldn’t just let A League of Their Own return for a few more episodes. The series was dedicated to telling the stories of many underrepresented communities, and its cancellation was even more disappointing because of this fact. The idea that it depicted a more realistic, darker side of the 1940s made it an exception to the many Hollywood projects that romanticize some aspects of that era and should have led to more support from the streamer.
Despite its depressing cancellation, A League of Their Own still exists as a fantastic eight-episode season that deserves a binge-watch. Each element of the production is perfection — from the impressive performances and insightful writing to the authentic WWII-era sets and costumes, the series offers a window into the lives of characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. Although the League of Their Own movie is a fun bit of nostalgia, the television series is much more of a nuanced, intelligent way of exploring the stories of the women of the All-American Girls Baseball League, and it’s a true tragedy that it was cancelled after one season.
- Release Date
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2022 – 2022-00-00
- Showrunner
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Will Graham
- Directors
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Will Graham
- Writers
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Kelly Candaele, Lowell Ganz, Will Graham, Abbi Jacobson, Kim Wilson
