In 1943, when young men were being shipped overseas to fight in World War II, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was formed. Fearing that America’s Pastime would be forgotten, Phillip K. Wrigley decided that women could pick up the slack that the dearth of professional male baseball players left behind. Of course, this didn’t come without some pushback – even though women were expected to take up the reins, they were still met with sexism. A League of Their Own, Prime Video’s new series based on the 1992 Penny Marshall film of the same name, begins with the formation of the Rockford Peaches. It continues the tradition started by the original movie, but expands on it eloquently, updating its source material for 2022 in a way that feels rare among the plethora of reboots, remakes, and revivals. A near-perfect update on the original movie, A League of Their Own is a joy to watch thanks to its stellar cast and modern perspective on the time period.
A League of Their Own begins with Abbi Jacobson’s Carson Shaw chasing a train, jumping on it as it leaves the station. She’s heading to baseball tryouts and it’s quickly revealed that she ran away right when her husband Charlie was coming home from World War II. Carson may not necessarily know why she left at first, but she’s quickly swept up in the big city life of Chicago, meeting Greta and Jo and the other women there to try out for the baseball league.
There have been plenty of shows about women picking up the slack while men go off to do imperialistic bidding, but none have been as fun or as heartfelt as A League of Their Own. The series switches up the format of the film, which began with a flashback. Instead, the Prime Video show begins in 1943 and this works well for the series. A League of Their own doesn’t need this format to act as a reflection on the past. It does this well enough already as the relationships between the Rockford Peaches grow, and they forge bonds that will last well beyond the events of the show.
It takes Jacobson a while to shake the Broad City caricature that she has been most known for, but she quickly becomes an asset to the show. Carson acts as an anchor, bringing the other women together in what is a standout cast of heavy hitters and newcomers. D’Arcy Carden — perhaps best known for her turn as Janet in The Good Place, but who is just as good in HBO’s Barry and other parts — proves that she deserves meatier roles like A League of Their Own’s Greta. Similarly, Kate Berlant, perhaps one of the funniest people walking this earth today, shines as Shirley. Chanté Adams, who has a slim resumé compared to some of her other co-stars, is also brilliant in her role as Max.
Quite possibly the only complaint that can be leveled against A League of Their Own is its runtime. Some episodes do feel a bit drawn out, especially compared to the original movie’s brisk pace, which felt fast despite its two-hour-plus runtime. Like the film, though, A League of Their Own allows viewers to get deeply invested in a plethora of nuanced characters. Its unflinching look at the misogyny of the time is in line with the original film and even improves on it with its ability to dive deeper into the issue. Crucially, the series examines the racism prevalent at the time that the first film didn’t (and almost seemed afraid to do).
At a time when a lot of reboots, revivals, and remakes feel like unnecessary cash grabs, A League of Their Own stands out from the pack. Helped by a brilliant cast, incisive writing, and more time to explore its themes, the show feels like co-creators Will Graham and Jacobson knew exactly what they were doing. It’s not frivolous, and it’s certainly not unnecessary. A League of Their Own feels like a vital extension of already beloved source material and, like the original film, it’s certain to be a crowd pleaser.
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A League of Their Own premieres its first three episodes August 12 on Prime Video. It will release new episodes weekly every Friday thereafter.
