Collider: Six cast members of the now-canceled Netflix series GLOW lobbied for better and fairer representation in their future storylines, according to a statement shared by one of the group’s members, Sunita Mani. The effort was initiated during the show’s COVID-19-mandated hiatus and spurred on by the Black Lives Matter protests occurring around the nation in recent months.
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I didn't know that GLOW got cancelled, but it makes me pretty mad. GLOW was one of the only shows I remember getting really into in the past year. I watched all three seasons in about 2 weeks, which, for a notoriously slow watcher like me, is a feat. Its characters were so endearing and it never shied away from tackling important issues. Even when issues were found with it, like the one mentioned in this article, Sunita Mani confirms that the team working on it really listened to their concerns, and wrote the fourth and final season to address them. I can't help but join in the idea that the show was cancelled partially because of its diversity and female focus. It was always recognized during awards season and had a sizeable fanbase, but not very large compared to behemoths like Stranger Things, and clearly not enough to keep the show afloat. I would love to read a script for the cancelled season, just to see what could have been. I really will miss this show.
As Jem, I didn’t know that this show was canceled (the blog is really my entertainment news source, and semesters where I don’t do comments, I feel very out of the loop). As Jem, I am curious to see how these issues would have been addressed and I wonder if they will publish the canceled script especially in these times of digital work and transparency. I really love that GLOW wrote a letter after it was canceled. I think the fact about the performing arts both theatre and film is that processes can last so short – feeling like there isn’t time to react or speak up about issues like a lack of BIPOC representation and having evidence that people can speak out about issues afterward is a great thing to see and hopefully will continue to happen as issues arise and need to be called out. Sunita Mani’s statement touches on a huge issue that I think always needs to be at the forefront of people’s minds is power dynamics. Mani’s statement reflects something that a lot of people face when speaking out on a level as big as a Netflix show to people speaking out in a school or local theatre, the fact that power dynamics silence people. People in power (professors, artistic directors, directors, stage managers, general managers, producers) will all usually claim to have an open-door policy however this doesn’t work because of power dynamics. If there is some power such a controlling a paycheck, failing a student, or blacklisting someone, then a person needs an anonymous way to speak out. These are popping up but they need to be given more power by the people in power to demonstrate that they are effective ways of reporting. They also need to publish outcomes at least to the person affected. I’d be interested to see Netflix and the GLOW leadership s response to this leader and honestly was surprised that it wasn’t included in the article.
This is another example of how shows need people of color in every aspect of production, not just on screen to show diversity. I was honestly shocked when I heard there wasn’t even one person of color in the writer’s room because I thought it had somewhat of a diverse cast. After watching the show, I completely agree with those cast members that their characters deserved better depictions. This problem in the show could have been avoided if there were also diverse writers. I am upset that the show got cancelled because it sounds like the production team was willing to listen and work with the actors to make those changes. I would have loved to compare season 4 to all of the previous seasons. Also, it would’ve provided more experiences for people of color in the industry. I’m not sure why it was cancelled (especially because it was renewed), so that’s something I’m curious to look into.
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