“A League of Their Own” Season 1 (2022) / Z-View
A League of Their Own, Season 1 (2022)
Directors: Jamie Babbit (Eps. 1-3); Ayoka Chenzira (Ep. 4); Katrelle Kindred (Ep.5); Will Graham (Ep. 6); Silas Howard (Ep. 7); Anya Adams (Ep. 8)
Teleplay by: Will Graham & Abbi Jacobson (Eps. 1 & 8); Abbi Jacobson (Ep.2); Desta Tedros Reff (Ep. 3); Michelle Badillo (Ep. 4); Mfoniso Udofia (Ep.5); Will Graham (Ep. 6); Sanaz Toossi (Ep.7)
Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Colindrez, Kelly McCormack, Priscilla Delgado, Molly Ephraim, Melanie Field, Kate Berlant, Dale Dickey, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Lea Robinson and Rosie O’Donnell
Tagline: None.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
A League of Their Own is an loose adaptation of the 1992, A League of Their Own hit movie. The update introduces new characters and storylines.
The year is 1943. World War II is raging. In an effort to increase morale at home the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League is formed. A League of Their Own follows a group of women from try-outs through the first season on the Rockford Peaches. The focus is on…
- Carson Shaw (Jacobson), a married woman from the midwest who’s life has been somewhat sheltered. Her husband is in the service. Carson develops feelings for Greta.
- Maxine “Max” Chapman (Adams) is an African-American woman with a fastball that rivals those thrown by most men. Maxine won’t even get a chance to tryout for the team because she’s black, but when one door closes…
- Greta Gill (Carden) is a wild woman, who lives life and encourages Carson in more ways than one.
- Clance Morgan (Ikumelo) is Maxine’s best friend, a newlywed who wants to be a comic book artist (and not a baseball player)
- Jo DeLuca (Field) is Greta’s best friend and a power hitter
- Toni Chapman (Ekulona) is Maxine’s mother who doesn’t support her baseball ambitions
While the above characters get most of the screen time, A League of Their Own does an excellent job of showcasing each of the players on the Rockford Peaches. It’s interesting that women’s baseball is used as the backdrop for a time in America when women couldn’t open a checking account without their husband’s permission, African-Americans were still segregated from whites and being gay was thought of as a disease or even contagious.
The writing on A League of Their Own is really sharp and it doesn’t hurt that the series is well cast. All of the actresses that play major characters are excellent. Kudos also to Lea Robinson as Uncle Bertie, Nick Offerman who plays the former pro who is brought in to coach the Peaches and Rosie O’Donnell who plays the owner of an underground gay bar. Maxine “Max” Chapman (Adams) and her best friend Clance Morgan (Ikumelo) have a chemistry as best friends that could sustain a half hour comedy on their own.
A League of Their Own surprised me in how good it was. I hope we get a second season.
A League of Their Own, Season 1 earns 4 of 5 stars.
