TV

Alison Brie to Star in Netflix’s Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling Series

By  · Published on September 1st, 2016

The Community star is is becoming a streaming TV staple.

Riding on the success of the critically acclaimed series Orange Is The New Black, Netflix and producer Jenji Kohan have teamed up again for G.L.O.W. The acronym stands for “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling,” as in the real-life pro wrestling promotion that was the female answer to the all-male World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s. The original G.L.O.W. also involved a kitschy television program that featured the women wrestling in the ring, plus more “feminine” acts like comedy sketches and musical numbers. It was based in Las Vegas and ran four seasons.

Since being picked up by Netflix in May, Kohan’s new fictionalized version (created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, respectively of Homeland and Orange Is The New Black fame) has been without a cast, but this week brings announcement that Community and Mad Men star Alison Brie is coming on board as the main character, Ruth. Created for the show but based on a true story, she’s just another actress in Los Angeles struggling to find work when she’s given an opportunity to chase her dreams in some small way as a Gorgeous Lady Wrestler.

Brie’s star is on the rise, as is an apparent mutually beneficial relationship with Netflix. She currently voices several characters for their animated comedy BoJack Horseman, a show she reportedly turned down several other gigs for. It will be extremely interesting to see the progression of the actress’s relationship with the streaming giant.

To get an idea as to what we might expect from the new fictionalized G.L.O.W., we need only to take a look at some of the relics from the original reality show. The original series featured characters with wild names like Babe The Farmer’s Daughter, Vallerie Vendetta, Jailbait, Cheyenne Cher, and Big Bad Mama. We can only speculate as to what Brie’s character’s alter-ego will be known as, but my money is on Ruthless Ruth for the moment.

The Gorgeous Lady Wrestlers have left us the ultimate gift, the show’s old website is still live. The following quote is just a taste of the verbiage from the G.L.O.W., from their casting page, creatively named “Babe’s School of Wrestling.”

Heavy demand has brought Babe, the Farmer’s Daughter off the farm and back into the wrestling ring! And guess what? She wants to take it out on someone just like YOU! Careful! I think she may still have her daddy’s gun and I’m not talking Billy! Although she does have a few Pumpkins to Smash around!

The kitsch! The glamor! The alliteration! Pair all of that with the talented and acclaimed writers, producers, and the acting talent of Alison Brie attached to the project, and we may have ourselves a comedic goldmine. The comedy from the original show was silly, almost like verbal slapstick. If the comedy of the show is more aligned with the drier, wittier humor of Orange is the New Black, the show could be one of the funniest in a while.

The release date for the 10-episode G.L.O.W. has not yet been revealed. With all of the talent taking part in the project, we should all be waiting with bated breath for this wrestling extravaganza.

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