GLOW

In 1980s Los Angeles Ruth Wilder is a struggling actress who answers a casting call and winds up teamed with former soap star Debbie Eagan. Producers pull together a motley group of women from varied backgrounds to stage a televised wrestling show called the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. What starts as a low-budget spectacle becomes a hotbed of creative tension, personal ambition and unexpected camaraderie. Rehearsals are chaotic, character gimmicks collide, and offstage relationships seep into performances. Marc Maron’s Sam Sylvia runs the production with blunt direction, and as the women rehearse, perform and spar with one another they reshape how they see themselves and what success might mean in a cutthroat industry.

Released in 2017, GLOW was created by Carly Mensch, Liz Flahive and Isaac Oliver for television, blending comedy and drama. The ensemble cast includes Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, Marc Maron, Sydelle Noel and Britney Young, whose chemistry and contrasting styles anchor the series.

Across its run GLOW drew awards attention from critics and television industry organizations, earning nominations and mentions for acting, writing and production design. Reviewers and peer groups repeatedly highlighted the ensemble work, noting how performances and technical craft reinforced the show's shifts between satire and intimate drama.

Beyond critical response the series helped renew interest in 1980s aesthetics and women's wrestling, and it sparked broader conversations about representation and workplace dynamics in entertainment. Costumes, training montages and the period soundtrack became common reference points on social media and in pop culture commentary, influencing fashion features and podcast conversations about TV and gender.

Critics generally praised the show’s ability to mix comic set pieces with quieter character moments, and audiences responded to its detailed period look and strong acting. Recurring themes include ambition, identity as performance, exploitation within show business, and how collaboration on a risky creative project can produce solidarity, rivalry and surprising personal change.