A League Of Their Own is set during the formation of the All-American Baseball League, which was setup in the 1940s to continue professional baseball whilst the men were all fighting in World War II.
Instead of ‘rebooting’ the 1992 film of the same name, the TV show is a ‘reimagining’, and arguably a more authentic portrayal of the history it retells.
Tells the stories of unheard voices
Whereas the 1992 film focussed on white, heterosexual women, likely due to its cultural context, the TV show is not afraid to tell multiple stories in tandem. From BIPOC representation to queer narratives, A League Of Their Own portrays the untold stories of those who identified as anything ‘other’.
The two touched upon mainly are that of latina and black voices especially. Each character has their own time to grow as a character, rather than being placed in the background as the ‘token’ BIPOC character with no lines.
The parallels of Max and Carson
The show follows two women, Carson (Abbi Jacobson) and Max (Chanté Adams), who have essentially the same desires in life – to live authentically, find happiness, and to play baseball. However, the two follow different paths, due to the segregation of the All-American League.
By following the two stories alongside one another, this allows the show to touch upon racial issues of the time – and, especially, how discovering ones’ queer identity differs when you are from a marginalised community.
Explores sexuality
A League Of Their Own is unabashedly queer – much thanks to the undeniable chemistry between Jacobson’s Carson and Greta, played by the magnificent D’Arcy Carden. Their relationship is raw and authentic, making for some electric scenes.
However, importantly, it does not merely focus on the happy aspects of discovering one’s identity – after all, it was still illegal to be gay in this era. Instead, the show also touches upon the fears, hardships, and trauma that non-hetero-identidying individuals had to face during this time.
Experiments with gender
In addition to sexuality, the show also explores gender identity, thanks to the introduction of Uncle Bertie. The character is a black trans man, and, in a casting masterclass by the team here, is played by Lea Robinson, a black trans non-binary actor.
Touches on the neurodiversity
And, if all that representation wasn’t enough, A League Of Their Own also boasts a character that displays traits associated with autism or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Where can I find it?
The show is available on the video-on-demand platform Amazon Prime.
A League Of Their Own has impressive reviews from critics and audiences alike, high viewing figures, and, unlike Netflix, Amazon Prime also supports addressable advertising solutions, making this show not only a worthwhile consideration for people looking for a binge worthy show, but also for advertisers and businesses too. Adverts displayed during the ad-breaks of this show, especially when using AVOD services by Finecast, have an almost guaranteed audience ready to be converted into leads.
Overall, A League Of Their Own breaks boundaries at every turn, producing arguably the most diverse show on TV right now, and bringing queer, gender non-conforming and trans actors into the spotlight along with it.