A League of Their Own is one of the latest victims of the strike, as it was reported this past week that the show was canceled by Amazon Prime Video. The series, based on the 1992 film with the same name, premiered its first season last year to favorable critical reviews and garnered a dedicated following. The Prime original was originally renewed for a shortened second and (final) season, after much speculation about its fate. However, due to delays as a result of the 2023 WGA writers strike, Season 2 was scrapped by Amazon and the series was effectively canceled. Now, the showrunner is speaking out, calling the streamer "cowardly" and more in the wake of the news.
Abbi Jacobson, who both starred in and created A League of Their Own, posted a love letter to the series on social media. She shouted out the cast, crew and all the people who worked so hard on the Prime video production. The EP also didn’t hold back when expressing her disappointment with the studio over the cancelation and its reasoning for reversing the Season 2 plans. Jacobson said on Instagram:
To blame this cancellation on the strike, (which is an essential fight for fair wages, protections and working conditions, etc…) is bullshit and cowardly. But this post isn’t about all that. About all the ways this show has been put through the ringer. Not today.
The cancellation of this series in particular will likely come as a major disappointment to fans, especially due to the subject matter involved. The series was notably progressive, as it centered on an LGBTQ+ couple and featured a diverse cast. It took place in the 1940s and also dealt with race relations of the time period while further exploring the sexism that informed the original '90s film. It was modern while also being true to the WWII era that served as its backdrop. In addition, A League of Their Own's cast was praised and included stars like D’Arcy Carden, Chanté Adams, and Nick Offerman. You can see Abbi Jacobson’s tribute post in full below:
On a larger scale, this decision might not bode well for other shows that may be in flux due to the strike. In fact, Amazon also canceled the Chloë Grace Moretz-led series Peripheral, which had been renewed for a second season as well. Delays and scheduling shifts been happening since the writers started striking in May. For instance, the fifth season of Stranger Things was pushed way out to 2025, and the second season of Severance was also put on pause. While a show with such mainstream popularity like the aforementioned Netflix series is probably safe from outright cancellation, series with smaller audiences could be more vulnerable.
While this may be the end for A League of Their Own, this hopefully isn’t the end for Abbi Jacobson’s dedication to female-led projects. The actress made history with Broad City and continues to focus on important and untold stories centered around women. She's used her platform to lift up female creatives and has more recently been supporting her union amid the strike. One would hope that she'll have the opportunity to tell more stories when a fair deal is finally reached between the writers, actors and studios.
While the second season has been scrapped, you can still watch the first season of A League of Their Own now using a Prime Video subscription.
