Amazon Prime Video arguably doesn’t get as chastised as other streaming services when it comes to TV show cancellations. However, a swath of fans were taken aback last week when it was reported that A League of Their Own had been canceled. The development arrived months after the series was renewed for an abbreviated second and final season. This move was attributed to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors and WGA writers strikes. Showrunner (and lead actress) Abbi Jacobson criticized the decision, calling it “cowardly.” Now, her co-creator, Will Graham, has shared a long and uplifting message for viewers disappointed with the series’ demise.
Will Graham had a lot to say when he took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his reaction to the news via a thread. He specifically addressed the fans belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community, saying that A League of Their Own’s cast and creative team learned about its cancellation at Prime Video last Friday as well. Acknowledging that he sees series devotees’ “pain and anger and worry,” Graham asked that they please “take care” of and “be kind” to themselves before doing anything else. He also implored people to know that “you aren’t alone.” The EP then proceeded to quote the 1992 film on which the show is based and address whether it might find a new streaming home:
As I’ve been thinking about what’s happened, I come back to a quote from Penny Marshall’s film: ‘The hard is what makes it great.’ Making this show is so hard and so great. There’s quite a bit to say about what’s been hard, but at this point that’s in the past. Of course, if we have an avenue to do it well, we will continue the show, and I love seeing the noise you’re making in support of that. The noise matters! And it’s hard for me to imagine there wouldn’t be a home for a show that thanks to you was in the Nielsen Top 10 for three weeks, was the top show on Amazon for a month and in the top five for six, that was recognized by critics as something special, that’s been recognized with awards from GLAAD, HRC and a million other organizations, that was on a million year-end top ten lists, and that has a built in and deeply passionate audience.
The showrunner – who’s also worked on Daisy Jones & the Six and Mozart in the Jungle – acknowledged that Amazon is currently “pursuing different kinds of programming.” However, he also says that for others, “this show is a hit and has huge value and even greater potential.” A League of Their Own did indeed amass a solid following during its run. Set in 1943, the series centered on the formation of the all-women Rockford Peaches baseball team. While it was inspired by Penny Marshall’s fan-favorite movie, it notably featured new characters and storylines to boot. Ultimately, it received highly positive reviews, with audiences praising the writing, direction, tone and cast. It was also praised for having LGBTQ+ characters in prominent roles.
Will Graham further emphasized just how important the show has been to the aforementioned community. He commended audiences for being so enthusiastic about the series and for helping to spark true societal change. Above all else though, he thanked loyal viewers for choosing to live their truths as a result of watching the dramedy:
You came out, you changed pronouns, you started living more openly, you gave sermons in church about the show, you opened bars, and you got a truly mind boggling number of tattoos that say ‘to the five’ and ‘rob the bank.’ What else am I forgetting? I'm sure you'll remind me. But most importantly, you made a community, you found each other and found joy, which of course is what the show is about. In many more ways than I would ever have let myself imagine while we were making it, you literally bring the show to life every day. Thank you for making our work mean something bigger.
It’s fair to say that the sports show debuted amid a time in which the entertainment is starting to shift, making space for more diverse and rarely told stories. Abbi Jacobson, Will Graham and their colleagues’ work represented a positive step for representation. Based on the comments made by both Graham and Jacobson (who also shot down the notion of the strikes causing the cancellation), they’re both incredibly proud of what they accomplished in one season. While fans definitely wanted the situation to play out differently, there’s at least some comfort in knowing that the series did get to exist for a while and will likely continue to inspire for a lot longer.
if you'd like to revisit A League of Their Own or check it out with fresh eyes, you can stream it in its entirety using a Prime Video subscription.
