Good Girls Revolt debuted on Amazon for its first season, and was then quietly canceled thereafter. The series, produced by TriStar Television (owned by Sony Pictures TV Studios), was seemingly shuttled into the ether with the rest of bygone series. Until now.
While Sony TV does have a tendency to try and shop its shows around longer than other studios, this is a unique situation. Why? The current on-going revelations of sexual harassment in Hollywood. See, Good Girls Revolt‘s plot was all about examining and pushing back against gender discrimination in the workplace. Based on the Lynn Povich novel The Good Girls Revolt and the lawsuit brought to Newsweek by female employees against their employer, the series follows the same story. Stars Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect), Genevieve Angelson (Backstrom), Erin Darke (Don’t Think Twice), and Joy Bryant (Parenthood) come together in the ensemble series. Characters level a lawsuit against their boss at “News of the Week” during the social upheaval backdrop of 1969.
At the time, women were shunted to the lowest level positions available in newsrooms. As in other areas (highlighted in the film Hidden Figures), many of these women were more talented, better writers, and better researchers than their male counterparts. And were, predictably, never given credit and paid far, far less (worse if you were a person of color). Good Girls Revolt follows the fight for bylines (article credit), better pay, and better workplace treatment.
With the news coming out of Hollywood and in journalism corporations (FOX News, MSNBC) of harassment, discrimination, and worse—and with no end in sight—it’s not a surprise that this series is suddenly very, very topical. In fact, Amazon’s former head, Roy Price (who had canceled the series) is now out as a result of said unfolding scandal. The series’ cancellation was something of a headscratcher at the time, having posted solid ratings for its first season with 80% of those watching the pilot sticking around to view the series.
In the current media environment, even Amazon with its new head of streaming content could show interest in reviving the show. The Hollywood Reporter lists the following networks currently in the running to potentially up the series: Freeform, ABC, Hulu, USA Network, and Bravo. The show’s creator, Dana Calvo, and the stars have expressed their willingness to return.
Good girls revolt, indeed.
