Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is an American musical romantic comedy-drama television series that was created by Annabel Oakes for Paramount+. The series is a prequel to the film Grease (1978), based on the stage musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. It aired from April 6, 2023 to June 1, 2023 on Paramount+. The series was canceled later that month and removed from Paramount+.[1]

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies
Genre
Created byAnnabel Oakes
Based on
Starring
Music by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
ProducerGrace Gilroy
Production locationsVancouver, British Columbia
Running time48–59 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkParamount+
Original releaseApril 6 (2023-04-06) –
June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)

Premise

The series takes place in 1954, four years before the events of Grease, and follows four fed-up and misfit students who band together to bring out the moral panic that will change Rydell High forever and become the founding mothers of the first female high school gang, known as the "Pink Ladies".

Cast and characters

Main
  • Marisa Davila as Jane Facciano, a student of Rydell High School, founding member of the Pink Ladies, the first female student to run for class president, and older sister of Fran "Frenchy" Facciano.
  • Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia Valdovinos, a student of Rydell High School, founding member of the Pink Ladies, and younger sister of T-Bird member, Richie, with a reputation based on rumors which she does not care about.
  • Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia Zdunowski, a tomboyish student of Rydell High School who wanted to be a T-Bird before becoming a founding member of the Pink Ladies.
  • Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy Nakagawa, a student of Rydell High School, aspiring fashion designer, and founding member of the Pink Ladies.
  • Shanel Bailey as Hazel Robertson, a shy student of Rydell High School student who ends up taking on the lead female role in Romeo and Juliet.
  • Madison Thompson as Susan St. Clair, a student of Rydell High School, member of Rydell High's Dance Committee, and Buddy's ex-girlfriend.
  • Johnathan Nieves as Richie Valdovinos, a student of Rydell High School, member of the T-Birds, one of Jane's two love interests, and Olivia's older brother.
  • Jason Schmidt as Buddy Aldridge, a student of Rydell High School from a prominent family and one of Jane's two love interests.
  • Nicholas McDonough as Gil Rizzo, a student of Rydell High School, member of the T-Birds, and older brother of Betty.
  • Jackie Hoffman as Asst. Principal McGee, the assistant Principal of Rydell High School who eventually goes on to become the principal as of Grease.

Recurring
  • Chris McNally as Mr. Leonard Daniels, an English teacher at Rydell High School and the head of the school newspaper who pursued a fling with Olivia until they got caught.
  • Charlotte Kavanagh as Rosemary, a Rydell High School student and cheerleader.
  • Josette Halpert as Dorothy "Dot", a Rydell High School student, friend of Susan, and member of the Dance Committee.
  • Maximo Weber Salas as Edward "Shy Guy", a student of Rydell High School, member of the T-Birds, and a boxer, the last of which he does not enjoy.
  • Alexis Sides as "Potato", a student of Rydell High School and member of the T-Birds who is also known as "Pedrito".
  • Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally Winslow, a student at Rydell High School who has a crush on Hazel.
  • Niamh Wilson as Lydia, a student of Rydell High School and member of the thespians.
  • Madison Elizabeth Lagares as Fran "Frenchy" Facciano, the younger sister of Jane Facciano who eventually goes on to become a Pink Lady as of Grease.
  • Emma Shannon as Betty Rizzo, the younger sister of Gil Rizzo who eventually goes on to become the leader of the Pink Ladies as of Grease.
  • Victor Lau as Floyd, a student of Rydell High School and a member of the thespians.

Production

Development

The series was given a straight-to-series order by WarnerMedia in October 2019 under the title Grease: Rydell High, set to air on their streaming service HBO Max.[2] In April 2020, Annabel Oakes was hired to write the pilot episode and act as executive producer for the series.[3] In May 2020, the title of the series was changed to Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, and it was announced that the series is set to premiere in 2021.[4]

In October 2020, it was announced that the series would instead premiere on Paramount+ after Chief Content Officer for HBO and HBO Max Casey Bloys decided to not move forward with the series at HBO Max. Along with the change of network, Annabel Oakes was announced to serve as creator of the series.[5] In July 2021, the series was given a ten-episode series order officially by Paramount+. Marty Bowen and Erik Feig joined the series as executive producers.[6] Alethea Jones was announced as a producer in October 2021 and also directs the first episode.[7]

Casting

On January 31, 2022, it was reported that Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Ari Notartomaso, Tricia Fukuhara, Shanel Bailey, (as the Pink Ladies)[8] Madison Thompson, Johnathan Nieves, Jason Schmidt, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper, and Jackie Hoffman were cast in starring roles.[9] In February 2022, it was announced Chris McNally, Charlotte Kavanagh, Josette Halpert, Nicholas McDonough, Maximo Weber Salas, and Alexis Sides joined the cast in recurring capacities.[10][11]

Filming

The series was initially scheduled to be filmed in California after receiving a tax credit to shoot in the state.[12] On January 31, 2022, it was reported that production had begun in Vancouver, British Columbia.[13]

Episodes
No.TitleDirected byTeleplay byOriginal release date
1"We're Gonna Rule the School"Alethea JonesAnnabel OakesApril 6, 2023 (2023-04-06)
2"Too Pure to Be Pink"Alethea JonesMackenzie DohrApril 6, 2023 (2023-04-06)
3"So This Is Rydell"Diego VelascoAuriel Rudnick & Kay RichApril 13, 2023 (2023-04-13)
4"If You Can't Be an Athlete, Be an Athletic Supporter"Marie JamoraChristina NievesApril 20, 2023 (2023-04-20)
5"You Can't Just Walk Out of a Drive-In"Jennifer MorrisonRobert SudduthApril 27, 2023 (2023-04-27)
6"Sloppy Seconds Ain't My Style"Jamal SimsLaura PollakMay 4, 2023 (2023-05-04)
7"Cruisin' for a Bruisin"Alethea JonesMackenzie Dohr & Raul Martin RomeroMay 11, 2023 (2023-05-11)
8"Or at the High School Dance"Annabel OakesAlison WongMay 18, 2023 (2023-05-18)
9"You're Dropping Out of Rydell"Ruben GarciaPhylicia Pearl MpasiMay 25, 2023 (2023-05-25)
10"Racing for Pinks"Benny BoomGabe Liedman & Samantha CorderoJune 1, 2023 (2023-06-01)

Music
Main article: Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (soundtrack)

Around 30 new songs were written for the series by American songwriter Justin Tranter,[14] some co-written with others, with each intending to add a contemporary take on but still capture 1950s-style nostalgia and harmonies.[15][16] They are the executive music producer for the series.[17] Tranter recognized the music would be remembered as a snapshot of this present time, and purposely crafted the music to be in line with the story and characters.[18]

Release

The premiere of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies was first earmarked for early 2023 in a story in Entertainment Weekly in December 2022.[19] On January 9, 2023, the series was announced at a Television Critics Association panel to premiere on April 6, 2023.[20] The show's first season concluded on June 1, 2023. The series was removed from Paramount+ in June 2023.

The series was released on digital on July 24, 2023, and will be followed by a physical DVD release on November 7, 2023.[21]

Reception

Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 65% approval rating, with an average rating of 6.7/10, based on 34 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Rise of the Pink Ladies isn't quite automatic, systematic, or hydromatic with its catalogue of merely passable songs, but the core cast is plucky enough that nostalgic viewers will want it to tell them more, tell them more."[22] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 59 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[23]

References
  1. White, Peter (June 23, 2023). "'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies', 'Star Trek: Prodigy', 'The Game' & 'Queen of the Universe' Canceled At Paramount+ As Streamer Pulls Shows From Service & Takes Content Write-Down". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  2. Petski, Denise (October 15, 2019). "'Grease' Spinoff Series 'Rydell High' Ordered By HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  3. Andreeva, Nellie (April 10, 2020). "'Grease: Rydell High': Annabel Oakes To Write & EP HBO Max Spinoff Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  4. @WarnerMedia (May 27, 2020). "#HBOMax is here! 🥳 Our groundbreaking streaming platform features iconic and beloved programming from across the WarnerMedia portfolio, a roster of new Max Originals, & fan-favorite acquired franchises & films" (Tweet). Retrieved May 31, 2020 – via Twitter.
  5. Thorne, Will (October 14, 2020). "'Grease' Spinoff Series Moves From HBO Max to Paramount Plus (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  6. Andreeva, Nellie (July 16, 2021). "'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' Prequel Series Officially Ordered By Paramount+". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  7. Del Rosario, Alexandra (October 5, 2021). "'Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies': Justin Tranter, Jamal Sims, Alethea Jones Board Paramount+ Prequel Series' Creative Team". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  8. Kelley, Aidan (January 27, 2023). "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: Cast, Release Date, Trailer, and Everything We Know So Far". Collider. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  9. Petski, Denise (January 31, 2022). "'Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies': Paramount+ Prequel Series Sets Cast As Production Begins". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  10. Petski, Denise (February 11, 2022). "'When Calls The Heart's Chris McNally Joins 'Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies' & 'Firefly Lane'2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  11. Petski, Denise (February 23, 2022). "'Grease: Rise Of The Pink Ladies' Adds Five To Supporting Cast Of Paramount+ Prequel Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  12. Patten, Dominic (December 16, 2019). "'Impeachment: American Crime Story', 'Star Trek: Picard' & 'Euphoria' 2nd Seasons Among CA Tax Credit Winners". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  13. Goldberg, Lesley (January 31, 2022). "'Grease' Prequel: Meet the Cast of 'Rise of the Pink Ladies'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  14. "Can't wait for the world to see this show April 6th on Paramount plus!". March 31, 2023. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023 – via Instagram.
  15. Rampton, James (March 23, 2023). "Grease prequel Rise Of The Pink Ladies offers modern take on 1950s attitudes". stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  16. Flam, Charna (March 30, 2023). "'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' Features 30 Original Songs by Justin Tranter". Variety. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  17. Wood, Mikael (April 5, 2023). "Conventionality belongs to yesterday: Hitmaker Justin Tranter puts their spin on the new 'Grease' prequel". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  18. Vincentelli, Elizabeth (April 4, 2023). "In This 'Grease' Prequel Series, Pink Is the Word". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  19. Lenker, Maureen Lee (December 19, 2022). "Rydell High is back in a first look at Grease prequel series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  20. Eng, Joyce (January 9, 2023). "Here's when 'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' will premiere—watch the first trailer". GoldDerby. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  21. Echebiri, Makuochi (July 25, 2023). "Return to Rydell High With 'Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies' DVD Release". Collider. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  22. "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  23. "Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
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