A League of Their Own has been smashing it out of the ballpark (sorry) recently, and rightly so, it’s a fantastic TV adaptation of the classic film. But if you’re like me, you’ve probably binged your way through it and now you’re left trying to find some good sports shows to watch to fill the baseball-sized hole in your heart.
Well, as per usual, I have come to your rescue. That’s right, for this week’s Gizmodo Movie Night, I’m giving you a list of five sports shows to watch that made me want to care about sport.
Let’s swing right in.
5 sports shows like A League of Their Own
Fearless: The Inside Story of the AFLW
There are a lot of things to be excited about with the new Disney+ AFLW documentary. Firstly, it’s showcasing an Aussie sport on a global scale. Secondly, it’s showcasing an Aussie female sport on a global scale. Truly legendary shit.
If you’re looking for a sports show that’s similar to A League of Their Own, Fearless is absolutely what you should watch next.
It’s a raw and emotional deep dive into the dreams, struggles and triumphs of the groundbreaking AFLW league. Within the show, we see the incredible resillience and courage of the women who were told they’d never be able to play AFL at the highest level. Yet here they are, doing just that.
Fearless will begin streaming on Disney+ on August 24. You should definitely add it to your list because it’s going to be incredible.
All American
As we see in A League of Their Own, racism has coloured sport for centuries and unfortunately, we are still seeing it today.
All American tells the story of a rising NFL player, Spencer James, as he tries to move to an affluent Beverly Hills school as per his coach’s advice.
We then see Spencer struggle with finding a place in the school and the new team. All American pretty boldly tackles (sorry, again) the class struggles and racial prejudices that still exist in our society.
This sports show is very heavy on soap acting though, so if that’s not your thing, give it a skip, but I still thought it was incredible.
All American is currently streaming on Stan.
GLOW
GLOW is another great sports show to watch once you’ve ploughed your way through A League of Their Own.
Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) is an unemployed actress living in LA in the 1980s before she grabs ahold of an unexpected chance of stardom in women’s wrestling. There’s just one catch though, she was to work alongside 12 other Hollywood outcasts.
From the costumes to the storylines, GLOW is simply incredible. It’s also a great show to get all your anger and frustration out because you’re watching people beat wrestle.
What I love most about GLOW and the other sports shows on this list is that the best part of them rarely has anything to do with sport but more so the people involved.
GLOW is currently streaming on Netflix.
Pitch
Sure, this one might be a little obvious given that it’s also about a woman trying to begin her career in professional baseball but hey, who said you can’t watch two sports shows about baseball?
Pitch follows Ginny Baker as her dreams come true after she’s accepted into a Major League team as a pitcher. Of course, because people are shit, there are critiques of her ability to play due to her gender and her racial identity.
I’m someone who took no interest whatsoever in baseball and now have binge-watched two baseball shows so you can now call me an expert.
Pitch is currently streaming on Disney+.
Ballers
I just knew there had to be a sports show called Ballers but you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s about basketball (a missed opportunity I say). Rather, it’s all about NFL.
Well actually, it’s about a former NFL player, Spencer Strasmore, who has to find a new career. He decides to become a financial manager who helps his younger friends still in the NFL. Get the title now?
Ballers is created by Stephen Levinson who is behind Entourage and Boardwalk Empire, so you know it’s a good show.
This show actually made me really excited to watch the next episode. This was shocking to me given it was about a sport I know nothing about.
Ballers is currently streaming on Binge.
Gizmodo Movie Night is our fortnightly roundup of movie and TV recommendations for the weekend. If you’re ever stuck and looking for inspiration, check out our list and see what’s in store.
Stay tuned for the next edition of the column and check out our last one which was all about world-tripping flicks.