Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies he was saved.
The Grease The prequel series was canceled by Paramount+ after one season in June 2023. Less than a month after its finale debuted, the entire series was deleted from Paramount+, unable to be seen anywhere in its entirety. The following weeks of the cry of the fanstwo 2023 Emmy nominations and a petition for the series to be saved, Paramount announced that Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is now available for digital purchase and will be available on DVD soon.
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies “tells the origin story of the infamous ’50s girl gang,” reads the synopsis. “It’s 1954, four years before the original Grease, and the moral panic over juvenile delinquency, sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll in Rydell comes to a head, and adults are desperate to take control. Enter four teenage outcasts who band together to become rebels with a cause. Together they will take Rydell out of the silent ’50s and into the new era of rock n’ roll.”
The series first debuted in April 2023 and released new installments weekly until early June. It was one of four Paramount+ shows to be canceled and removed from the platform at the same time that month (The game, Star Trek: Prodigyand Queen of the Universe also got the axe), but is the only one of the four to get a digital and DVD release after the cancellation. The first (and only) season will be available on DVD on November 7th, with over 30 minutes of special features. Pre-orders can be made now.
This physical release marks another first for the series. On July 12, it became one of the only shows in recent memory to receive Emmy nominations after it was canceled. While this is not unheard of in Hollywood, what is different here is that Pink Ladies has been completely removed from the internet outside of YouTube clips, TikTok videos and the show’s impressive soundtrack (like Greasethe show is a musical).
After the Emmy nominations were announced, fans complained to Paramount+ for making the show completely unavailable to watch. It seems that Paramount+ has taken note of the intense fan backlash and is making the rare move to make a streaming-exclusive show available on DVD. Could physical media make a comeback in this streaming age?
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies Emmy nominee Jackie Hoffman as Deputy McGee, Marisa Davila as Jane, Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia, Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy, Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia, Shanel Bailey as Hazel, Johnathan Nieves as Richie, Jason Schmidt as Buddy, Madison Thompson as Susany-Cooper Whit and Maxwell Whit.
It was written and executive produced by creator Annabel Oakes (atypically, Transparent), who also served as showrunner and director. Marty Bowen served as executive producer for Temple Hill, Adam Fishbach and executive producer, and Alethea Jones directed the pilot plus two more episodes and executive produced. Erik Feig and Samie Kim Falvey served as executive producers through PICTURESTART, and the series was also produced by Grace Gilroy. Choreography is by Jamal Sims, who also directed, and music by Grammy Award nominee and executive music producer Justin Tranter.
The series was produced by Paramount Television Studios. Sims’ choreography, along with that of Jeffrey Mortensen and Louise Hradsky, is what earned the show its two Emmy nominations.
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladiesavailable now, digital purchase, available on DVD Tuesday, November 7th