GLOW, which was initially renewed for a fourth and final season at Netflix earlier this year, has been canceled at the streaming giant. The news comes on the same day as Netflix also canceled Teenage Bounty Hunters. Both were executive produced by Jenji Kohan.

“We’ve made the difficult decision not to do a fourth season of GLOW due to COVID, which makes shooting this physically intimate show with its large ensemble cast especially challenging,” said a Netflix spokesperson. “We are so grateful to creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, Jenji Kohan and all the writers, cast and crew for sharing this story about the incredible women of GLOW with us and the world.”

Production had already begun on the season, with one episode being show before production shutdown due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. All of the actors have been paid in full for the fourth season, reports Deadline.

As stated by The Hollywood Reporter, “Sources cite the large ensemble cast of GLOW and the close contact and physical exertion required of its wrestling scenes as making the show tougher to produce safely during the pandemic. The additional costs related to COVID guidelines, and the fact that the series wouldn’t have aired before 2022, led Netflix’s decision.”

“COVID has killed actual humans. It’s a national tragedy and should be our focus. COVID also apparently took down our show. Netflix has decided not to finish filming the final season of GLOW,” said creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch. “We were handed the creative freedom to make a complicated comedy about women and tell their stories. And wrestle. And now that’s gone. There’s a lot of shitty things happening in the world that are much bigger than this right now. But it still sucks that we don’t get to see these 15 women in a frame together again.  We’ll miss our cast of weirdo clowns and our heroic crew. It was the best job.  Register to vote. And please vote.”

It is the third Netflix series to get canceled due to COVID-19, following The Society and I Am Not Okay With This.

 

Photo: Netflix