GLOW: why Netflix has cancelled season 4 of the hit female wrestling show - and how fans have reacted

Fans of the Netflix original series GLOW, which stands for Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling, will be surprised to hear that it has been cancelled - despite having previously been given the green light for a season four.

GLOW was reportedly around three weeks into filming for its fourth season when production was halted in mid-March due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Why has GLOW been cancelled?

GLOW had been commissioned by Netflix for a fourth season, however, due to complications around filming in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Netflix has decided to cancel the wrestling series after three seasons.

The earliest that GLOW would have been able to return to TV screens would have been 2022, a minimum of two-and-a-half years after season three was released.

In a statement, a Netflix spokesperson said: “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 challenging.

“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.”

Netflix had previously made similar decisions around shows already commissioned for another season, like The Society and I Am Not Okay With This, due to Covid-19 related circumstances.

The series regulars of GLOW have all been paid for season four in full.

What have the creators said?

In a statement to Deadline, series creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch said: “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. 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 s****y 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.”

How have the stars reacted?

With the news of the cancellation still fresh, many of the show's ensemble cast are yet to address it online.

The ones that have made a statement on social media have been upset by the news.

Marc Maron, who played Sam Sylvia, tweeted: “No more GLOW. Sorry. Stinks.”

Alison Brie, who played Ruth Wilder, posted a picture of the cast to her Instagram, writing: “Going to miss this… Forever grateful to my GLOW family for changing my life forever.”

Carmen Wade actress Britney Young tweeted: “Still don’t have the words just yet… #GLOWNetflix.”

Rich Sommer, who played Mark Eagan, tweeted: “So glad to have been a tiny part of this show. I will play Betty Gilpin’s husband or ex-husband or mail carrier or anything, anytime anyone ever asks me to. She’s one of my favourite scene partners of all time, and I was beyond lucky to get to stand toe to toe with her.”

Britt Baron, who played Justine Biagi, also posted a picture of the cast to Instagram, writing: “I don’t have the right words. I just feel so grateful to have been on the ride with these insanely incredible women. They forever changed me. This show was more than special.”

Online reaction

The news of the cancellation of GLOW has not gone down well with fans, with many taking to Twitter to express their frustrations.

One person tweeted: “Netflix cancels its best shows. Mindhunter, American Vandal, GLOW etc. This is b******t. Why even make original content?”

Another wrote: “WHY. WHY CANCEL #GLOW WHEN YOU ALREADY GAVE THE GO-AHEAD FOR SEASON 4! WE CAN WAIT A YEAR! Just cancel everything since apparently everything is just TOO HARD. SO FRUSTRATED @netflix.”

“Netflix is cancelling #GLOW, which is both a terrific and frustratingly underappreciated show, with a dynamite ensemble cast and great writing. Badly done, @netflix. Badly done,” tweeted another.

Someone else wrote: “WTF!!!!! Can another streamer pick up season 4 of #GLOW please!”