Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies has been saved.
The Grease prequel series was canceled by Paramount+ after one season in June 2023. Less than one month after its finale debuted, the entire series was deleted from Paramount+, unable to be seen in full anywhere. Following weeks of fan outcry, two 2023 Emmy nominations, and a petition for the series to be saved, Paramount has announced that Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is now available for digital purchase and it will soon be available on DVD.
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies “tells the origin story of the infamous 50s girl gang,” the synopsis reads. “It’s 1954, four years before the original Grease, and the moral panic over juvenile delinquency, sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll in Rydell is reaching a fever pitch and the adults are desperate to get control. Enter four outcast teenage girls who band together to become rebels with a cause. Together they’ll shake Rydell out of the silent 50s and into the new rock n’ roll era.”
The series first debuted in April 2023 and released new installments weekly through early June. It was one of four shows at Paramount+ to be canceled and removed from the platform at the same time that month (The Game, Star Trek: Prodigy, and Queen of the Universe also got the ax), but it’s the only one of those four to get a digital and DVD release following the cancellation. The first (and only) season will be available on DVD on November 7, 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 that’s not unheard of in Hollywood, what’s different here is that Pink Ladies was completely scrubbed from the internet outside of YouTube clips, TikTok videos, and the show’s impressive soundtrack (like Grease, the show is a musical).
After the Emmy nominations were announced, fans called out Paramount+ for making the show entirely unavailable to watch. It seems Paramount+ has taken the intense fan reaction into account and are making the rare move of making a streaming-exclusive show available on DVD. Could physical media make a comeback in this streaming age?
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies stars Emmy Nominee Jackie Hoffman as Vice Principal 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 Susan, and Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally.
It was written and executive produced by creator Annabel Oakes (Atypical, Transparent), who also served as showrunner and directed. Marty Bowen executive produced for Temple Hill, Adam Fishbach also executive produced, and Alethea Jones directed the pilot plus two more episodes and executive produced. Erik Feig and Samie Kim Falvey executive produced via PICTURESTART, and the series was also produced by Grace Gilroy. The choreography is by Jamal Sims, who also directed, and the music comes from Grammy Award nominee and executive music producer Justin Tranter.
The series was produced by Paramount Television Studios. Sims’ choreography, along with choreography by Jeffrey Mortensen and Louise Hradsky, is what landed the series its two Emmy noms.
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Available Now, Digital Purchase, Available on DVD Tuesday, November 7
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