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Netflix initially renewed GLOW for season 4, to be its final season. Unfortunately, when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shut down production, the down time ultimately dragged on too long. Netflix made the announcement that GLOW was canceled, so the third season was its last. One of GLOW’s creators told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that they actually filmed two episodes before the shut down. 

'GLOW' stars Betty Gilpin and Jackie Tohn strangle each other in the ring
L-R: Betty Gilpin and Jackie Tohn | Erica Parise/Netflix

Liz Flahive spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet by Zoom about her new Apple TV+ show Roar on March 31. GLOW co-creator Carly Mensch also co-created Roar, but was not available on the 31st. We’ll have more with Flahive and the cast of Roar. But first, Flahive revealed GLOW Season 4 was already in production before the pandemic shutdown. 

2 episodes of ‘GLOW’ Season 4 exist

Other shows waiting to resume production also got canceled during the pandemic. I’m Sorry and On Becoming a God in Central Florida were renewed until they weren’t. However, GLOW Season 4 was a bit further along. Still, Netflix decided not to continue after productions resumed under COVID-19 safety protocols

“We already filmed almost two full episodes,” Flahive said. “The first two episodes were shot. The sets were built. It was a huge loss and a bummer for us to not get to complete that fourth season with our cast and our crew.”

Most of ‘GLOW’ Season 4 was written too

Flahive couldn’t go into where the story of GLOW Season 4 would take its characters. The period piece drama told a fictionalized story inspired by the real-life Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling in the ‘80s. The real GLOW never had Liberty Belle (Betty Gilpin) or Zoya the Destroyer (Alison Brie). So fans wanted to see where season 4 would take them. That would require a longer interview, Flahive said.

“We don’t have nearly enough time sadly,” Flahive said. “It’s hard to talk about what would have been because almost all those scripts were written.” 

Season 3 ended with Liberty Belle’s alter ego Debbie buying the rights to GLOW so they can revive it on television. Zoya’s alter ego, Ruth, boards a plane seemingly deciding to leave the ring. But Brie was still in the cast for GLOW Season 4. The cast of GLOW also included Britt Baron, Sydelle Noel, Kate Nash, Britney Young, Gayle Rankin, Kia Stevens, Jackie Tohn, Kimmy Gatewood, Sunita Mani, Rebekkah Johnson, Ellen Wong, Marianna Palka, Shakira Barrera, Christopher Lowell, and Marc Maron.

‘Roar’ is a ‘GLOW’ reunion outside Netflix

Roar is an anthology series of half-hour stories of women, based on the book by Cecilia Ahern. Mensch and Flahive cast Brie and Gilpin in some of those stories. Roar also stars Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Issa Rae, and Merritt Wever. Flahive said they brought a lot of behind the scenes crew from GLOW too.

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“The beautiful thing about Roar, besides getting at least a couple of our cast members into the fold, was we actually brought a lot of our crew from GLOW onto Roar,” Flahive said. “So a lot of the people who helped us build the worlds of Roar were the people really responsible behind the scenes for GLOW. So we were really happy to be able to drag those family members with us to Roar and felt really lucky about that.”

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