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HIGHLIGHTS
FRANK SKINNER ON MUHAMMAD ALI BBC One, Thu 1 Jun, 9pm The comedian explores the life and legacy of his sporting hero in this special tribute to the boxing legend.
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK – SEASON 5 Netflix, Fri 9 Jun Hard not to set this up without spoilers about the end of season 4 but let's just say it's all kicking off in the prison dramedy as a riot breaks out. RIVIERA Sky Atlantic, Thu 15 Jun See preview, page 110.
BASKETS – SEASON 2 FOX (UK), Thu 22 Jun, 11pm No one seems to be watching this brilliantly downbeat clown comedy. Do yourself a favour and catch the second season of Zach Galifianakis' beautifully low-key sitcom (co- created with Louis CK).
GLOW Netflix, Fri 23 Jun See preview, left. THE LEFTOVERS – SEASON 3 Sky Atlantic, Sun 1 Jul Another fantastic show that isn't getting the love it deserves. A weird, wonderful series that meditates on theories of religion and loss while also boasting an addictive central mystery and star turns from Justin Theroux and Christopher Ecclestone. Final series.
GAME OF THRONES – SEASON 7 Sky Atlantic, Sun 16 Jul, 2am Summer's biggest show. Sublime swords and sorcery epic packed with drama and bloodshed. Only two series to go so expect fireworks.
MIDNIGHT, TEXAS Syfy, Mon 24 Jul Focusing on the small town of Midnight where supernatural oddities (eg vampires, witches and werewolves) have found a safe haven. Based on a series of novels by Charlaine Harris (who wrote the books that became True Blood). THE DEFENDERS Netflix, Fri 18 Aug The culmination of the Marvel and Netflix collaboration as street- level superhero team (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist) join forces to take down villain Sigourney Weaver.
THE TICK Amazon Prime, Fri 25 Aug Reboot of the ridiculous over-the-top superhero sitcom starring Peter Serafinowicz as the eponymous insectoid crusader.
1 Jun–31 Aug 2017 THE LIST 111
ON THE ROPES
Kate Nash talks to Henry Northmore about joining the spandex-clad ranks of female wrestling comedy series, GLOW
N ew Netl ix comedy GLOW is a glorious mash up of Flashdance, Rocky and WWE. Ruth (Mad Men's Alison Brie) is a down-on-her-luck actor who, after l unking yet another audition, i nds herself trying out for the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a high-concept female wrestling
federation funded by an eccentric tinned fruit magnate.
It's a i ctionalised version of the real life GLOW, a cheap and cheerful, slightly tacky, faux glamorous, all-girl grappling league that aired on US TV during the 80s (you can still track down vintage clips on YouTube). It acknowledges the sexism and stereotypes of the era (some of the more dubious characters in the real GLOW were Jailbait and Jungle Woman) but concentrates on the friendship between this gang of misi ts thrown together in bizarre circumstances. Fellow wrestlers include Betty Gilpin, Sydelle Noel, Britney Young, Ellen Wong and Kate Nash. GLOW has strong ties with the team behind Orange is the New Black, with Jenji Kohan and Tara Herrmann acting as executive producers. It also features a similarly strong female cast and crew. 'I just love these women so much,' explains Nash. 'I was so grateful to have the opportunity to work with all these talented women. And that was really down to [showrunners] Liz Flahive [Nurse Jackie, Homeland] and Carly Mensch [OITNB] who were so particular about the women they hired for the show. And Alison Brie, she's such an amazing lead and made sure we were all looked after and treated equally. We had a month of training so we had quite an intimate relationship with each other before we even started i lming.'
It's an incredibly physical role, with the cast doing all their own stunts, put through their paces by Chavo Guerrero, himself a WWE, WCW and ECW champion and part of the legendary Guerrero wrestling dynasty. 'I never took wrestling seriously, this completely opened my mind,' adds Nash. 'They are incredibly skilled, they have such a unique skillset, it's amazing. I can't believe I underestimated it.' One of the few male roles is taken by US comic and unlikely superstar Marc Maron (even Barack Obama has appeared on his WTF podcast) as the league's hang-dog director attempting to make high art with low-budget ingredients. On working with Maron, Nash laughs, 'He's exactly what you'd expect him to be. He's a grumpy curmudgeon who seems unapproachable but actually he's a real softy and he really cared about us and the show.'
Nash always loved acting but i rst made her mark as a singer and musician. 'I wanted to go to drama school at 18 but I didn't get in so I went back to the music and focused on that.' She recently starred in British feature Powder Room, alongside Sheridan Smith and Jaime Winstone, and an unaired US pilot about the Salem Witch Trials written by Kohan. '[The Devil You Know] was directed by Gus Van Sant and starred Eddie Izzard. Jenji really liked my work and asked me to audition for GLOW. ' However, she's not leaving music behind. A recent Kickstarter raised funds for her fourth album (Nash is aiming for an early 2018 release) and she's on tour to celebrate the tenth anniversary of debut LP Made of Bricks. 'I couldn't let it go unmarked. I think I'm going to perform these songs in a way I've never performed them before, create something really fresh and nostalgic for fans.'
Talking to Nash, you can tell how proud she is to be part of GLOW – the love she has for her fellow cast and crew, its message of female empowerment and its pure entertainment values. 'You'd be crazy to not watch it,' she says. 'It's got everything: power, strength, comedy, emotion, 80s hairdos, spandex, glitter and i ghting.'
GLOW is available on Netl ix from Fri 23 Jun; Kate Nash plays Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Tue 1 Aug.