Good Girls Revolt uses Season 1 to lay the foundation for what may be an excellent show. I'm rating it 9 stars based on the potential that the quality writing of season 1 established. A show set in 1969-70 about a group of woman using what was a new law requiring employers to provide equal opportunity to women that they provide men by filing a complaint with the equal opportunities officials with a pending lawsuit to force their employer should they not provide that opportunity willingly may be an old story, but this is the first show of this quality I have seen which tells the story in a fictional setting that very closely mirrors the reality of history. To some degree we may take this for granted today, but we didn't get here without a fight and this show documents that fight. If Season 1 is an indication I expect season 2 to be riveting. Ending on the press conference in which the filing is announced after season 1 captures how these women were taken for granted by being built into a process that had a ceiling built in at which women could rise no higher (the woman researched and wrote the copy printed, yet couldn't compile the final article published and get the byline). In many ways it reminds me of Mad Men in that it captures the state of society at that time very well (I'm old enough to remember much of it). Season 1 lets us get to know the characters and see how the system was built to exclude them. It also portrays the men as being oblivious to the fact that their process broke the law, something that I don't know if is true, but they do a good job of writing it such that you see that while they are quite aware of the process and its prohibiting women from being writers, they also don't give it any thought because that is simply the way it had always been. Well written, good young actors/actresses, and laying a foundation that took the time to convey what things were like for the many who watch who are not old enough to remember. I see this as being a show that has done a great job to this point and has the potential to go on to tell a great story as it is obvious that the women who filed this claim didn't really grasp the hornets nest they were stirring by filing this complaint. I have high hopes for the coming season, but they appear to have the right people in place to make this a quality show. I know I just finished season 1 and am ready for season 2 right now!
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ElessarAndurilS13 November 2016
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lindakendrick2 September 2017Happenstance led me to this series and I, as well as my husband, totally taken with it. Having lived the 60's in Manhattan, I can really relate to this. So disappointed the series was not renewed. Hoping this will change. Can't wait to introduce my daughter to the series (she lived Manhattan in the late 90's). Great series, excellent performances!
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Ranbl3 September 2018Good girls revolt is a combination of the Mary Tyler Moore show and newsroom. Erin Darke leads a fantastic ensemble that will keep you invested in their future. While their newspaper fight for equal rights for every minority they happily ignore the whole female gender and don't accept female writers. The girls decide to fight back. The male and female characters are complex and none of them are one dimensional good or bad. No men bashing just a quest for equality.
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ramair3503 January 2017This is an exceptional show, period. Despite the name of the show and the "cutsie" feel that is conveyed with the photos and trailers, it is actually a very serious drama about women's rights in the late 60's into the early 70's. And even better, the root of the story is true (yes, different characters, names, and fictional subplots, but the key elements are exactly what happened at Newsweek). Some might dismiss this as a cheap Mad-Men clone. Others might knock it as a silly comedy. But anyone stating those opinions has clearly not watched the show, as it is an outstanding original drama that stands tall among the best shows out there.
And just a quick rant - Amazon decided to not renew this show for a 2nd season. The first season is a nicely wrapped story-arc and stands alone just fine, but there are so many other stories that could be told with this series. While drug use is depicted in the show, I think the decision makers at Amazon must also be partaking with the same recreational activities that were so popular during that era. Amazon - shame on you for such poor judgment in not renewing the show; it could have been a shining star in your portfolio ("Transparent" is an amazing show, but it isn't 2015 or 2016 any more; "Good Girls Revolt" could have been your next mega hit if promoted and supported properly). -
bowersbobblecake19 September 2018Absolutely loved this series! Enjoyable from episode 1-10, great plot, characters were believable and it was a fast paced show, leaving you excited to watch next episode.
Moreover, it was well researched for time period (language, music, set, clothes etc) but most importantly it was a great representation of history!! This was such an important revolutionary time for women standing up for their rights no matter how big or small a part they played. What womenkind did for us then had shaped the world we live in now!
Amazon I'm so terribly disappointed you cancelled this, there was so much in the plot that you could have given us at least 3 series!! Please do more series like this, read the reviews of your shows! Women love all sorts of series, but I also love something other than action series that you are constantly piling out.
If you liked this, although not the same style I'd highly recommend Dietland & The Bold Type on Amazon Prime Video. -
mastersource200316 January 2017My wife and I watched the whole show in 3 evenings. Each episode was better than the next. Great acting, great music, great characters, great story line. In the vain of Mad Men but with twenty somethings in 1969. The show felt like a natural extension of Mad Men and would be a natural progression into the topics of the 1970's. We were loving each of the three main characters and Could not wait until season two...but Amazon cancelled it after two months??? I was only aware of the show after a friend mentioned how good it was. I had not seen a single ad for it anywhere ( unlike Goliath which had ads everywhere). I mean how could this be a failure after two months of being out and no promotion? Stunned and turned off by this decision.
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ashley-vendetta10 August 2018This show is excellent! Well written, beautiful concept, incredible cast, and very timely. This show is smart and funny, beautiful and inspiring all at the same time. It deals with so many important topics that are still relevant to this day. I watched every episode when it originally aired, and I've been waiting and hoping that Amazon would come to their senses and continue on with it, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Why drop this highly rated female-driven show that wasn't even given a chance? Amazon really dropped the ball on this one and missed out on an incredible opportunity.
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jillfg23 September 2018A cast of young women come into their own at a Newsweek like magazine beginning Fall 1969. This drama is particularly relevant in light of the Me Too movement. It's a shame it only lasted one season. The foundation was set to follow this group as they aspired to expand their journalistic careers and figure out their own womanhood and place in the emerging women's movement.
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arielnicole-3096517 August 2018I absolutely loved this show, even though it's one season, still watch it. I'm hoping another network will pick it up and continue with it. They could really go somewhere with this.
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TxMike4 November 2016My wife and I watched all 10 episodes starting the day they became available on Amazon Prime, it took us about 5 days to complete the series. We had other watching to do!
The first episode establishes the thrust of the show, a young Norah Ephron is hired to work for News of the Week magazine and when she is told she can only do research for the men writers, and she would get no chance to write herself, she quit.
This gradually energizes the rest of the talented but stifled female staff of researchers, they want the opportunity to earn the better jobs, and the better salary that goes along with it. But the man in charge is an old-fashioned publisher and doesn't agree that women should get the chances.
The girls eventually get advice from a lawyer who informs them that what the magazine is doing is illegal, works with them to file an EEOC complaint. Through all this there are relationship issues among the staff.
What I like best is the reality of the work climate in the late 1960s and the early 1970s. It is the same time period I started my career and females really were held back. It was an issue that had to be overcome and eventually was. This show depicts that.
The down side is all the build-up ends when the 10th episode ends, we have no clue what all the reactions were and what the resolution would be for the girls at News of the Week. Presumably there will be a season 2 that takes up where this one leaves off.
My favorite is cute, almost 30 Genevieve Angelson as Patti Robinson who was the main driving force within the office. Anna Camp is good as Jane Hollander, bright and hard-working and at first not on-board until she is snubbed. Chris Diamantopoulos is good as Finn Woodhouse, the boss. -
handy31411 November 2015Although at times this pilot was a bit too on the nose by referencing actual Altamont, Nora Ephron, and Eleanor Holmes Norton, I like the milieu of "Good Girls Revolt" as an opportunity to comment on female empowerment and a cultural revolution in the newsrooms of print journalism. I believe "Mad Men" was based on memoirs from a male advertising executive, and to me it was unwatchable because it was annoying to see women snubbed all over again. And I'm a guy. I was especially annoyed that my female high school students thought it was cute.
There's potential here, and some wonderful characters, though I'm still puzzling why the show's writers insisted on using real names like Nora Ephron rather than fictionalized characters: it starts to feel a bit like "Walk Hard" when the editor warns Nora Ephron that her writing days in New York are through when I already own several DVDs of movies she wrote.
Maybe it's because the makeup remind me so much of what I saw in 1969 that I enjoyed this one. My ranking of Amazon pilots as of today stands:
1. Patriot 2. Z 3. Good Girls Revolt 4. Edge -
joerichards18 December 2016This is one of the best series I have ever seen. The stories it covers, the dominant of which being that of feminism, are as important today as the time of the story itself. The casting and performances are fantastic. It's perfectly executed and just a beauty to watch.
The lead female roles offer a range of characters which allow for some beautiful performances. It is also refreshing to see the balance of male and female partial nudity, rather than nudity being on the part of the female only.
The irony of an all-male board within a media company canceling a show about male dominance in the media industry. This is one of those shows whose importance should be all that we need to renew it.
Well done to all those involved in the creation of this series, keep it up. -
cherold24 March 2017Good Girls Revolt is something I should like. The idea of watching women in a sexist environment realize they can fight back is intriguing, and I think that period in American history was pretty interesting.
And yet, I was never drawn in. The only thing I really liked in the pilot was Nora Ephron as the lone feminist, but she is a minor character in the series.
Mainly, I just found the series slow moving. These women are coming to their realizations very slowly.
In a 2-hour movie you could focus entirely on women slowly becoming empowered, but that concept by itself isn't enough to fill out a series. I wish the series had taken more of an interest in the news stories being covered, which are treated as background noise. Just because you're making a series about feminism doesn't mean that has to be the show's single thread.
Also, it's weird that the women keep describing Eleanor Holmes Norton as intimidating or scary. The real Norton quite possibly was, but the fictional version seems smart but not scary. Are these women just afraid of black people? Are they so timorous that even a mildly liberated woman scares them? Or does the mildness that pervades this series simply prevent it from creating a really intense character? I don't know, but it bugs me.
Anyway, I watched four or five episodes and then gave up. -
reverendike9 November 2015This show wants to copy the portrayal of women in the workplace (and their status in the world in general in the late 60s and early 70s) that was so well done in Mad Men. My first reaction is this is one of those Hollywood knee-jerks, where we see a spate of new shows trying to cash in on the popularity established by a hit show. Unfortunately, most don't get anywhere close to the level of what they are copying.
It's not a bad pilot, and more watchable than most similar shows, but not great. That said, I'm sure it will get green-lit by Amazon.
If they are trying to be true and accurate in the events they write about, they will need to do better. In the first few minutes, one character locates Altamont as if it's in the Oakland suburbs, and later it's mentioned as being just outside Berkeley. That's some lazy writing ... -
solojere29 June 2020Honestly, this is one of the best shows I have ever watched. All of the characters are interesting and multi-dimensional. Each episode is interesting on its own while, at the same time, building a larger narrative. It shows a familiar story in a unique and interesting way without villainizing every single male character. Yes, there are bad men in this show and the occasional bad women, but it shows that the problem with sexism in the U.S. workplace is more complicated. In addition to this, it also makes you think about other problems in the U.S., such as what it is like to be a black woman in America, the problem with gender roles in marriage and romantic relationships, and the Vets dealing with PTSD. Furthermore, the acting and the costumes are simply stunning. The whole cast is amazing, and there isn't a single poor performance from anyone. However, Anna Camp steals the show as her character undergoes the most interesting transformation. She also looks breathtaking in every single shot she is in, regardless if she is in a fancy dress or a simple nightgown. The only real flaw of the show was it was too sexual at times. But if you can get passed that this show is nearly perfect. Sadly, I think this show came out just a little too soon as it predated the #Metoomovement. Nevertheless, if there ever is a second season, I would binge it all the day it came out.
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cindi-131-7770189 November 2017I read lists of new shows and try most of them out, but only a few percentage make my cut. I had never heard of this one, so I doubt it was advertised much. A friend just told me how great it was and we binge watched it, her for the second time. It's so good! I can't believe it was canceled. Great characters, acting, funny, with great music and history of the late 60's.
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cmurphy-255086 May 2018How can amazon prime drop an amazing series right when the story is starting!? Rally for season 2!!!!!!!
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janeholtzgibbs28 November 2016I think the program shows younger women what a past generation has won for them and rights, like equal pay, that are still to come.Young women need to realize there are still fights to win so the program needs to continue to show women they need continue to demand more.
Many older women have spent their entire lives fighting for the ability to have the same jobs as men and the same pay for the those jobs. I am excited that "Good Girls Revolt" tells the story of how women of another generation fought so for these rights so younger women could enjoy equal jobs and hopefully equal pay. It used to be that medical school or law school classes had one or 2 students in a class and now they are 60% women. We need to continue to educate this generation with shows that both entertain them and inspire them to action. i came to the show for its politics but stayed because i became so invested in not only their cause, but their personal awakenings and how complicated their lives became once they decided they needed and deserved MORE. i am looking forward to seeing how their lives evolve once their demands are on the table and above the radar in Season Two. Please give us more!!! -
cynche23 April 2018Why is there not a second season? The casting is genius, the acting flawless. I cared about the chracters and rooted for their cause. I learned quite a few things too about the period in time. Only great things to say!
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aimgur13 January 2019Loved the music and the time period. I looked forward to every episode of Good Girls Revolt. It was getting good reviews, so this show should have never been cancelled. The man who cancelled Good Girls Revolt got fired a little after he cancelled the show. Please bring it back!!!!
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kabuav8 September 2017So I just realized I have access to Amazon Prime here in France and I was so excited to find this show! I love the characters, the attention to detail and like others have mentioned, as a women, appreciating how much opportunity we do have now thanks to women who were truly brave. That being said, I think the fact that this show was canceled by a man, not involving women in the process, demonstrates exactly how much further we have yet to go! I am tempted to say, let's us women, who frankly probably make up well over half of Amazon's clients, take a stand and force them to bring it back. Not sure I can be that strong to give up my Amazon Prime addiction (especially working full time with 2 kids under the age of 3 at home) but the women depicted in this show did more than that, risking their careers and challenging social norms. There is a great article in the Atlantic about the ramifications of the male dominated entertainment industry that goes far beyond entertainment. It just frankly stinks that women have to pretty much do everything now, and contribute so much not only to the economy, to art, to culture, and to their families and we cannot even get a second season of a great show about our triumphs as a group. Shame on you, Amazon. I thought we were cool.
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bbhim-220-20108028 November 2016All the women in the show shine, but every male character needs to be re-cast. At first I wondered if that was part of the show's shtick, but after 10 episodes, I'm convinced the casting directors were diligent to cast the women, and then didn't care who filled the male roles. I feel like the male characters are first-timers "acting" in a poorly written high school play, while the women were cast for a successful TV show. Fix the problem with the poor male actors (Doug's OK), and then you'll have a hit! The males are bringing down the quality of what could be a stellar show. It's hard not to compare the show to Mad Men, but that show was clearly about the men - but it also had a stellar female cast. I'm looking forward to future seasons - there is a lot of material and history to cover, and if done well, could be a 10-star show.
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cruiserchic-5374422 August 2018I came across this series by accident. I was hooked by the first episode. I was born in the early 70s. I didn't live through the feminist movement but my mother and her sisters did. This show was just so refreshing to see how far we have come and how things have changed. I honestly had no idea. I felt for these woman and thank them for their courage. Shame on AMAZON for canceling a show with some depth and meaning to it. I would of hoped by now another outlet would of picked them up so these women could of continued their journey. If anyone has bothered to looked at the 20,000+ reviews I'm not the only one with this sentiment. #BRINGITBACKGOODGIRLSREVOLT
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First of all, as others have mentioned here, the show is very well produced, filmed and lit, The attention to detail is impeccable, down to the clothes, decors, equipment and even idiomatic expressions Yes, it does remind of you of Mad Men, including the sometimes abnormally "clean" decor, which often feels like a stylized memory of the 60/70s, rather then the actual thing (and yes, I'm old enough to remember)
The plot is slow but consistent, even if it left me feeling that the story arcs could have been better explored; perhaps there are too many? or maybe the production was counting on further seasons to address that? Since this is an adaptation of Lynn Povich's real account of the events at Newsweek, there was only so much latitude available, I guess.
What annoyed me most was the impression that the show seemed to scream at every twist: "look, kids of today, this is what the 60/70s were like! Look!", for example, how is it possible that researcher Patti comes to the conclusion that Altamont marks the end of the hippie-era, a mere hour after hearing about it, and in possession of very few details? There are plenty of other examples, but I suppose they'd only annoy cantankerous old gits like me.
The acting is very uneven, especially the male characters. I was expecting more depth and less caricature.
Maybe a second season will help. I, for one, hope so, since all in all, it's an enjoyable watch, and I didn't feel like I was wasting my time. -
Beautifully drawn and especially evolving characters, authentic atmosphere, a strong story line in addition to smaller everyday stories - all this is "Good Girls Revolt". We learn more and more about the people and the time at the end of the 60s and early 70s. The characters clearly show the development. All the actors are outstanding - I could not find a weak cast.
Even though the main plot is women's revolution in the direction of equality (especially in the New York editorial staff of the magazine "News of the Week"), one can, fortunately, discover much more. It is about many questions that still move us today, such as: interest in political and social developments and problems, importance of the news, work or home as fulfillment, work ethos, solidarity or even sexual liberation. All this is shown by different characters - "Good Girls Revolt" does not offer black-and-white and is not a series exclusively for women! The exciting thing about it is that we can always compare our present society image with the presented one, find differences, but also similarities.
The comparison to the series "Mad Men", which I also loved, lies close to the comparable time, but is nevertheless distant: The atmospherics, the inner conflict, sadness, despair and helplessness of the Don Draper stood in the foreground, was rather fascinating timeless, less explanatory and concrete in time. "Good Girls Revolt", on the other hand, distinguishes different, tangible, ground-level people, whose motivations, developments and actions are clearly more comprehensible, and works out the time reference vividly. I would have liked a few stronger and clearly drawn male figures, they remain somewhat pale in comparison to the women. But they, too, can not be typed as women's adversaries, and they are more likely to be seen in the sense of equality as thoughtless (interesting: the most impressed in the old roles is a woman, the publisher!). That Amazon Studios would not want to continue the series (it was read) is incredibly unfortunate and unintelligible!