Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies gets DVD release after being completely deleted from Paramount+
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies
- TV Show
Grease is still the word after all. At least at Paramount Home Entertainment.
On Monday, Paramount announced that it will release prequel series, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, on digital and DVD. It's available immediately on digital as of July 24, and it will also receive a DVD release on Nov. 7, which is said to include over 30 minutes of special features.
Created by Annabel Oakes, the series returns viewers to Rydell High, this time in 1954, and centers on the formation of iconic girl gang, the Pink Ladies. The show tells the story of the original Pink Ladies, starring Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy Nakagawa, Marisa Davila as Jane Facciano, Cheyenne Wells as Olivia Valdovinos, and Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia Zdunowski. It takes place four years before the events of the original film.
"We did use those archetypes, but because TV is a longer format, we get to go a little bit deeper into what's behind those archetypes," Oakes previously told EW of the character types that comprise the Pink Ladies. "How can we take a character, like Frenchie, who's focused on her future in that way and expand that? What is the Tough Girl and why is she so tough? Stockard Channing in the original movie did such a great job of showing Rizzo's toughness, but also showing the vulnerability underneath. We get to go even deeper with our characters because we have more time with them."
The move to digital and DVD is something of a hail mary for the series, which was canceled within weeks of ending its first season on June 1 and swiftly removed from streaming platform Paramount+. Rise of the Pink Ladies was one of four series unceremoniously yanked off the service in late June.
A Paramount+ spokesperson said the move was part of preparing the platform for incorporating Showtime. "As we prepare to combine Paramount+ and Showtime later this month in the U.S., we are refining our content offering to deliver the best streaming experience for subscribers," a statement read. "This is consistent with our content strategy since launch and across our business, which ensures we make smart, efficient choices, informed by audience data and insights. We are removing select programming as we look to optimize Showtime's robust slate of premium originals."
Many saw it as replicating a move that other platforms, including HBO Max and Disney+, had already tried — deleting entire series from streaming platforms for tax purposes.
But as consumers and creators have bemoaned the erasure of their shows, this pivot to home entertainment lends a glimmer of hope.
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Related content:
In this prequel to the beloved musical Grease, a new crop of Rydell High students tell the story of the founding of the Pink Ladies.
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