‘A League of Their Own’ gets a makeover in an ambitious but uneven Amazon series

The fundamental bones of the story popularized by the Penny Marshall-directed movie have not modified — specializing in the all-female baseball league that cropped up through the struggle — and sure, someone nonetheless says “There is not any crying in baseball,” finally. However the emphasis has shifted, with the supervisor’s position (there Tom Hanks, right here Nick Offerman) considerably diminished and the informal misogyny of the occasions considerably enhanced.

They’re surrounded by a colourful forged of characters, beginning with the alluring and seemingly free-spirited Greta (“The Good Place’s” D’Arcy Carden), who has her personal system — “The principles that I’ve to maintain myself protected,” as she places it — for surviving this male-dominated world; and Clance (Gbemisola Ikumelo, particularly good), Max’s married good friend, who’s supportive of her baseball desires however clearly yearns for her to affix the settled-down membership.

In essence, the producers have traded within the nostalgia issue that drove the unique for a extra unflinching take a look at the romanticized picture of these years, and what it meant to be a girl, Black or homosexual, in that final case, the place sneaking round was the norm and underground golf equipment lived with the concern of police raids at a second’s discover.

Rosie O’Donnell has a quick cameo, serving as a nod to the film, however to their credit score, Jacobson and Graham have clearly got down to assemble one thing new and distinctive across the fairness within the title.

That is all to the nice, although not as a lot with the tempo of the storytelling, which particularly through the first half of the eight episodes strikes about as swiftly as a bunt down the third-base line. Issues do decide up thereafter because the relationships construct, and this “League” ends on a notice that signifies the hope for extra baseball in its future.

Inevitably constructing towards a giant sport, “A League of Their Personal” would not go down within the field rating as an unqualified success — it is principally a strong single — however credit score the producers with an fascinating concept, slickly produced, which feels a bit too stretched and sluggish unfold over eight episodes. By way of the streaming discipline, that is a league, frankly, through which the present has loads of firm.

“A League of Their Personal” premieres Aug. 12 on Amazon Prime.