Girls5eva is an American musical comedy television series created by Meredith Scardino that premiered on May 6, 2021, on Peacock. It follows four women who were part of a girl group named Girls5eva, which was briefly popular around the year 2000 before fading into one-hit-wonder status. Now unfulfilled in their various lives, they reunite to try to find musical success again. In June 2021, it was renewed for a second season which premiered on May 5, 2022.
In October 2022, after Peacock decided not to continue the series, it was announced that it would move to Netflix for its third season.
Premise
A 1990s girl group that managed to score only one hit gets an unexpected chance at a comeback when their song is sampled by an up-and-coming rapper.
Cast
Main
Sara Bareilles as Dawn, the self-proclaimed "chill one" of Girls5eva, who now works at her brother's Italian restaurant and has a son with her husband Busy Philipps as Summer, the self-proclaimed "hot one" of Girls5eva, who is now married but mostly neglected by her husband, and lives in a mansion with her daughter Stevia Paula Pell as Gloria, the self-proclaimed "always working one" of Girls5eva, a dentist who is divorced from her wife Renée Elise Goldsberry as Wickie, the self-proclaimed "fierce one" of Girls5eva, who pretends to have a glamorous life but is scraping by as an airport employee
Recurring
Daniel Breaker as Scott, Dawn's husband and an exercise and menswear fanatic
Jonathan Hadary as Larry Plumb, Girls5eva's sleazy former manager and founder of Plumb Management and Junk Removal Ashley Park as Ashley, the fifth member and the self-proclaimed "fun one" of Girls5eva, who was the glue of the band, having been a member of six previous girl groups. She died in an infinity pool accident in 2004 and was memorialized by a bench paid for by her bandmates. Erika Henningsen as young Gloria Andrew Rannells as Kev Hamlin, a former boy band member and Summer's long-distance husband who works in Tampa, Florida as an entertainment reporter Jeremiah Craft as Lil Stinker, a rapper who samples Girls5eva and brings them back to prominence Janine Brito (Paula Pell's real-life wife) as Caroline, Gloria's ex-wife Grey Henson as Tate (season 2), a young executive at Girls5eva's new record company, "Property Records" Piter Marek as Ray (season 2), a talented sound engineer/producer/songwriter who helps Girls5eva write their album In addition, Julius Conceicao costars as Max, Dawn and Scott's son, a "New York Lonely Boy" (later taken over by Xander Fenyes), and Penelope Richmond as Stevia, Summer and Kev's daughter.
Guest
Dean Winters as Nick, Dawn's brother and an entrepreneur who owns ten businesses, one of which is an Italian restaurant where she works (season 1) Jimmy Fallon as himself (season 1) Stephen Colbert as Alf Musik, a songwriter (season 1) Tina Fey as Dolly Parton (season 1), who appears in Dawn's imagination to help inspire her to write songs again Bowen Yang as Zander (season 1), a fan of Wickie's who manipulates her ego for his own personal benefit Vanessa Williams as Nance Trace (season 1), a famous manager whom Girls5eva approaches to manage them after they fire Larry Tim Meadows as himself (season 2) Amy Sedaris as Kris and Neil Flynn as Chris (season 2), Summer's parents who travel the country in a bus and visit Summer after she decides to get a divorce Mario Cantone as himself (season 2)
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (2021)
Season 2 (2022)
Production
Development
On January 16, 2020, Tina Fey announced at a Peacock investor presentation event that she was executive-producing an original series for the upcoming streaming service.
The series is executive-produced by Fey, Meredith Scardino, Robert Carlock, Jeff Richmond, David Miner and Eric Gurian. Production companies involved are Fey's Little Stranger, Carlock's Bevel Gears, 3 Arts Entertainment and Universal Television. In October 2020, it was announced that the pilot episode would be directed by Kat Coiro. On June 14, 2021, Peacock renewed the series for a second season. On October 27, 2022, it was announced that the series would move from Peacock to Netflix for its third season after being canceled on Peacock after the second season concluded.
Some filming took place at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York, best known as the home of Sesame Street.