10 reasons you should be watching Girls5Eva on Netflix

One of the more anticipated shows of 2024 was the move of Girls5Eva from Peacock to Netflix. Never appreciated as it deserved in its two years on Peacock, the show was dropped but then picked up by Netflix which seemed a better fit. But why is this not getting the love it should?

First, the setup: Girls5Eva follows the titular group, a one-hit wonder girl group of the late 1990s who went their separate ways after Ashley (Ashley Park) died in a freak accident in 2004. 

When a rapper samples their hit song, the gals are soon regathering: Dawn (Sara Bareilles), now a happily married mom running an Italian restaurant; Summer (Busy Phillips), the “hot one” married to a nutty influencer and running a branch of crazy brands; Gloria (Paula Pell), a dentist far removed from her glamorous days; and Wickie (Renée Elise Goldsberry), who still acts like she’s a megastar diva. 

The four decide to stage a comeback and face issues from the hardships of the music industry to their personal clashes to some frankly nutty situations. It’s been a great show coming from Tina Fey, but for some reason, it’s not getting the numbers or attention it should on Netflix. 

But it should be, as this show is truly one of the best comedies now on television. These are ten reasons why this show should be on everyone’s must-watch list to be the hit it deserves to be. 

1. It’s freaking hilarious

First and foremost, the show is one of the funniest on TV. That should be no surprise, given it’s from Tiny Fey, but it’s still amazing how much it can make you laugh. The one-liners are terrific, with sharp dialogue, often referencing stars in crazy ways (“I just pray Gal Gadot never sees what you did to her song, ‘Imagine’”) and make you want to rewind to catch them again.

The situations are also fun as the gals go through every embarrassing situation imaginable, and a few you can’t, in their quest for fame. It’s wild and nuts in a way most other comedies aren’t, and using the freedom of cable to cut loose for wild stuff. It’s simply one of the funniest shows on television and gets better as it goes on to be a sharp series. 

2. The cast is Emmy-worthy

It’s a shame the show has been overlooked by the major awards, as each of the main stars brings it big time. Bareilles is the center as Dawn, funny and sharp, warm and relatable, but showing she’s just as nutty as the rest of the batch. Phillips is a wonderful ditz as Summer, her personal beliefs clashing with her ego and outlandish outfits. 

Pell is a blast as Paula, who comes into her own as she realizes her orientation but can still go into full-scale brawls with a guy and her bawdy attitude is fun. There are also nice turns from Daniel Breaker as Dawn’s supportive husband and Andrew Rannells as Summer’s nutty hubby, who has good laughs. However, there’s one cast member who shines more than the others…

3. Wickie could carry her own show

As good as the rest of the cast is, Goldsberry is the best as Wickie. She goes beyond merely self-absorbed into a completely delusional level of unearned success. This is a woman who thinks she’s Lady Gaga, Madonna and Taylor Swift rolled into one but nowhere near the talent to back it up. Seeing her go around trying to flaunt her great “fame” is hilarious.

Wickie gets the best lines and much of the comedy of her inability to understand how normal people act. A wonderful third-season episode reveals the truth about her background, which makes total sense to the character. In any episode, Wickie is really the star of the show and one of the best characters on television. 

4. The songs are fun

Obviously, the music is key to the show, and the original songs deserve their own album. They run the gamut from 1990s-style pop to rap, country and more. Jeff Richmond and Meredith Scardino show their love for past music, from the bouncy theme song to tunes with lyrics that can’t be repeated in polite conversation.

Just when you think they can’t get better, the soundtrack breaks out another charming song that will stick in your head for a while. Each season boasts a soundtrack that can be better than actual musicians yet still has the humor needed to make the show shine and leave you singing along after the episode is done.  

5. The flashbacks have fun touches

While not dominant, the show is fun mixing in flashbacks to the gals’ time in the 2000s. Most of them are short to make a quick joke. A great touch is that while Bareilles, Phillips and Goldsberry play the younger versions of themselves with makeup and wigs, the younger Gloria is played by Erika Henningsen to show how the business aged her. 

There’s also Park popping in and the great takes on the fashion and pop culture of the time and shots such as Wickie once engaged to Phil Spector. While funny, they also show how close the ladies were and their ups and downs which make seeing them try to succeed in the present more meaningful. 

6. The pop culture parodies are a blast 

The show wonderfully skewers pop culture, with music the obvious focus. It’s clear what outlandish characters are based on real celebrities with some fun mockery. Like all great parodies, it works by being barely crazier than the real thing to make it more hysterical.

There are also send-ups of shows like Succession, Black Mirror, and The Crown, and the latest season doesn’t hold back in jokes about streaming TV places (like a hysterical scene of Wickie jarred when the bosses/names of a streaming service swap four times in the same meeting). That’s not to mention the skewering of how the music business works. It’s clear the writers are loving poking fun at scores of TV, movies and music in better mockery than Saturday Night Live. 

7. There’s wonderful character development

The best thing about the series is that like many good comedies, the characters evolve beyond their initial cliches. Dawn is mostly still the straight gal the crazy stuff bounces off of but shows she enjoys the fame and rush of touring like the others. Summer rises above her ditzy persona with struggles in her marriage and finding her strength.

Paula has ups and downs in her relationships while rediscovering the drive she’d long lost while Wickie slowly but surely lets go of some of her selfish persona, especially in Season 2. Watching the ladies grow together is one of the best parts of the show and makes it feel more realistic with how life has changed them. 

8. The guest stars are fun

Obviously, the show has some fun guest turns which include Tina Fey herself as a dream version of Dolly Parton, Jimmy Fallon has himself and Stephen Colbert as a nutty musician. Vanessa Williams channels her Ugly Betty character as a ruthless agent and Amy Sedaris and Neil Flynn are good as Summer’s parents.

A great scene had Property Brothers Drew and Scott sending themselves up as jealous of each other. Season 3 amps it up with Richard Kind, Mario Lopez, Rebecca Lobo and others as versions of themselves, often mocking the industry. Even smaller guest roles are important and shine nicely to spark the show up more. 

9. The latest season is the best 

The move to Netflix may have been a risk but the show didn’t lose a beat. If anything, it’s been on a creative high with its latest season as the gals go on tour and hit a new wave of complications. The show has even better humor and seeing the gals adapt to locations from Fort Worth to Orlando provides fresh new laughs.

There’s a great episode showcasing Wickie’s past and the build to them trying to make a concert at Radio City Music Hall, yet each episode shows some lovely new humor while not sacrificing what made it work on Peacock (a Netflix show blurring stuff out is even funnier) and even a few sharp shots on modern culture and politics. Netflix has given the show a new energy that should gain more seasons. 

10. It’s a fast binge 

The best part of the show is that it’s a nice and fast binge. The first two Peacock seasons are just eight episodes each, with the latest Netflix season six episodes. That means you can burn through the whole show in a day or two, and it actually feels better to be able to rush from one episode to the next. 

This means the show is a brisk watch and from the cast to the music to the wild comedy, it provides better entertainment than a lot of shows that run much longer. This is the icing on the cake to why Girls5Eva, like its title characters, deserves to be more famous and continue its run as one of the best comedies on TV. 

Girls5Eva Seasons 1-3 streaming on Netflix.