‘The Girls On The Bus’ Cast Discuss Themes Of Unlikely Friendship And The Circus That Is American Politics In New Max Series

Election season is among us, and Max is uncovering the nuances of politics in America in an unconventional way through the new series The Girls on the Bus.

The storyline follows four female journalists who, despite starting as common enemies, become family due to some situations they encounter while on the road covering the election cycle.

“I think it’s different than most of what we’ve seen on television as a political show because it’s not a political show,” co-creator and writer Julie Plec said in a recent interview that the cast and team behind the show did with Blavity’s Shadow and Act.

“In its soul, it’s a show about friendship, trust, finding your voice, finding your power, finding your strength, set against a backdrop of this wild and often hilarious circus that is a presidential campaign,” she continued. “I think that we get to have a little fun with politics. We get to poke a little fun at politics, especially American politics.”

As much as the focal point follows the ins and outs of what is going on behind the scenes during the presidential race, it is also about how friendship can be found in unlikely places, which was important to Amy Chozick, the author of the 2018 book Chasing Hillary, which the series is based off.

She also serves as a writer and creator of the show.

“Greg Berlanti, from the beginning when he read my book, thought that the show lived in that chapter, ‘The Girls on the Bus,’ because he was — we were all intrigued by this idea that you become friends with women who you never would have interacted with in your normal life,” Chozick explained. “Grace would’ve never given Lola five minutes of her time if they just met in regular life, but they are forced on this bus. They are forced to stay at the same hotels, drinking cheap white wine at the same hotel bars, and I think forcing them all together in that way kind of let everybody let their guard down.”

For Christina Elmore, who portrays Kimberlyn, this sentiment about the show is what she loves most.

“My favorite thing about the show is the focus on these relationships between this sort of found family,” she said. “Yes, the backdrop is political, and yes, they all come from different points of view, different walks of life, but what’s so beautiful is that they find their way to each other and that their differences somehow help to bridge the gap. Their conversations, their debates, and their differing opinions are what bring them closer rather than pull them apart. I don’t think we have that enough. Or, we don’t see it on TV. We don’t see it in our politics. We don’t see it on the news that people are actually talking to each other, that they can have a conversation and still be friends despite having different points of view.”

With the ever-evolving landscape of media and its influence on the masses, Carla Gugino, who plays Grace, appreciates how the importance of journalism is portrayed in the series.

“Journalism has changed so much, just by the nature of corporations owning so many things and very few small business newspapers. That changes so much for you guys and the nation of getting the truth really fast, being able to report it accurately, but also very quickly,” Gugino said. “What was fun from Grace’s perspective is, ultimately, all four of these women, I think, have a real reverence for what they do and the importance of what it is to get the truth out into the world for people who would not know it otherwise and that truth and information is freedom.”

Amid the chaos that often surrounds an election cycle, Griffin Dunne, who takes on the role of newspaper editor Bruce Turner in the series, hopes the show can serve as an outlet from some of the drama Americans are experiencing as they prepare to select their new leader.

“One of my hopes is, with all the political fatigue, that this is an escape because there’s a lot of humor in it,” Dunne said. “It is a fun show. After that escape, I think it would be awesome if there was more curiosity around a lot of the themes there and may potentially be a catalyst for more engagement, especially from, I mean all audiences, but it’d be so dope if younger audiences were like, ‘I’m curious about journalism now,’ or ‘I’m gonna become a press secretary.'”

The Girls on the Bus is now available to stream on Max.