Wrestling series GLOW filmed in California mall

Set in the San Fernando Valley region of north-west Los Angeles, scenes for the show were shot at the Westside Pavilion, a mall south of the valley.

The building had retained much of its 80s-era aesthetic but plans had been announced to convert it into office space when the production team decided to edge in first and use it for GLOW.

“We were able to find it just at the right time, where it hadn’t been modernised to attract more customers,” said Ralph Coleman, the show’s location manager, in comments to media outlet Curbed Los Angeles.

“It’s almost like you want to just fall in right under the wrecking ball, before it either gets wrecked or facelifted.”

Coleman and his team found an empty section of the mall and set up shop facades for recognisable 1980s brands like United Colors of Benetton and Banana Republic.

“We tried to bring in all of the things that would’ve naturally been there without going too on-the-nose with that kind of 80s camp,” Coleman told Curbed Los Angeles. “We wanted to make sure it felt legitimate and real.”

California’s filming incentive prioritises TV production but most TV shows and films that shoot in the state – including GLOW – do not qualify for support under the terms of the tax credit system.

Television production dropped in Los Angeles in 2017, with drama pilot shoots down by 40%.

Last week state authorities extended the filming incentive programme through to 2025 in a move that should particularly appeal to TV producers planning long-term stays in Los Angeles and its surrounds.

See KFTV's production guide for more on filming in California.

Images: Erica Parise/Netflix