‘The Girls on the Bus’ drives through the glass ceiling of political journalism

Stars of Max’s new political drama “The Girls on the Bus” shared behind-the-scenes details and stories from set at a virtual press junket on March 20. 

The show, inspired by co-creator Amy Chozick’s own experiences covering presidential elections, follows the journey of four female journalists as they report on the presidential campaign trail. During her time as a political reporter, Chozick covered Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election and Clinton again in 2016.

While she always knew she wanted to write a book about her experiences, Chozick said she never imagined it would inspire a television show.

“I wanted to write a book about how this woman seeking the presidency had taken over the formative years of my life,” Chozick said. “I started thinking about it as a book and never really thought, ‘Oh, this is going to become a TV show.’”

Chozick’s career inspired the show’s focus on the friendship and support the four women found for each other despite their professional differences, diverse backgrounds and their professional differences.

Melissa Benoist stars as Sadie McCarthy, a young correspondent for the fictitious New York Sentinel, a daily newspaper. McCarthy is eager to prove herself as a political journalist after getting too invested in the losing campaign of fictional U.S. Sen. Felicity Walker during the previous presidential election cycle. 

McCarthy is joined on the campaign trail by Grace (Carla Gugino), Lola (Natasha Benham) and Kimberlyn (Christina Elmore), with each of the four representing different corners of journalism. Grace is a seasoned political journalist, Lola is a social media influencer and Kimberlyn is a broadcast journalist for Liberty News, which closely resembles Fox News. They serve as McCarthy’s companions on the campaign trail.  

“The friendship part really helped us also prepare for the roles because the show is, in essence, about this found family and this group of women who become each other's rocks,” Elmore told The Daily Cardinal. 

The group’s mutual friendship and support for one another transcends their professional differences, something exemplified by Kimberlyn and Lola’s friendship. Although Kimberlyn and Lola are on opposite ends of the political spectrum and get off to a rocky start, they reconcile their differences as time goes on. Lola supports Kimberlyn through her impromptu wedding, and in return, Kimberlyn helps Lola find her footing as a journalist. 

Throughout the show, McCarthy romanticizes journalism during a time when men dominated the newsroom. She idolizes Hunter S. Thompson, the pioneer of Gonzo journalism — a style of journalism that often includes the reporter as part of the story — and aspires to cover this campaign as he covered the one in 1972. The difference between McCarthy and Thompson is that McCarthy chose to put her trust in the women around her, opting to work with them instead of against them in pursuit of truth.

“You don’t have to follow the rules prescribed by the patriarchy,” Elmore said. “You don't have to compete with each other because you've been told there's only a few spots available for you…You can actually make a choice to do it differently. You can make a choice to find ease and friendship and collaboration.” 

Chozick said she was grateful the leading actresses were “like sponges” and weren’t afraid to ask questions about her experiences as a political journalist. 

“Her book is invaluable,” Benoist said, referencing Chozick’s 2018 book “Chasing Hillary” and how it helped her prepare for the show. “She also gave us a lot of material to read, but we were all eager and wanting all of it.”

Despite not having any television-writing experience prior to “The Girls on the Bus,” Chozick said skills she gained as a journalist helped inform her more creative writing endeavors. 

“I do think journalism lends itself to storytelling in this medium,” Chozick said. “We’re always studying character very closely. You’re always looking for good dialogue, waiting for that great quote.” 

Chozick said one of her goals in making “The Girls on the Bus” was to inspire younger generations to pursue journalism and push back against the “doom and gloom about the industry.” 

“I just want young journalists to see this and be inspired by these women. Even though they're living out of a suitcase and eating turkey sandwiches, it's the coolest job in the world,” she said. “You get a front-row seat to history, and it really, really matters.”

The Max Original drama series “The Girls on the Bus,” from Warner Bros. Television, premiered on March 14 with two episodes and is currently available to stream with one new episode weekly through May 9 on Max.

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