I talk to Skydance, WBTV and creators including Jason Katims about what to do (and not) to make a hit, and scoop big news about J.J. Abrams' 'Speed Racer'
WINNING TIMEScripted shows riding the tide of audience interest in sports programming include, clockwise from top left,Running Point,Stick andCobra Kai. (The Ankler illustration; image credits below)
I cover TV from L.A. I interviewedKevin Beggs about Lionsgate’s indie playbook, and I wrote abouthow to get staffed in a writers room now and themess at Amazon TV. Email me atlesley.goldberg@theankler.com
In August 2020,whenTed Lassodebuted on Apple TV+, theJason Sudeikis-led soccer comedy delivered a dose of needed optimism as the country was reeling amid theGeorge Floydprotests, the political unrest that came with the first few months of the Trump administration and at a time when much of the world was quarantined at home amid the Covid pandemic. The series, based on interstitial NBC Sports promos featuring theSNLalum, broke through — a record 20 Emmy nominations for a rookie comedy — because it was the right show at the right time.
Now, as a fourth season of*Ted Lasso,*revolving around a women’s team, is ramping up to begin production, the acclaimed comedy originally about an English Premier League soccer team will face steep competition on the TV pitch as a new roster of sports-related scripted originals floods the landscape, with streamers and networks alike betting on aspirational tales of underdogs defying the odds.
Jason Katims is returning to the football field with a new incarnation ofFriday Night Lights,widely considered one of if notthebest sports-themed drama series of all time, for Peacock. Apple hasOwen Wilson out on the fairway with warmly-received golf comedyStick.Netflix is heading back to the hardwood for a second season of basketball comedyRunning Point. The creators ofCobra Kaiare in “active conversations” about expanding theirKarate Kid franchise.Ryan Murphy entered the space with the FX anthologyAmerican Sports Story, whose first season revolved around the rise and fall of ex-NFL tight endAaron Hernandez. The CW’s last original series, football drama*All American,*is heading toward the end zone with its eighth and final season.
And there are more coming:Michael B. Jordan is making two boxing-themed shows for Amazon (one in theCreedfranchise, the other connected toMuhammad Ali);Glen Powell and showrunnerMichael Waldron(Loki)will kick-off their college football comedy,Chad Powers— inspired by anEli Manning short — in September for Hulu, which is also teaming with the NFL for a generational drama fromDan Fogelman, who previously partnered with Major League Baseball for Fox’s short-lived 2016 dramaPitch.
So why is everyone in town buying a ticket to the game and investing in sports-related scripted originals?
“Audiences have always connected with sports stories, even if they are not sports fans. The best sports storytelling explores universal themes and uses the clarity and intensity of competition to test characters and create drama,” saysJason T. Reed, head of Skydance Sports, which produces Fogelman’s upcoming NFL drama. “As live sports become more and more important, having shoulder programming that keeps sports fans on platform that can draw new viewers to live events becomes critical.”
Along with Reed, I spoke to a slew of other execs as well as creators and other industry stakeholders about the new boom in sports-adjacent programming. Also, I have a scoop below about big changes on the live-actionSpeed Racer series fromJ.J. Abrams.
In today’s newsletter, I highlight:
News about a slew of shows in development, including exclusive intel about new sports getting the scripted screen treatment
Strategy insights from Reed, Warner Bros. TV’sClancy Collins White, and other execs working to maximize this space
What’s changed as the likes of Peyton and Eli Manning take charge of storytelling and production — and brand reaction
Projects that went awry and why (includingSteph Curry’s)
The plot devices that keep audiences coming back
Why some shows partner with leagues and others don’t
How pro leagues are becoming a new category of IP
‘Sports IsKing,’ With Scripted Polishing the Crown