The Beyond the Glory series has long been the best programming on Fox Sports Net. Unfortunately, FSN has struggled to gain much ground against ESPN in the sports television business. In most markets, FSN draws paltry ratings in comparison. In some others FSN has been completely gutted by the formation of professional sports/cable cooperatives, such as Comcast SportsNet in Chicago.
That's unfortunate because the vast majority of the viewing public has mostly likely not watched a single episode of a great show. Often compared to VH1's Behind the Music, I believe FSN's sports version does an even better job of documenting the life stories behind its subjects. Produced by Gary Simson and narrated superbly by actor D.B.Sweeney (and Jay Mohr in earlier seasons), the show is a good example of shortform documentary on television. The editing can at times be "Fox-esque," with flashy transitions and sound effects, but it does not take away from the well-written substance of most installments.
Last night's debut (narrated on this occasion by James Woods) of the latest Beyond the Glory was no exception and I highly recommend catching it on a rebroadcast. Titled "Legends of Poker," the 1-hour show focuses on the rise of the game of poker from the early days to the mass appeal of 2005. But that's not what makes it good television material. As always, the people are the focus, not the game itself. BTG: Legends of Poker offers a glimpse into the personal histories of Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Barry Greenstein. I won't spoil you with details, but it's well worth a spot on the Tivo schedule this week. Pop culture needs more exposure to the human stories behind the massive rise in poker popularity, and a lot less fictional tales that include Mr. Blonde and pistol-whipping.
read more
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment