New TV football shows hope to score with fans
CANNES, France, Oct 20, (Agencies): Just when non-fans thought it was safe to turn the television back on again, a new wave of football shows are about to the hit the small screen.
A raft of dramas, documentaries and children’s shows based on the beautiful game have been snapped up at MIPCOM in Cannes, the world’s top entertainment showcase which ends Thursday.
They are led by a high-end series called “The Window” based on the Machiavellian machinations during the transfer window in Britain’s Premier League, created by “The Musketeers” and “Mr Selfridge” writer James Payne.
Backed by the German public broadcaster ZDF and Japanese giant Fuji TV, it follows the vicious off-field battle to sign a brilliant 17-year-old prospect called Jordan Burdett.
Payne said soccer stories appeal to millions of fans across the world who dream that a star player could turn their club’s fortunes around.
“Like many fans I’m glued to the phone during the summer months (of the off-season), following the sagas of the transfer window,” he said. They were all “high-stakes human stories”, he added, which change careers and the fate of clubs.
Showing
The hit teen drama Mustangs FC about an Australian girls’ football team, is building up a global following, showing on CBBC in Britain, Universal Kids in North American and ABC in its homeland.
The BBC also have high hopes for their “Match Of The Day: Can You Kick It?” a talent search for the next male and female stars tied to their flagship football highlights round-up, an institution in the UK.
A Dutch show selling at the French Riviera market has another spin on the same format, “Street Football Challenge”, which sets out to find the best street soccer players.
Programme makers are also trying to feed fans’ boundless curiosity about their idols.
British show “A Game of Two Halves” features former football stars taking on new challenges, with ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand trying his hand at boxing, German legend Jurgen Klinsmann taking to the skies as a helicopter pilot and horse racing enthusiast Michael Owen competing as a jockey.
The more conventional “The Football Show” boasts exclusive off-the-pitch looks into the private lives of “14 superstars and legends of the game” including Brazilian maestro Ronaldinho.
Two such legends have been radically morphed in the hilarious new children’s cartoon “Coach Me If You Can” from the makers of “Oggy and the Cockroaches”.
It kicks off with the world’s greatest soccer player Erico Platana (a nod to superannuated French icons Eric Cantona and Michel Platini) being turned into a ball by a wizard.
The ball falls into the hands of a boy called Daniel Sissou and “Erico has to seriously deflate his ego to help clumsy Daniel become a champ,” said its French producers, Xilam Animation.
It is not clear whether the two legends were in on the show, but the chance to bewitch a new generation of young fans is surely worth the leathering they take.
Netflix will release “Motown Magic” on Nov 20. The children’s series inspired by the iconic music of Motown will feature original characters in a fantastical world from Josh Wakely. The show will feature 52 newly-recorded versions of songs first made famous by artistes including Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gay, the Jackson 5, Lionel Richie, the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder. Some of the contemporary artistes who will be featured in the 11-minute episodes include Ne-Yo, Becky G, BJ The Chicago Kid, Skylar Grey, Calum Scott and Trombone Shorty.
Meanwhile, Showtime released the official trailer for its upcoming comedy “Black Monday,” which is set to premiere Jan 20 at 10 pm. Released on the anniversary of the United States’ worst stock market crash in Wall Street history, the trailer follows Don Cheadle, Andrew Rannells and Regina Hall who play a group of Wall Street outsiders working to bring about the end to one of the world’s largest financial systems. David Caspe and Jordan Cahan are executive producing the show alongside Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who also directed the pilot.
Facebook Watch released a new clip from the platform’s second season of “Red Table Talk,” hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, her daughter Willow Smith and her mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris. In the clip, actor Will Smith joins his family to discuss their family dynamic and his relationship with his wife. “Red Table Talk” is set to return Oct 22 at 12 pm ET / 9 am PT on Facebook Watch.
In another development, Paloma Faith has joined the upcoming EPIX drama series “Pennyworth” as series regular Bet Sykes, a sharptongued, sadistic villain. The new drama series, based on DC characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, will follow Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon) after he forms a security company and begins working with the young billionaire Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge). Bruno Heller and Danny Cannon are executive producing, and production for “Pennyworth” is set to begin Oct 22.
Jason Fuchs, Kecia Lewis and James Le Gros are set to take on recurring guest roles in Fox’s upcoming post-apocalyptic thriller “The Passage.”
ABC has ordered a full season of sophomore firehouse drama “Station 19.”
The series, which comes from Shondaland and is a spinoff of medical drama staple “Grey’s Anatomy,” stars Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George, Boris Kodjoe, Grey Damon, Barrett Doss, Alberto Frezza, Jay Hayden, Okieriete Onaodowan, Danielle Savre and Miguel Sandoval. Dermot Mulroney was recently announced to be a second season cast addition in a recurring role.
Stacy McKee serves as showrunner and executive producer, along with Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, who executive produce. Paris Barclay serves as the producing director and executive producer. The show is produced by ABC Studios.
Currently airing as a part of ABC’s “TGIT” line-up in the Thursdays at 9 pm time slot, “Station 19” is averaging 7.9 million total viewers for its second season so far and scoring 1.8 in the 18-49 demo. Thus far the show has aired three episodes and has built on its season premiere by 24% in total viewers and 25% in 18-49, which has brought its numbers to new series highs.
Earlier this week ABC also granted a full season order to its freshman comedy “Single Parents.”