It seemed today there was an onslaught intriguing news on the entertainment front. Below are some highlights.
– Last fall I was absolutely captivated by HBO’s mini series entitled Hard Knocks which chronicled the training camp of the Kansas City Chiefs. In fact I have no qualms in saying the series finale in which the roster is cut from 75-53 in a mere 24 hours after the last pre season game is one of the best hours of television I have seen…. ever.
Clip below from last season
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vCMFzq1RHI&hl=en&fs=1
The show garnered great praise, but future was up in the air with no team willing to give all access to HBO. However today the Dallas Cowboys announced they will allow Hard Knocks to continue allowing HBO to follow the Cowboys in their pre season endeavors.
This is a ballsy but great move by the most prominent NFL franchise. Hard Knocks is a terrific series that gives unprecedented insight into the wide spectrum of employees in the NFL. The show doesn’t focus on a team’s stars and known entities, but also sheds light on journeymen looking to earn their first NFL paycheck, NFL rookies, position coaches, front office staff, and other stories that fall through the cracks of the media.
– ESPN today announced that they will wait nearly four months to play the final table of the World Series of Poker which starts in July. The thought is that they can air weekly episodes from the first days of the tournament which take place in July and then air a live finale in November. To be honest although its a disservice to the players, fans are going to eat this up and ratings are going to be through the roof. I have my qualms and it seems poker has cooled off as a growing trend, but a move like this is sure to perpetuate interest in the card game.
Last year’s champ
– If you have ever been lucky enough to get me liquored up and in philosophical mood, you will likely at some point get a drunken spiel about the disconnect and differentiators between Generation Y and previous generations. Nowhere is this more clear in the media content and media channels that we absorb.
With that in mind, I was excited to see ABC News is going to open a handful of news bureaus at US universities including Syracuse, UNC, Texas, Arizona State, and that school that I hate from Florida.
Interesting thoughts on Gen Y
Gen Y doesn’t really watch the news or read the news from traditional media outlets. We read online, we read blogs, we watch TMZ, and are more likely to watch satirical newscasts like the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Weekly Update.
ABC will have to break down barriers to get young people to watch, but this is definitely a step in the right direction, and I commend them on the effort.
– Last but not least, news leaked out that there will be an Anchorman 2. I am mixed on this news and will wait for the premise of this sequel before commenting.
