Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Fall Slate Announced for ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 as Fifth Anniversary of Series Approaches

There is a complete episode guide for ESPN Films 30 for 30 Vol II here.
Fall Slate Announced for ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 as Fifth Anniversary of Series Approaches

ESPN Films today revealed the films that will make up its fall 2014 30 for 30 slate. The series will return for a six-week run Tuesday nights on ESPN beginning October 7, with one additional film in December. This October marks the fifth anniversary of 30 for 30’s launch in 2009.

The upcoming slate will kick off with “Playing for the Mob,” which delves into how mobster Henry Hill once helped orchestrate the fixing of Boston College basketball games. The film is narrated by actor Ray Liotta, who played Hill in the iconic movie “Goodfellas.” Other film topics include: the 1989 San Francisco earthquake shortly before Game 3 of the World Series; the rise, fall and maturation of former Oklahoma All-American linebacker Brian Bosworth; and the incredible story of Livan and Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, half-brothers who escaped Cuba separately and quickly made themselves into star pitchers in the major leagues. “Brothers in Exile” will premiere in Spanish on ESPN Deportes on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 9 p.m. ET.

Additionally, actor Michael Rapaport takes a look back at the championship teams of the New York Knicks in his film “When The Garden Was Eden,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival this year; and “Rand University” will explore the enigma that is former NFL star Randy Moss by going back to where he came from – Rand, West Virginia.

“The U Part 2″ will debut after the Heisman Trophy presentation in December, making it the first 30 for 30 sequel. “The U,” a chronicle of the rise of the University of Miami football program in the 1980s, was one of the first 30 for 30 films, and subsequently became ESPN’s most-watched documentary film in history up to that point. In “The U Part 2,” director Billy Corben picks up where his original film left off, with Miami trying to recover from the devastation left by NCAA sanctions and scandals.

“Even though we have been at this for five years now, there is no shortage of incredible moments from the world of sports, so that enables us to continue making 30 for 30 films we’re proud of,” says Connor Schell, vice president and executive producer of ESPN Films and Original Programming. “The new slate takes a look at events and people that may be familiar to viewers,but our intent is to provide a totally different perspective through the visions of our various filmmakers.”

The “Playing for the Mob” debut on October 7 will be immediately followed by a special premiere of a new 30 for 30 Short titled “The Great Trade Robbery,” directed by Stu Zicherman. Launching on Grantland the next day, this short film is a first-person account by Jimmy Johnson of arguably the most significant trade in NFL history—when the Dallas Cowboys built their Super Bowl dynasty 25 years ago by sending star running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings.

30 for 30 films will air on ESPN as follows (all times ET):

Tuesday, Oct.7, 9 p.m. – “Playing for the Mob”
Tuesday, Oct. 14, 10 p.m. – “The Day The Series Stopped”
Tuesday, Oct. 21, 9 p.m. – “When The Garden Was Eden”
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 9 p.m. – “Brian and The Boz”
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 9 p.m. – “Brothers in Exile”
Tuesday, Nov. 11, 8 p.m. – “Rand University”
Saturday, Dec. 13, 9 p.m. – “The U Part 2”

No comments:

Post a Comment