With the arrival of shows like Fox' "Pitch," Starz' "Survivor's Remorse" and HBO's "Ballers," scripted television "increasingly is looking to score with sports," according to Lesley Goldberg of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Cavaliers F LeBron James is on board for an "NBC sports-medicine drama," Cardinals DE Calais Campbell is working on a semi-autobiographical CBS family comedy and there is an upcoming "synchronized swimming comedy" on Fox. Actor Michael B. Jordan and Pro Football HOFer Michael Strahan also will "each executive produce a sports-themed drama." Strahan's show is about a "Heisman Trophy winner turned cop," while Jordan is producing the "hoops drama 'Apollo Park.'" Fox TV President of Creative Affairs Jonnie Davis said, "Sports has an ability to attract, engage and retain fans of all demographics. People are looking for unique stories and characters outside of normal office places." Goldberg noted although sports-themed projects have "experienced varying degrees of success ... insiders continue to find faith in sports' big live-viewership numbers." Davis said that archetypes found in sports -- underdogs, heroes and villains -- are "key to reaching even nonsports fans" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 11/2). Meanwhile, Goldberg noted NBC is "looking to tap into the world of youth baseball," as the net has "handed out a hefty put-pilot commitment to 'All Stars.'" The comedy "centers on a collection of very different families who are bound together by their children's 10-and-under all-star baseball team." The show "comes as sports-themed projects continue to be in high demand this development season following the success" of scripted series (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.com, 11/2).
SAVED BY THE CURVE: Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar stars in "Pitch" as a Padres catcher "who’s mentoring professional baseball’s first female pitcher." He said, "There’s not a show on air with the magnitude and scope of Pitch, with the partnership of MLB and access to the uniforms and stadiums. A woman pitching in the majors and shattering the glass ceiling has never been done before. Kylie Bunbury [who plays the show's protagonist] is unlike anything on TV. She’s an amazing talent as an actor and an athlete -- you completely buy that she can pitch. ... The show takes place in the world of baseball, but it’s not about baseball" (EW.com, 11/3).
