Producers of HBO's "24/7" have instructed coaches and players "to act as if the cameras aren't around -- and that's what has happened, for the most part," according to Marc Narducci of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said, "The guys at HBO have been good." Flyers D Braydon Coburn said, "You are aware they are there, but I don't think it's a big deal. They are very respectful of us, and we kind of go about our business." Coburn added, "You are aware they are there, but what comes across best is us being ourselves and the way we interact, and that is what people want to see." HBO Senior Producer Dave Harmon said that three cameras "followed both the Flyers and the Rangers." He said that including other workers, "such as sound people, field producers, and technical support, about 25 people are with each team." Narducci notes the show "has a frenetic pace." Although interviews with players "were done as early as the summer, much of what is shown is shot that week." Narducci: "Clearly, the producers look for a go-to performer, and there is no question it has been Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov." While the producers "don't try to force the issue, when a comment piques their interest, they will probe." Harmon said, "We are a TV show and entertainment, and certainly we have our antenna up for somebody who might jump off the screen." He "believes that Bryzgalov has made that leap." Bryzgalov was "surprised to be approached in New York last Thursday, the day after the second show, by a number of fans who enjoyed his performance" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 12/28). In Philadelphia, Frank Seravalli wrote under the header, "HBO Turning Bryzgalov Into A 'Universal' Star." Bryzgalov's "quirkiness, on display on a daily basis inside the Flyers' locker room when the cameras are not there, has made him a rock star on television" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 12/27).
