Cavaliers F LeBron James' children's TV show "Becoming" was "picked up by Disney XD on Tuesday," according to Joe Vardon of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. The 30-minute show, which debuted in October with an episode about James, documents "the childhood upbringings of professional athletes." James said the show ranks "very high" among his off-court projects. Season one of "Becoming" will "begin airing later this year" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 2/11). ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst noted James' Spring Hill Productions and ESPN Films "are partners on the project, and James is an executive producer along with longtime business partner Maverick Carter." It is the second TV show Spring Hill has "recently had picked up, as Starz ordered a second season of 'Survivor's Remorse,' a drama about a star basketball player." James said, "We're going to get some really, really good athletes (for the show) -- both male and female -- and do our best to hit a lot of homes and TVs for these kids" (ESPN.com, 2/10). VARIETY's Kevin Noonan noted "Becoming" is an "on-brand move for Disney XD, which targets boys ages 6-11, including other sports-themed programming developed in partnership with ESPN." The show's exec producers "include Connor Schell, Bill Simmons, Libby Geist and John Dahl, who are also behind ESPN’s much-lauded '30 for 30' series" (VARIETY.com, 2/10).
