ESPN will air "The Man in the Arena: Tom Brady," a nine-episode series in '21, and it should be a "rare opportunity for up-close revelation from the usually private quarterback," according to Barry Wilner of the AP. ESPN Exec VP/Content Connor Schell "believes Brady has a fountain of memories worth the telling." Schell points to Religion of Sports filmmaker Gotham Chopra's storytelling skill as a "key factor in making Brady's experiences compelling to fans -- even the legions that have made the Patriots generally a despised franchise outside of the New England base." The episodes are "expected to be grounded in Brady's reflections and will include voices and outlooks other than his." Schell added that ESPN is "thinking about how to evolve the genre and new ways to tell these stories and new hooks. And the access to Tom Brady is unique" (AP, 5/21).
UNIQUE LOOK: NBCSPORTS.com's Mike Florio noted the series is "not really a documentary in the classic sense, in the same way that 'The Last Dance' wasn't a documentary in the classic sense." Michael Jordan "had control over the content of 'The Last Dance,' and Brady surely will have control over 'Man in the Arena'" (NBCSPORTS.com, 5/21). YAHOO SPORTS' Frank Schwab wrote there is "some fatigue with Brady ... but at some point his story will be fully appreciated by everyone." Maybe that is a "reason why ESPN is having a nine-part documentary series." There is just a question of "whether the world outside of New England is ready to enjoy Brady's unbelievable journey" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/21).
