Rarely in recent memory has a TV show been so propitiously timed as “The Last Dance.” The 10-episode documentary series about the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls premiered in May, weeks after the coronavirus pandemic caused the shutdown of all major live sports events, leaving fans bereft.
Into that void slipped “The Last Dance,” turning five straight Sunday nights into must-see events for large swathes of audiences quarantined at home. Over the course of its run, “The Last Dance” averaged 5.6 million viewers. And in seizing the moment, it’s becoming emblematic of a wave in sports documentary programming that has been building for years.
“It’s a funny time to celebrate any project and pat yourselves on the back, but I will say, I think it was the perfect project at a really specific point in time in our history,” says Libby Geist, vice president & executive producer, ESPN Films and Original Content.
Into that void slipped “The Last Dance,” turning five straight Sunday nights into must-see events for large swathes of audiences quarantined at home. Over the course of its run, “The Last Dance” averaged 5.6 million viewers. And in seizing the moment, it’s becoming emblematic of a wave in sports documentary programming that has been building for years.
“It’s a funny time to celebrate any project and pat yourselves on the back, but I will say, I think it was the perfect project at a really specific point in time in our history,” says Libby Geist, vice president & executive producer, ESPN Films and Original Content.
- 7/1/2020
- by Daniel Holloway
- Variety Film + TV
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