Well.... thank God there's finally something sports-related coming to tv tonight (9 pm), as ESPN Films will air the first episode of its lengthy 10-part documentary chronicling Jordan. I've seen numerous 30-for-30 films and have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. This will be particularly interesting for me, as I was an avid NBA fan during this era and watched every NBA championship up until the last 10-15 years or so. It was a different time, and will probably resonate with me from a nostalgic perspective alone. I read 'The Jordan Rules' by Sam Smith back when it was released in 1992, and although the book was deemed controversial by many, I found it very enlightening with regard to how competitive Jordan was, and how his competitive drive made life incredibly difficult for his teammates. I suspect, at least based on the early reports of those who've been given a chance to preview this documentary, that this series will be even more enlightening, and perhaps even more controversial.
ESPN is owned by Disney, and yet it's been reported that a lot of salty language/profanity will not be beeped out on the primary unedited version being aired via the primary ESPN channel. Those who may find the R-rated language unappealing can watch the clean, censored version on ESPN2 (according to ESPN). This marks a first for ESPN in that regard, as they've generally been very strict with adhering to erring on the side of caution with their Parental Guidance rating protocols. In the coming weeks, I'm guessing, we will be hearing some fallout about how a Disney-owned media company could air such R-rated content. That's neither here nor there, only to say that perhaps there will be some shock-value to the series. This past week, I heard one ESPN reporter say, "This is going to paint a far different picture of who Jordan was for a lot of people."
Frankly, I can't wait!
What's the over/under that LeBron watches???? lol
Below I've listed the airing times on ESPN for those interested, as well as Netflix International for those living outside the US.
ESPN (United States)
Date Part Time
April 19 Episode 1 9 p.m. ET
April 19 Episode 2 10 p.m. ET
April 26 Episode 3 9 p.m. ET
April 26 Episode 4 10 p.m. ET
May 3 Episode 5 9 p.m. ET
May 3 Episode 6 10 p.m. ET
May 10 Episode 7 9 p.m. ET
May 10 Episode 8 10 p.m. ET
May 17 Episode 9 9 p.m. ET
May 17 Episode 10 10 p.m. ET
Below is the listed airings on Netflix (International). For those interested in knowing if Netflix INTL is the same as Netflix USA... do your own research to be sure. According to several sources I've read, the Jordan documentary will not be aired on Netflix in the US. That may or may not be fact, but just a heads-up based on what I've read.
Netflix (International)
Date Part Time
April 20 Episode 1 12:01 a.m. PT
April 20 Episode 2 12:01 a.m. PT
April 27 Episode 3 12:01 a.m. PT
April 27 Episode 4 12:01 a.m. PT
May 4 Episode 5 12:01 a.m. PT
May 4 Episode 6 12:01 a.m. PT
May 11 Episode 7 12:01 a.m. PT
May 11 Episode 8 12:01 a.m. PT
May 18 Episode 9 12:01 a.m. PT
May 18 Episode 10 12:01 a.m. PT