Tag: Jeff Pearlman

Winning Time fans are furious at the finale and shocking cancelation of the HBO series

This just stinks.

Some of the best moments in sports have been born out of witnessing history. So, it’s not shocking that HBO chronicled the 1980s “Showtime” era Los Angeles Lakers, who won five championships, turning their prolific run into Winning Time.

Based on a book by Jeff Pearlman, the series debuted in 2021 and was renewed for a second season a month after its debut. The star-studded cast included names like Jason Segel, Adrien Brody, Sally Field, John C. Reilly, and newcomers Solomon Hughes and Quincy Isaiah.

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Dedicated fans were in on the wild storylines, but the series battled lower-than-expected viewership numbers. Like many other shows, it has also been impacted by ongoing writers’ strikes.

Last month, Pearlman expressed his concerns over the canceled show, telling fans it needed more support.

Unfortunately, the series was canceled after two seasons, leaving fans with a less-than-pleasant ending to Sunday’s finale: a Boston Celtics championship. Ending a storyline on a bitter rival’s success did not sit well with fans.

Understandably, they are furious and saddened.

There’s no word yet if another network will pick the show up, but fans are already clamoring for another network to salvage the storyline.

If I know anything about good old-fashioned hate for your rivals, it can get a lot done.

The future of HBO’s ‘Winning Time’ may be in doubt

Author Jeff Pearlman tweeted that the HBO series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” may be in jeopardy.

The second season of the HBO series “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” has begun, and it focuses on the 1980-81 through 1983-84 seasons. That was the time period in which the Los Angeles Lakers looked to go from a team that merely won an NBA championship to one for the ages.

To tell the whole story of the Showtime era, there will have to be at least one more season of the show. But according to Jeff Pearlman, the author of the best-selling book the series is based on, the series may stop with its current season.

He tweeted that more viewership is needed for the series to continue.

The third episode of the second season will air Sunday, Aug. 20.

What will season 2 of ‘Winning Time’ cover?

A glimpse into the main storylines that season 2 of the HBO series “Winning Time,” an account of the 1980s “Showtime” Lakers, will cover.

The HBO series “Winning Time,” which is a fictionalized account of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, has been a big hit with fans.

It has garnered some criticism along the way, most notably from members of those Lakers “Showtime” teams such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who have said the series is not an accurate account of what actually happened back then.

Jerry West, who became L.A.’s general manager in 1982, has gone so far as to threaten to take serious legal action because he has been portrayed by the show as an ogre who had severe anger management problems.

But what seems to matter most for television executives is ratings, and HBO recently announced that “Winning Time” will be back for a second season.

Jeff Pearlman is the author of the book that “Winning Time” has been based on, which is entitled “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.”

He has given an early glimpse into what the second season of the HBO series will feature.

Via Lakers Nation:

“I don’t know that much of it,” Pearlman admitted. “They’ve been really good about keeping me in the loop, keeping me involved, blah, blah, blah. I know it definitely involves sort of the transition to Paul Westhead becoming the coach and kind of Westhead and then Riley dynamic, and Riley kind of moving into power over Westhead, but I don’t… I mean, they’re writing it as we speak, literally writing as we speak. They’re probably in the room right now writing it. So my guess is almost as good as yours.”

See the debut, amazing trailer for HBO’s new Lakers series ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty’

Whatever it is you were doing, it can wait. There is a trailer for the new Lakers project on HBO Max and it deserves your immediate attention.

Whatever it is you’re doing, it can wait. There is a trailer for the new Lakers project on HBO Max and it deserves your immediate attention.

The show, which was previously just referred to as the Untitled Lakers Project, has a name: Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. It also has a premiere date: March 2022.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a basketball fan because this is one that you’re going to want to check out the moment the series begins. Once you watch the trailer, even after just a few seconds, it won’t take long for you to figure out why.

They leaned all the way into the 1980s vibe and it looks like just the right amount of camp for easy watching every week. Plus, it looks like they are including a scene of when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar acted in Airplane! (1980):

Winning Time is produced by Academy Award-winner Adam McKay, who has directed comedies like Anchorman (2004) and dramas including The Big Short (2015). He has also produced HBO shows Succession and Eastbound & Down.

It is based on sportswriter Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s. 

If you were paying close attention to the trailer, you will notice some big-name actors like John C. Reilly (portraying Jerry Buss), Jason Segal (as coach Paul Westphal) and Adrien Brody (as coach Pat Riley).

While it sucks that Reilly’s casting decision hurt McKay’s relationship with Will Ferrell and it also sucks that Bo Burnham is no longer playing Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird, the rest of the cast still looks incredible and Reilly is capturing the essence of the eccentric late Lakers owner.

I’m excited to see how the newbies do in their big roles because based on what we’ve seen so far, it seems like we’ll have some new stars to fall in love with as well.

Courtesy of HBO
Courtesy of HBO
Courtesy of HBO

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