If the television universe had a better sense of poetry, Netflix’s three-part Bill Russell documentary and Showtime’s three-part Wilt Chamberlain documentary would have come out the same day. The Chamberlain doc would have gotten better ratings, but the Russell doc would have received better reviews, and then we would have discussed the relative merits of each type of success and come to the conclusion that judging either of them exclusively on that one measurement was reductive.
Instead, Sam Pollard’s Bill Russell: Legend premiered back in February, while Rob Ford and Christopher Dillon’s Goliath, about Chamberlain, will air through the rest of July on Showtime and associated platforms.
While the two documentaries about contenders for basketball greatest-of-all-time status are both solidly made examinations of their complicated subjects, neither is even the recent Goat when it comes to multi-parters about outspoken NBA centers. Steve James’ Bill Walton series for ESPN holds that crown.
Instead, Sam Pollard’s Bill Russell: Legend premiered back in February, while Rob Ford and Christopher Dillon’s Goliath, about Chamberlain, will air through the rest of July on Showtime and associated platforms.
While the two documentaries about contenders for basketball greatest-of-all-time status are both solidly made examinations of their complicated subjects, neither is even the recent Goat when it comes to multi-parters about outspoken NBA centers. Steve James’ Bill Walton series for ESPN holds that crown.
- 7/14/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Showtime Sports has set a premiere date for Goliath, a docuseries examining the historic life, career and impact of NBA center Wilt Chamberlain. The three-parter directed by Rob Ford (The Cost of Winning) and Christopher Dillon (A Crime to Remember) will debut on demand and on streaming on July 14 for all Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers before making its on-air debut on Showtime on July 16 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt with episodes premiering each Sunday.
First announced in 2021 when it was being eyed as a feature documentary, Goliath tells the complete story of Chamberlain’s remarkable life and how it fits into the fabric of American history. Beginning with his emergence on the national scene as a high schooler in the 1950s and following through to his death in 1999, the show highlights with each episode a specific element of Chamberlain’s cultural impact, focusing on the areas of power, money, race,...
First announced in 2021 when it was being eyed as a feature documentary, Goliath tells the complete story of Chamberlain’s remarkable life and how it fits into the fabric of American history. Beginning with his emergence on the national scene as a high schooler in the 1950s and following through to his death in 1999, the show highlights with each episode a specific element of Chamberlain’s cultural impact, focusing on the areas of power, money, race,...
- 6/8/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“Blood Brothers” floats on perceptive interviews, rich archival photos and pointed newsreel footage. It stings, too, with its exploration of two iconic, uncompromising figures who were friends for (the film persuasively argues) too short a spell. Director Marcus A. Clarke used Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith’s “Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X” as a touchstone for this documentary — available on Netflix — but also brought his own insights as a Black man in America to the work. The result is thought-provoking, resonant, often touching.
The duo envisioned by “One Night in Miami” were nearing the end of their deep bond when they celebrated Cassius Clay’s victory over Sonny Liston in the 1964 heavyweight title bout. Although Malcolm X was 16 years older, there were similarities. Each embodied curiosity. Each met white racism with gloves off. Both were verbal stylists. Ali waxed poetic. Malcolm X lit fires...
The duo envisioned by “One Night in Miami” were nearing the end of their deep bond when they celebrated Cassius Clay’s victory over Sonny Liston in the 1964 heavyweight title bout. Although Malcolm X was 16 years older, there were similarities. Each embodied curiosity. Each met white racism with gloves off. Both were verbal stylists. Ali waxed poetic. Malcolm X lit fires...
- 9/10/2021
- by Lisa Kennedy
- Variety Film + TV
Fascination with Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali’s complex friendship got a boost from pop culture over the last year or so: Theirs was a central relationship in Regina King’s debut feature “One Night In Miami,” and it was also highlighted in the Epix series “The Godfather of Harlem,” starring Forest Whitaker. As interesting as these portrayals are, truth is often more compelling than fiction, which is exactly what Netflix’s provocative documentary “Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali” illustrates.
The film is driven by the book “Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X” from Purdue professor Randy Roberts and Georgia Tech’s Johnny Smith, both of whom are consistent presences throughout the documentary. Directed by Marcus A. Clarke (“Around the Way”) and produced by “black-ish” creator Kenya Barris, “Blood Brothers” brilliantly outlines the historical context in which these two powerhouses emerged.
The documentary...
The film is driven by the book “Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X” from Purdue professor Randy Roberts and Georgia Tech’s Johnny Smith, both of whom are consistent presences throughout the documentary. Directed by Marcus A. Clarke (“Around the Way”) and produced by “black-ish” creator Kenya Barris, “Blood Brothers” brilliantly outlines the historical context in which these two powerhouses emerged.
The documentary...
- 9/1/2021
- by Ronda Racha Penrice
- The Wrap
Showtime has given a pilot order to comedy The Wood, based on the 1999 feature film, from Justin Hillian, Rick Famuyiwa and Showtime sibling Paramount Television Studios.
Famuyiwa, who co-wrote and directed the film, will direct the pilot and executive produce with Hillian, who will pen the script. The pilot order was announced during Showtime’s virtual TCA presentation Tuesday.
The Wood is an honest look at friendship and dating from the perspective of three young Black males born and raised in the gentrifying L.A. suburb of Inglewood, fondly referred to by locals as the City Of Champions. The trio’s struggles to balance fatherhood, ambition and loyalty force them to question if they are growing apart … or closer together. With a knowing nod back to the characters of the 1999 film on which it is based, this romantic comedy showcases the humor and heart...
Famuyiwa, who co-wrote and directed the film, will direct the pilot and executive produce with Hillian, who will pen the script. The pilot order was announced during Showtime’s virtual TCA presentation Tuesday.
The Wood is an honest look at friendship and dating from the perspective of three young Black males born and raised in the gentrifying L.A. suburb of Inglewood, fondly referred to by locals as the City Of Champions. The trio’s struggles to balance fatherhood, ambition and loyalty force them to question if they are growing apart … or closer together. With a knowing nod back to the characters of the 1999 film on which it is based, this romantic comedy showcases the humor and heart...
- 8/24/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries and Three Uncanny Four Productions, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, today launched Death at the Wing, a new podcast series that focuses on the tragic intersection of basketball, politics, and socio-economics in the 1980s that led to an extraordinary number of untimely deaths of rising basketball prospects. Developed and hosted by McKay, Death at the Wing is a deep exploration of the intersection of sports and culture that began with Reaganomics. The first two episodes are available this morning.
Each docu segment focuses on one player, one tragedy, and the big forces that shaped the story. In reporting the series, McKay conducted interviews with experts, journalists, and former players, including NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West, journo and Basketball: A Love Story author Jackie MacMullan, ex-Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, professor of critical stories Dr. Todd Boyd, and The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer.
Each docu segment focuses on one player, one tragedy, and the big forces that shaped the story. In reporting the series, McKay conducted interviews with experts, journalists, and former players, including NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West, journo and Basketball: A Love Story author Jackie MacMullan, ex-Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, professor of critical stories Dr. Todd Boyd, and The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer.
- 3/31/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, Paramount Plus announced the series premiere date for “Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years,” and Hulu released the new trailer for Blumhouse’s Valentine’s Day special “Into the Dark: Tentacles.”
Dates
ViacomCBS announced that the “SpongeBob SquarePants” spinoff series “Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years” will premiere alongside “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” March 4 on Paramount Plus. The first six episodes of the animated Nickelodeon spinoff will be available to stream on that day, while the final seven episodes of the 13-episode season will roll out on the platform at later dates to be announced. “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” features the beloved sponge, his best friend Patrick and the rest of the Bikini Bottom gang tracking down SpongeBob’s pet snail Gary when he goes missing. A path of clues lead them to the powerful King Poseidon, who is holding Gary captive.
Dates
ViacomCBS announced that the “SpongeBob SquarePants” spinoff series “Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years” will premiere alongside “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” March 4 on Paramount Plus. The first six episodes of the animated Nickelodeon spinoff will be available to stream on that day, while the final seven episodes of the 13-episode season will roll out on the platform at later dates to be announced. “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” features the beloved sponge, his best friend Patrick and the rest of the Bikini Bottom gang tracking down SpongeBob’s pet snail Gary when he goes missing. A path of clues lead them to the powerful King Poseidon, who is holding Gary captive.
- 1/29/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
“Pimps, poverty, racism — he took all that dark shit and made it light,” says writer and historian Dr. Todd Boyd in the Paramount Network’s upcoming documentary I Am Richard Pryor, which dives deep into the life of the titular comedy legend. The film will have its world premiere on March 12 at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin and will debut March 15 on the Paramount Network.
As part of the network’s I Am docuseries, I Am Richard Pryor is directed by Jesse James Miller and explores and celebrates the life and career of the iconic comedian who lifted himself out of poverty to achieve worldwide success. As seen in the trailer above, Miller tells the story of Pryor via his wife Jennifer as well as high-profile comedians, writers, producers and actors including Sandra Bernhard, Ron De Blasio, Michael Epps, Tiffany Haddish, Howie Mandel, Lily Tomlin, Rocco Urbisci, Jimmie Walker and others.
As part of the network’s I Am docuseries, I Am Richard Pryor is directed by Jesse James Miller and explores and celebrates the life and career of the iconic comedian who lifted himself out of poverty to achieve worldwide success. As seen in the trailer above, Miller tells the story of Pryor via his wife Jennifer as well as high-profile comedians, writers, producers and actors including Sandra Bernhard, Ron De Blasio, Michael Epps, Tiffany Haddish, Howie Mandel, Lily Tomlin, Rocco Urbisci, Jimmie Walker and others.
- 2/6/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Lobbing criticism at the Oscars and the Academy can be a distraction from the larger problems that plague the industry as a whole, Dr. Todd Boyd explained during Tuesday’s installment of TheWrap’s GrillChats, which tackled the issue of race in Hollywood. “The Academy’s a– was out, so to speak,” Boyd, USC Professor of Cinema and Media Studies, said of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. He explained that the lack of nonwhite acting nominees over the past two years was a major source of embarrassment for the organization, and cautioned that the rush to fix the problem might lead to...
- 5/25/2016
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Author, professor and media commentator Todd Boyd will participate in TheWrap’s GrillChat series to discuss race and Hollywood on Tuesday afternoon. Boyd is the Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race and Popular Culture, as well as a Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and a leading scholar on matters involving race and entertainment. His seven books include the “The Notorious Ph.D.’s Guide to the Super Fly ’70s,” “Young Black Rich and Famous,” “The New H.N.I.C.” and “Am I Black Enough For You?...
- 5/25/2016
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Denzel Washington took to the stage Sept. 17 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts to share personal stories from his career and his new ventures including a 10-year deal with HBO. Fresh from wrapping up shooting on his next role as a cowboy in The Magnificent Seven in New Mexico, Washington returned to Los Angeles for An Evening With Denzel Washington to share anecdotes with USC Cinematic Arts professor Dr. Todd Boyd about his son following in his acting footsteps on HBO, hosting Nelson Mandela for dinner and the original ending of Training Day. { "nid": 824491, "type":
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- 9/18/2015
- by Arlene Washington
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Denzel Washington was in Beverly Hills tonight for a Q&A and broke some serious news. In a sit-down with “The Notorious Ph.D.” Todd Boyd, the two-time Oscar winner said he has worked an arrangement with the estate of August Wilson to direct and exec produce all 10 of the Pulitzer-winning dramatist’s plays for HBO. Washington said the estate to do one a year on the premium channel. “I’m directing, producing — and acting in one (Fences) — and I’m executive producing the…...
- 9/18/2015
- Deadline TV
Denzel Washington announced he will produce 10 of Pulitzer prize-winning playwright August Wilson's works in a deal with HBO. Washington mentioned the deal on Friday night to audiences at An Evening With Denzel Washington & Dr. Todd Boyd Friday night at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. "He did 10 plays. I've been given the opportunity by the August Wilson estate.I'm directing and producing and acting in one (Fences) and I'm executive producing the other nine. I made a deal with HBO." { "nid": 805019, "type": "news", "title": "Denzel Washington and Patti LuPone Named Artistic Advisors
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- 9/18/2015
- by Arlene Washington
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Update: If only Lloyd Richards were still around... Via a live stream of a conversation between Denzel Washington and Dr Todd Boyd happening at USC School of Cinematic Arts as I type this, Washington just revealed that, in addition to the below previously-announced film adaptation of August Wilson's "Fences" (which he'll star in - along with Viola Davis - and direct), he's inked a deal with HBO that will see him bring to the screen, Wilson’s American Century Cycle series, which consists of 10 plays portraying the 20th century African American experience, from the early 1900s, just after slavery and the Civil War, to the 1990s, which saw a large and increasingly...
- 9/18/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Quentin Tarantino's movie is latest twist in debate on racial epithet, but some believe controversy could help race relations
What's "the filthiest, dirtiest, nastiest word in the English language"? According to one of the prosecutors in the Oj Simpson trial, there was no question. It's what many still dare refer to only as "the n-word". Deputy district attorney Christopher Darden submitted that learning that a detective had uttered this six-letter abomination would strip the jury of their judicial faculties.
Elsewhere, courts have ruled that letting slip this word is as understandable a provocation to violence as dealing a physical blow. Libraries and bookshops have purged their shelves of volumes such as Joseph Conrad's The Nigger of the Narcissus. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in which the word appears 213 times, has been banned from many schools; to overcome this problem, a new edition was published last year with the...
What's "the filthiest, dirtiest, nastiest word in the English language"? According to one of the prosecutors in the Oj Simpson trial, there was no question. It's what many still dare refer to only as "the n-word". Deputy district attorney Christopher Darden submitted that learning that a detective had uttered this six-letter abomination would strip the jury of their judicial faculties.
Elsewhere, courts have ruled that letting slip this word is as understandable a provocation to violence as dealing a physical blow. Libraries and bookshops have purged their shelves of volumes such as Joseph Conrad's The Nigger of the Narcissus. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in which the word appears 213 times, has been banned from many schools; to overcome this problem, a new edition was published last year with the...
- 1/14/2013
- by David Cox
- The Guardian - Film News
-- Under a tent on George Clooney's basketball court, the cheers were loud and warm for President Barack Obama.
"I want to thank Clooney for letting us use his basketball court," Obama quipped to a glittery crowd that included Barbra Streisand, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Salma Hayek and Tobey Maguire. "This guy has been talking smack about his basketball game ever since I've known him."
It can't feel too shabby to be applauded by Barbra, Salma and Tobey while you're teasing your buddy George. And though many of the guests Thursday night at Clooney's home in the Studio City area of Los Angeles were, like their host, longtime supporters, there was no question the president was feeling some special love at this fundraiser. He had, after all, thrilled the community a day earlier with the support for gay marriage they'd long awaited.
Only months ago, it seemed uncertain...
"I want to thank Clooney for letting us use his basketball court," Obama quipped to a glittery crowd that included Barbra Streisand, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Salma Hayek and Tobey Maguire. "This guy has been talking smack about his basketball game ever since I've known him."
It can't feel too shabby to be applauded by Barbra, Salma and Tobey while you're teasing your buddy George. And though many of the guests Thursday night at Clooney's home in the Studio City area of Los Angeles were, like their host, longtime supporters, there was no question the president was feeling some special love at this fundraiser. He had, after all, thrilled the community a day earlier with the support for gay marriage they'd long awaited.
Only months ago, it seemed uncertain...
- 5/12/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
In the second episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, "Ted and Mary," a smitten Larry goes shopping with Mary in an effort to be her friend. Curb: The Discussion host Susie Essman and panelists Randy Cohen, Patti Stanger, Dr. Todd Boyd and Rob Zombie comment.
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- 6/3/2010
- by TV Guide News
- TVGuide - Breaking News
When Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married Too?" opens in movie theaters April 2, it will be a hit. Since his first film, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," was released in 2005, the director-actor-producer has cranked out the kind of small-ball successes that, according to conventional wisdom, 3-d-fascinated, tentpole-obsessed studio executives no longer attempt to cultivate. But Perry, who built a devoted audience of African-American churchgoers as a playwright and performer on the unfortunately named chitlin circuit, has turned a string of modestly priced film successes into an empire, with his reach now extending into television, books, DVDs, and Web programming. Should anyone question his bona fides as an industry force, they need only look at the theatrical poster for last year's best-picture Oscar nominee "Precious." There, above director Lee Daniels' name, is real proof of power: "Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry present…."Critical praise, however, has not...
- 3/31/2010
- backstage.com
Short notice, but I only just heard about it last night, at the screening of Bilal’s Stand that I attended (review is coming)…
This is an all-day event taking place at Nyu’s Cantor Film Center on 36 East 8th Street; I’ll be heading out there shortly – don’t want to miss Armond White dish on “black representation in cinema” on a panel that begins at 10Am.
Here are the specifics for each segment of the conference. It’s all Free and Open To The Public! So, if you can attend even one of them, why not do so. I’ll check out at least one of them… possibly more, I’m engaged by what I hear after the first one.
First, from 10-11:15 am – a panel on Representation
Moderator: Jacquie Jones
Panelists: Todd Boyd, Armond White, Toni Francis, Zola Maseko
Second, from 11:30-12:45 pm – a...
This is an all-day event taking place at Nyu’s Cantor Film Center on 36 East 8th Street; I’ll be heading out there shortly – don’t want to miss Armond White dish on “black representation in cinema” on a panel that begins at 10Am.
Here are the specifics for each segment of the conference. It’s all Free and Open To The Public! So, if you can attend even one of them, why not do so. I’ll check out at least one of them… possibly more, I’m engaged by what I hear after the first one.
First, from 10-11:15 am – a panel on Representation
Moderator: Jacquie Jones
Panelists: Todd Boyd, Armond White, Toni Francis, Zola Maseko
Second, from 11:30-12:45 pm – a...
- 3/28/2010
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Los Angeles - World War Two produced Oscar winner "The Bridge over the River Kwai". The Vietnam war was immortalized on screen by Academy Award winners "The Deer Hunter" and "Platoon".Now the Iraq conflict has inspired "The Hurt Locker" -- a low-budget, independently-made movie that is enjoying a level of industry success that has eluded other Hollywood films about America's ongoing military mission in the Middle East."The Hurt Locker," the tense tale of U.S. bomb disposal experts in Iraq, heads into Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony not only as a best picture front-runner but as one of the best reviewed movies of 2009 and with 67 awards under its belt.Where "Hurt Locker" has succeeded -- and other Iraq-themed films like "Body of Lies", "Stop-Loss" and "In the Valley of Elah" have failed -- is due to a combination of a good story, timing, and the transcendence of politics, experts say.
- 3/2/2010
- backstage.com
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