HBO has a new sports drama in the works, and it seems like the network’s first replacement forWinning Timeafter its premature cancellation.Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynastywas a fictionalized account of Jerry Buss, Magic Johnson, and the game-changing “Showtime Lakers” team, who revolutionized the sport of basketball and its entertainment value in the 1980s. Unfortunately,Winning Timewas discontinued after its second season, ending rather abruptly after two seasons of excellent writing, performances, and production quality.
Good sports TV shows are challenging to come by. Aside from the greats likeFriday Night LightsandTed Lasso, there really aren’t many excellent options, andWinning Timehad the potential to be one. The show not only had the potential to appeal to sports fans, but it also incorporated prestige television elements that anyone could enjoy, focusing more on characters than the game of basketball. There’s nothing else like it on HBO, or anywhere on television, for that matter.
Celine Song’s Damage Sounds Like HBO’s New Replacement Show For Winning Time
HBO Has A New Sports TV Show On The Way
AfterWinning TimeandBallers, HBO has yet to develop a worthy follow-up or, really, any othersports shows at all. Luckily,Celine Song, one of the most exciting new filmmakers in the industry, is developing anew drama series set in the world of e-sports, titledDamage. Song’s recent movie,Materialists, just premiered in theaters, with Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal headlining its cast. Her previous film,Past Lives, was a Best Picture nominee at the 2024 Academy Awards ceremony.
Winning Timeleft a difficult void to fill for those who were passionate about the series, but Celine Song is incredibly talented
Damageis set to be a collaboration between HBO and A24, and with Song creating the series, it’s likely to attract some star talent asWinning Timedid. While fans of basketball and other traditional sports might not be as engaged in the idea of e-sports,the rising popularity of video game competition has proven to have equally dramatic potential.The Paramount+ mockumentary series,Players, is an excellent example, which was met with critical acclaim for its depiction of a fictionalLeague of Legendse-sports team. E-sports can use the sports narrative formula to the same degree of success.
Winning Timeleft a difficult void to fill for those who were passionate about the series, but Celine Song is incredibly talented, and she’s co-creating the series alongside Craig Mazin. He’s a veteran writer and producer who’s best known for the seriesChernobyl, which won him a Primetime Emmy for writing, and he’s recently been working on HBO’s adaptation ofThe Last of Us, which has become one of the most popular TV shows on the platform.
Damage Seems Like It’ll Continue Craig Mazin’s Great HBO Show Streak
Damage Looks Like Another Win For The Chernobyl Creator
TV screenwriters and producers rarely earn much celebrity status, butCraig Mazin’s continued success has made him one of the most recognizable names in the industry.Chernobylis not only one of the best miniseries from HBO, it’s widely considered one of the platform’s best TV shows all around, and this is the network that brought usThe Sopranos,The Wire, and Game of Thrones.The Last of Usseason 1 received tremendous acclaim, and even though season 2 was more divisive, it’s still one of the most widely discussed shows on television.
Although he’s not often credited for it, Craig Mazin also provided extensive notes on theGame of Thronespilot, allowing the prolific fantasy show to become what it was. Pairing with Celine Song forDamageseems like a clear-cut path for Mazin’s continued success. I can’t express enough how excited I am to continue following Song’s career after seeingMaterialistsin theaters, and though I was truly disappointed aboutWinning Time’scancellation, I’m glad to know HBO has another sports show in development with talented creatives in charge.
