10 Sports TV Shows That Are Totally Unrealistic | ScreenRant
While shows like Winning Time attempt to capture a real-life story in an episodic manner, some sports TV shows blaze their own trail and tell an original story. Despite this, not every sports show is necessarily very realistic, and some even go so far as to completely ignore the realities of the sports world.
From beloved teen dramas like Friday Night Lights, to sidesplitting comedies like Ted Lasso, many of TV's most popular sports series are completely unrealistic. Though almost every show plays around with the facts, some are so unrealistic that they can't be ignored.
10 Brockmire (2017-2020)
In shows like Brockmire, the sports are somewhat secondary to the main plot, and the character-driven narrative. Despite this, it still approaches the world of organized baseball from a somewhat unrealistic angle. The show tells the story of a washed-up baseball announcer who tries to get his life back together by calling games for a minor league baseball team.
The minor league baseball system is vast, and like the majors, usually comes with a legion of rabid fans to support their favorite teams. The show depicts the Frackers' games as empty affairs, but that doesn't mesh with what is usually seen at MiLB games, especially in rural areas. Even though it isn't very true to life, Brockmire is nevertheless a hilarious series that is short enough to be binged over a long weekend.
9 Zero Chill (2021)
Though it came and went with little fanfare, Netflix's sports dramedy Zero Chill attempted to bring the world of youth hockey to life on screen. The series follows a family that relocates to England so that their son can train with a prestigious ex-NHL player. Meanwhile, the family's daughter struggles to find her own identity.
The on-ice action is incidental to the show, and most of the drama takes place away from the sports world. While hockey players do train for years to become professionals, the show's central conceit is what makes it so unrealistic. The family relocates from their native Canada to the UK, which seems like a totally counterintuitive move. Hockey is such an integral part of Canadian culture and it seems unlikely that there would be any better place to train than in Canada itself.
8 Make It Or Break It (2009-2012)
Most sports shows focus on the major team sports that are instantly recognizable, but Make It Or Break It chose to tell its story in the highly competitive world of gymnastics. The show follows a young girl who trains at a prestigious gym in order to fulfill her dream of becoming an Olympic gymnast.
By setting the show in the world of gymnastics, the show attempts to play fast and loose with the rules because the average viewer would be none the wiser. Many gymnast viewers found the show's depiction to be unflattering, and it intentionally ignores important details about the sport's structure to heighten the drama.
7 Friday Night Lights (2006-2011)
While its depiction of small-town sports culture is very accurate, Friday Night Lights also got a few details wrong, or just seemed unrealistic in general. The series follows a high school football team in a small Texas town, and all of the drama that surrounds their everyday lives.
Firstly, it is highly unlikely that, once being promoted to college level athletics, anyone would willingly take a huge pay cut to return to high school. Also, as busy as sports coaches usually are, Eric Taylor would probably not have as much time to devote to his team's personal lives as he does on the show. Despite this, the show was a tour de force of TV entertainment and it often attempted to tackle deep issues surrounding low-income communities.
6 All American (2018-Present)
Sometimes a show can become unrealistic, not for its subject matter, but because it puts its characters in almost impossible situations. All American is the story of a star high school athlete who commutes from his neighborhood in south central LA, to a ritzy Beverly Hills school to play football.
Spencer's journey is typical CW melodrama, and the sports framework is loosely based on the experience of a real athlete. However, the show is unrealistic because Spencer's life seems to move at an almost impossible pace, and the show never explains how he is able to balance all of the many threads in his teenage life. There aren't really enough hours in the day for Spencer to do all of the things he does.
5 Cobra Kai (2018-Present)
Nostalgia can often hide the fact that beloved stories from the past aren't very realistic to the sports that they depict. Cobra Kai is a follow-up to The Karate Kid, and follows Johnny Lawrence who reopens his dojo to exact revenge for his defeat three decades earlier.
Karate is a legitimate competitive sport, with millions of practitioners worldwide. As such, there are elaborate rules in place to guarantee safety and fairness across all levels of competition. In the show, many characters are seen competing without mouth guards or basic safety equipment which has been a part of the sport for decades. Outside of these foibles, the show is a compelling character drama with a plethora of amazing villains.
4 Lights Out (2011)
Lights Out was sadly canceled after only one season, and though it was critically well-received, it didn't necessarily show boxing in the most realistic light. The series follows a retired boxer who is torn between working for the mob, or going back into boxing in order to make ends meet for his family.
Underdog stories are a classic part of sports movies and TV shows, and Lights Out was a truly compelling addition to the genre. However, it is established that the character has been diagnosed with a serious brain condition which would make his in-ring return life-threatening. Boxing is regulated by state commissions that require competitors to pass a bevy of tests in order to compete, and it is very unlikely he would get by.
3 GLOW (2017-2019)
Professional wrestling is often looked down on as mere entertainment, and the athletic aspects are downplayed or outright ignored. GLOW told the story of a startup women's wrestling promotion in the 1980s, and the many colorful characters that make up the roster.
Generally considered one of the best Netflix original series, GLOW was loosely based on a real wrestling promotion that actually existed in the '80s. While the character drama takes center stage, the series frequently depicts pro-wrestling as something that can be easily learned, and it ignores the years of training that wrestlers go through to prepare. Even the actual wrestlers from the real-life promotion were trained professionals, and not the out-of-work actors that are depicted on the show.
2 Eastbound & Down (2009-2013)
Danny McBride's signature brand of comedy takes center stage in Eastbound & Down, but it doesn't distract from the unrealistic depiction of baseball in the show. The series follows Kenny Powers, a disgraced former MLB pitcher who would do whatever it takes to get back on the mound.
The window of time for a professional athlete to succeed is surprisingly narrow, and it is nearly impossible to return to the pros after stepping away for many years. On top of that, it is established that Kenny has a negative reputation and a history of drug abuse which would more than likely make him persona non grata in the majors.
1 Ted Lasso (2020-Present)
Some shows are simply so funny that even diehard sports fans can overlook the blatantly unrealistic elements contained within. Ted Lasso is the story of a midwestern American football coach who is hired to lead an English Premier League team.
The central conceit of the show is that Ted is totally clueless about soccer, and as funny as that is, it also makes the show incredibly unrealistic. Soccer is a multi-billion dollar business, and even the most desperate team wouldn't take a risk on hiring someone as out of touch as Ted. On top of that, the show clumsily handles the ins and outs of the soccer business, but ultimately that helps to streamline the comedy.
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/j1f2CkG
Post a Comment