I loveThe Last Dance. The 10-part ESPN/Netflix series dove into the bonkers life and unimpeachable basketball career of one Mr.Michael Jordan, culminating with his last championship run with the Chicago Bulls. It was gripping, exacting, emotion-driven, and nostalgia-baiting television I slurped down with unbridled glee. Clearly, the rest of television has noticed. Two more sports docuseries have been announced: One aboutTiger Woods, and one about the 1986 New York Mets.
Tigeris being developed at HBO and HBO Max by directorsMatthew Heineman(Cartel Land) andMatthew Hamachek(Amanda Knox). Woods' story is an undeniably fascinating one – he’s one of the greatest golfers to ever play the predominantly white game; at his peak, a public superstar rivaling Jordan in ubiquity. And he also fell, hard, thanks to a salacious sex scandal in which it was revealed he cheated constantly on his wife.Tigerpromises to dive into all of this and thensome, usingJeff BenedictandArmen Keteyian’s best-selling bookTiger Woodsas its source, and speaking with folks like Woods' caddy and friendSteve Williams, biographerPete McDaniel, and the woman at the center of the sex scandal,Rachel Uchitel. Interestingly enough, though: UnlikeThe Last Dance, Woods himself does not appear to be directly involved. Will this result in a much more candid, albeit unauthorized documentary? What kind of talking head memes will we be missing without Woods himself chatting?
Here’s what Heineman and Hamacheck had to say about the two-part series:
As for the ‘86 Mets, that team’s notorious exploits and season are being developed as a multi-part30 for 30at ESPN (per Deadline). With superstars and outsized personalities likeDarryl Strawberry,Keith Hernandez, andLenny Dykstraat the center of their team, they bucked the odds and managed to win the World Series – all while making headlines for their outrageous, excessive behaviors along the way (TheWolf of Wall StreetmeetsMoneyball?). The series will be inspired by the bookThe Bad Guys Wonfrom authorJeff Pearlman, directed byNick Davis(Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived), and executive produced in part byJimmy Kimmel. Kimmel himselftweetedthis: “This one is going to be a lot of fun…”
Listen: Are these series somewhat calculated-feeling, in response toThe Last Dance? Maybe. Am I going to watch both of them? One bajillion percent, yes. Play ball!
Tigercomes to HBO and HBO Max December 13 and July 02, 2025. The ‘86 Mets30 for 30will come to ESPN on an as-of-yet-unannounced date. For more on “gripping nostalgic sports content,” check out the latest intel onShowtime, about a golden age of the Los Angeles Lakers.
