If your Olympics fever doesn’t seem to be dying out anytime soon, supplement it with some of the best sports-based shows of all time
With the Olympics soon coming to a close and the women of India achieving medal after medal for the country, it’s justified to watch some quality television to keep your sport spirit alive. Here’s a list of sports shows that will get your adrenaline pumping, even if you’re just sitting on your sofa!
Make it or Break It After Dipa Karmakar’s stellar performance at the Olympics, it’s only fitting that Make It or Break It is at the very top of this list. A comedy-drama series about teen gymnasts trying to make it to the Olympic games is a must watch. The show follows three aspirants, Payson, Kaylie and Lauren who are upset by the entry of underdog Emily. They train together at the best gym in the country and compete against each other to win laurels. Get ready for loads of drama; not just from the athletes but also the coaches and over-enthusiastic parents.
Friday Night Lights It doesn’t get more American than this! Friday Night Lights is a sports drama that is set in the fictional tight-knit town of Dillon, Texas. The television adaptation of the book came right after the hit movie of the same name. The series is about football coach Eric, his wife and principal of Dillon High Tami, daughter Julie and his team of star high-school footballers. He struggles to maintain a balance between his personal and professional life while the teens go through their own struggles. The show perfectly encapsulates all things teen, all the while teaching us about sportsmanship.
One Tree Hill This cult show might not seem like a sports show but it did start off as one! Despite the show ending in 2012 with 187 episodes, the show still has a huge fan following. The story of two half-brothers Lucas and Nathan who start of as enemies but eventually become close friends, initially was about their rivalry in the school’s basketball team. Peyton, Haley and Brooke are also central characters who keep falling in and out of love with the two brothers. And what’s a good drama without a love-triangle between parents This show is perfect for that — and don’t blame us if it leaves you teary-eyed often.
Ballers A unique comedy-drama that’s been receiving rave reviews since last year when it came out on the small screen, Ballers stars Dwayne Johnson in the lead. Yes, you heard it right, The Rock is back to television with this show. He plays Spencer, an ex-NFL player trying to find out what to do with his life after football. He then decides to be a financial manager for his younger counterparts in the NFL. The show also follows his friends who are all ex-football stars and what they try to make out of their lives post the fame. It’s a fun series and better yet, the second season will be coming out next month!
Pitch The women sportspersons of India have definitely done us proud — and Pitch comes at a time when people are now interested in watching women sports. A new show that will be airing on Star World soon, it follows the life of Ginny Baker who becomes the first woman to play in the Major League. Rife with emotion and action, the show promises to be extremely inspiring and the acting by lead Kylie Bunbury seems to be on point! Let’s hope this show helps people believe that ‘throwing like a girl’ is a huge compliment.
Eastbound and Down A rare combination of sports and comedy, Eastbound and Down stars funnyman Danny McBride as Kenny Powers who is an ex-major league baseball player returns to his hometown as a substitute physical education teacher. He is said to have forced himself into retirement because of his jerk-like attitude. And of course, his journey to redeem himself is sabotaged by his own stupidity and it is absolutely hilarious! The show produced by Will Ferrell and Adam Kay was received well and ended its four season run in 2013.
