We’ve reached the point of our COVID-19 quarantines where many of us are searching for new shows to discover. I’m here to suggest that four of the best shows that you can watch right now revolve around either soccer or professional wrestling….. And now I’m sure many people have now stopped reading due to the shows featuring two divisive sports, but I promise that you don’t have to be a fan of either to enjoy these four shows (including one the whole family can enjoy). So just hear me out!
Sunderland ‘Til I Die – The second season of this Netflix documentary series premiered a few weeks ago and it follows Sunderland Association Football Club as they try to rise back to the top of English professional football. Sunderland is an historic championship club that has fallen on tough times and the less you know about what has happened, the better.
Why should you watch it? Well quite frankly because it is the best documentary series that Netflix has ever produced. Sorry Americans, but English football fans are the most passionate in the world and this show actually gives you a look into that world. You truly understand just how much this team means to its city and the people who reside there. Also, you really can’t even make up the drama that happens during these two seasons. It features the highest of highs and lowest of lows, and this show is a masterpiece of sports documentary storytelling.
Any sports fan who needs a sports fix right now, this show is absolutely for you. Anyone who also “never really understood” or “doesn’t like soccer”, this show is also for you. It is edge of your seat, real life drama from the front office to the pitch (soccer field). You’ll leave not only wanting more, but also caring about this town & it’s club. You’ll also appreciate the beautiful game a little bit more as well. Maybe you’ll never be a “soccer fan”, but I promise after watching this you’ll understand the love fans have for their teams.
The English Game: From the creator of Downton Abbey comes Netflix’s miniseries The English Game, which takes a look at the early days of soccer in England. It’s a quick 6-episode series, so it’s an easy one to tackle.
Why should you watch it? First, it’s a beautifully produced show that rivals Netflix’s other great show The Crown in terms of the look and feel of its era. Soccer used to be a sport just for just the wealthy in England, but this shows gives you a glimpse into how the working-class began to change the game on and off the pitch.
Let me first say that there are quite a few historical inaccuracies in this story (which is actually quite common for many dramatizations), but ultimately those inaccuracies do not take away from the bigger picture. Sport has always had the power to unite us all, especially during hard times, and this miniseries shows that. Fans of Downton Abbey will enjoy familiar-feeling dramatic side plots that will keep even non-football fans engaged in the story.
Dark Side Of The Ring: ViceTV’s documentary series is in the middle of it’s second season and it explores all of professional wrestling’s most controversial stories. For those who don’t have ViceTV as a channel, you can find most of these episodes elsewhere on the internet for free (shhhhh!)
Why should you watch it? If this show were on Netflix, more people would be talking about it than the Tiger King, because it’s that good (100% score on Rotten tomatoes). You don’t have to like professional wrestling to love a good mystery and these stories have it all: drugs, murder, mysterious deaths, Shakespearean family tragedies, corruption, and more!
Take it from my brother Morgan who hasn’t watched professional wrestling since we were kids, “I love/hate you for introducing me to this show.” The show really does suck you in and winds up touching on every single emotion. Each episode tells a different story, and all of them are engaging in their own right. VICE has created something very special with this show and it deserves way more recognition than its currently getting (I blame that on anti-pro wrestling bias to be completely honest).
Growing up in Allentown, PA (a hot bed for professional wrestling for those who don’t know) there’s also a local connection as its most recent episode explored the death of Jimmy Snuka’s girlfriend in a Whitehall, PA motel. As someone who used to work in the Morning Call’s Sports Department, I loved all the local shout-outs. This is a show worth seeking out, even if you dislike professional wrestling, like I know many people do.
The Big Show Show: And finally, this 8-episode sitcom premiered on Netflix on April 6th and is something the entire family can watch and enjoy together. It follows a fictionalized version of Paul Wight aka pro wrestler The Big Show as he retires and settles in at home with his wife and three daughters.
Why you should watch it? When I first saw a tweet about this show a few months back, I thought it was a joke. I also thought this show would be an unwatchable disaster, but wow was I wrong!
This show really is a throwback to the old TGIF programming on ABC and it would have fit in perfectly there back in the 1990’s. It’s the rare type of show that the entire family can truly sit down and binge together. I watched all eight episodes in one setting, which is not something I ever thought I would have done.
The Big Show is better in front of a camera than I thought he would be. The show also has a nice TGIF nod by casting Jaleel White (Urkel) as Show’s best friend. The breakout star of the series is Juliet Donenfeld, who stars as Show’s youngest daughter J.J. She plays a character that is one part evil genius and one part Sophia from the Golden Girls. Upon release, the Big Show Show became a huge hit which found itself in Netflix’s top 10 in countries all across the globe.
So there you have it folks…. Yes all four shows involve either soccer or pro-wrestling in some form, but I promise you that if you give them a chance you’ll wind up thanking me for it later!