Winning Time author Jeff Pearlman addressed the possibility of a Season 3 on HBO this week. Season 2 of the basketball drama is off to a decent, but not overwhelming start to the second campaign. Winning Time‘s first season on HBO’s premiere numbers were higher than the more than 600,000 total viewers from Max and the televised airing Season 2’s premiere. That has the author worried about the future of the show. Hollywood’s current writers and actors’ strikes also don’t help in that regard. Pearlman explains that fans are going to need a full-court press to ensure a Season 3.
“I’m telling you — the future of ‘Winning Time’ hangs in the balance. We need viewers. The strikes are crippling. Please help spread the word. Season 2 is amazing. But … HBO is big on #s,” Perlman told his followers on Twitter. “And, to be blunt, I’m worried there won’t be a season three. And it’s not about me. I’m fine. It’s about a cast of amazing young actors who live this. So, seriously, tell your friends to support “Winning Time” and show @hbo you want it to continue. Peace. #winningtime.”
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HBO Was Thrilled About Bringing Winning Time Back
Of course, the Lakers are always a big draw and this highly-stylized series was absolutely no different. Adam McKay has had a bit of a hot-streak the last couple of years with Don’t Look Up and then the buzz around Winning Time. So, HBO quickly renewed the show for another season after a fun first campaign. Here’s what the company had to say when the decision to renew the series was made.
“It’s been a thrill to bring WINNING TIME to life with Adam McKay, Max Borenstein, our phenomenal producing team, and this incredible cast,” Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming said in a statement. “This series not only tells the riveting story of the Lakers’ rise, but is also a look back at a transformative era in basketball, celebrity, and the city of Los Angeles. We can’t wait to see how this team will tell the next chapter of this dynasty.”
Winning Time Was A Special Challenge For Adam McKay
Winning Time is a story about the rise of the Lakers “Showtime” Dynasty centered around Magic Johnson. But, ironically, McKay’s basketball fandom was actually founded on the other side of that rivalry. He’s a Boston Celtics fan and the two sides do not get along, to put it mildly. That’s why it was always going to be interesting to see what his take on Jeff Pearlman’s book was. For him as a child, Larry Bird and his teammates were the heroes, while Magic and the purple and gold were the antagonists. McKay described this tension during a conversation with Entertainment Weekly.
“I was a hardcore Celtics fan,” McKay told the outlet. “I hated the Lakers in the ’80s — they were the villains. It wasn’t until later that I realized, no, the Celtics were the villains, and the Lakers were actually incredible; they changed the way basketball is played, the way it related to the culture, and the way celebrities were created out of the sport.”
Looking to Start Winning Time From The Beginning?
HBO describes the sports drama series like this: “Based on the book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s” by Jeff Pearlman, the fast-break series chronicles the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined an era, both on and off the court.”
Will Winning Time get a Season 3? Let us know in the comments down below!
