As the television landscape is constantly changing, HBO‘s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty“ has managed to make a lasting impression. As this show reaches its conclusion, fans and creators alike find themselves in a bittersweet state of mind.
Max Borenstein, the series creator, shared his feelings with the statement, “Not the ending that we had in mind. But nothing but gratitude and love.” Salli Richardson, the director, also commented on the situation by posting on social media, “When you give it everything you’ve got, you can have no regrets… at this moment in time I am most proud of the work we did on this masterful show.” All of them expressed the same sentiment of pride and appreciation.
From Jeff Pearlman’s enthralling work on the Lakers during their golden years, this series brought the book to life and shaped its story. A noteworthy point was the examination of the competition between iconic basketball players Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
The series failed due to its low viewership
Despite its captivating story, “Winning Time” was not exempt from the challenges of the television industry. Ratings for the second season were significantly lower than those of the first season, which culminated in a peak of 1.6 million viewers at the end of its run.
Jim Hecht fondly remembered, “We created the performance of my dreams in a period of almost 10 years,” underscoring the immense time and devotion dedicated to it. However, Jeff Pearlman was anxious to say, “The potential fate of ‘Winning Time’ is uncertain… HBO is majorly focused on figures.”
At HBO, Francesca Orsi gave an insight into the tightrope that many networks are often obliged to navigate:
The success of a show is measured by both its viewership and critical response. This is something that we constantly keep in mind and evaluate to determine if a show will be renewed.
Once the last episode of “Winning Time” has aired, its influence will remain. Its story, the acting, and the passion with which it was created make sure that, like the Lakers Dynasty, its mark will remain for years to come.
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