Roone Arledge (John Heard - Home Alone), the President of ABC Sports, took on the project, with a concept: to make the football game an event. This way, even if the action on the field lacked, other aspects could make up for it. First, there would be nine cameras shooting the game. The other networks only had four or five at most. These cameras would put a TV watcher into the action, and give them a chance to see the fans' reactions - funny, angry, or exhilarated. Next, to use shotgun microphones on the field so that the action of a big linebacker, like Dick Butkus, delivering a bone-jarring hit on an unsuspecting quarterback, could be heard right through the TV speakers, while viewers cringe. The third part of the equation, and most importantly, to have three, instead of the traditional two, announcers who would be funny, real, and entertaining.

This type of forward thinking, although commonplace in our current times, was unheard of then. Much like the way the XFL tried to add more cameras and an "in your face" attitude. And Monday Night Football may have suffered in a similar fate as the XFL had it not been for the chemistry of a Jewish boy from Brooklyn named Howard Cosell (John Turturro - The Big Lebowski, Five Corners), a happy-go-lucky Texan and ex-Dallas Cowboy named and nicknamed "Dandy" Don Meredith (Brad Beyer- The General's Daughter), and the charismatic ex-New York Giant named Frank Gifford (Kevin Anderson - Sleeping With The Enemy, Orphans).

But this phenomenon did not start off with a bang, more of a whimper. The critics hated the first week - the New York Jets versus the Cleveland Browns - bashing Cosell's "tell it like it is" attitude. The very next day after the initial show, ABC President Leonard Goldenson (Eli Wallach - The Misfits, The Magnificent Seven) received a direct phone call from Henry Ford, who suggested in a threatening manner they get rid of Cosell or ABC would loose Ford's advertising dollars.

During the first season, "Dandy" and Cosell had a different third wheel - Keith Jackson (Shuler Hensley). However, in Arledge's quest to find the perfect trio of announcers, Gifford, after his contract was up at CBS, joined the crew in season two, replacing Jackson. Jackson went on to be known as the voice of College Football for a lengthy period of time before retirement. His transition took place in a sketchy manner, Jackson being the last to know of the change.

Nevertheless, the people, and not the critics dictate the continuance of a primetime spot. The ratings reflected the voice of the masses, beating out the NBC and CBS Monday nighttime slot by several points – a feat that had not been accomplished by ABC before. The public either loved them, or hated them, but either way tuned in.

Jubilant times in the beginning gave way to a more nasty behind-the-scenes with the three, due in part to Cosell's boisterous chatter, in addition to "Dandy" and Gifford being ex-football players. "Both Frank and Don were ex-athletes, and that kind of put Howard as the odd man out," Turturro said.

Also, "Dandy" developed thoughts toward an acting career and left the show for a while, Cosell was constantly coming to Arledge, asking to take on news and world events, and Gifford, the steadfast, was continuously pounced on by Cosell when the ex-Giant made a mistake. The terrific trio appeared to get on each other's very last nerve, although the public may not have noticed.

The movie follows a time line that does more than just keep viewers engorged in football (even though there's nothing wrong with that), and presents the lives of those who have been involved in the TV industry as well as attempting to explain how the trio's history intersected with some unforgettable moments. For example, in 1980 the three were announcing a Monday game when Cosell got a call from the producer of the show, right after the Raiders scored a touchdown. Cosell somberly put down the receiver and took a deep breath. "Tonight, on the street outside his apartment in Manhattan, John Lennon, the ex-Beatle, was shot twice in the back and rushed to Roosevelt hospital - dead on arrival," Cosell, who went on to deliver a brief but touching statement about the legendary singer/songwriter, said.

The actors who portrayed those involved really did their homework. Nicholas Turturro (NYPD Blue) joined his brother in the cast as the gambling addicted director of Monday Night Football, Chet Forte. Forte would cut to good-looking girls scantily clad, a guy sleeping in the stands, or get a close-up of an injury on the field to keep people watching.

John Turturro, most recently seen in Oh Brother Where Art Thou, doesn't seem to be imaginable as Cosell, but from the first word he utters in the beginning of the picture to the last, Turturro is the incarnation of Cosell in every sound, mannerism, and physical feature. "He really was an interesting guy, " Turturro said of the sportscaster, who used to be a lawyer. "In playing him, I had to deal with his posture and voice and things like that."

Director Ernest R. Dickerson, whose first movie directorial debut was Juice in 1992, kept the story moving fast, because that's the way the TV industry and sports industry move. Overall the picture was clear, interesting, and historical. It's the type of movie that will have people gabbing with friends at the bar, or co-workers at the water cooler.

Air Dates (subject to change):
Monday, January 14th @ 9pm(ET)
Monday, January 14th @ 11:05pm(ET)
Friday, January 18th @ 9pm(ET)
Saturday, January 19th @ 12pm(ET)
Friday, January 25th @ 11:30pm(ET)
Saturday, January 26th @ 9:30am(ET)
Friday, February 1st @ 12am(ET)

Check out the TNT website for latest showtimes and updates.

Chris Wood is also the author of a short story called, The Flood, published on www.hungrypublishing.com.

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