FOX Soccer premiered the trailer yesterday for their upcoming behind-the-scenes documentary. Originally entitled “Our Liverpool: Never Walk Alone,” the new title is “Being Liverpool.”
The documentary will premiere on the free-to-air FOX network in the United States on September 16, 2012. Future episodes of Being Liverpool debut in prime time on FOX Soccer and MundoFOX beginning Sunday, September 23 (9:00 PM EST), with repeats on National Geographic Channel, FSN and FUEL TV.
The six hour-long episodes are being made available worldwide, with multiple Emmy Award-winning producer Scott Boggins (formerly of HBO’s renowned “24/7” series) leading the project.
While the trailer for the documentary looks interesting, and I’ll certainly watch it, my initial pessimism about the documentary — when it was first announced in April — remains. It looks like a puff piece for Liverpool Football Club.
I would like the documentary to be as objective as possible, to shine light on topics and conversations at Liverpool that will make the club feel uneasy. My expectation for the documentary is that it’ll be like any good documentary — that dives into a topic, pulls it apart and shares what is seen.
Perhaps my expectations are misguided. After all, the documentary is being made by FOX Soccer in close cooperation with Liverpool FC, so it’s in the best interests of both parties to make an entertaining film that is not going to make Liverpool FC look embarrassed. What I’d like to see, instead, is reality. I’d be more interested, right now, in seeing what gets left on the cutting room floor.
FOX’s decision to select Liverpool FC as their first subject of the “Being” documentary series is a wise one. The club has a proud history and they’re going through a lot of change at the moment. At the end of the day, I hope I’m proven wrong. I hope that the final documentary is more open and honest that I expect.
