Television HBO's 'Ballers'

Hoof the ball

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So what was the reaction to this? It started last night I think.
I think it's got legs. The Rock has an endless amount of charisma. Him and another character make for good protagonists... you know, reforming, down-on-luck guy turns life around story. Cast looks promising thus far. Like I said, I think it's got legs. It does have an Entourage feel to it, so my only question would be whether it establishes itself in the long run as different to that. That in mind, it's just 30 mins each week and push comes to shove, it's got the typical HBO softcore material :lol:
 

swooshboy

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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2891574/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

A series centered around a group of football players and their families, friends, and handlers.

Saw this when it aired. Been waiting for a good sports series since Friday Night's Lights. Great start to the series.
Have you watched Playmakers?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375411/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Really good show, but was killed by ESPN after the NFL objected to it. Shame.
 

simonhch

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So watched the series premiere of Ballers last night and it was unspeakably awful. It's a shame because Dawyne Johnson has great screen presence and a ton of charisma; but across the board the acting in this is amongst the worst I've ever seen.

Women are essentially eye candy and sex props in this. Which I'm not complaining about per se, except it makes the show extremely shallow, limits the audience and just draws more attention to the horrendous acting.
 

Zen

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HBO should just give up on sitcoms.....they've been throwing them out endlessly recently in some desperate attempt to get a few to stick. Larry David endlessly trolling and deciding to do what he wants is the best they've had.
 

Sylar

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Watched the first two eps. I think it has potential. Rock carries it obviously and has to for now.
Im not sure how I feel about 30 minutes. For now, It seems like 30 is the right amount, but it may end up hurting the build of some characters in the long term.
 

Donut

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I tought the first few episodes were poor, but it has picked up now and it's pretty good.

Not much else coming out on Mondays, so I'm going to stick with it I think.
 

Danillaco

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Very good and fun serie. I'm enjoying a lot.

Entourage with footballers, and that's a great thing.
 

Sylar

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Havent seen this weeks one, but ive been enjoying it. I agree, 30 minutes seems really short as it is over just as its getting into it.
 

Sylar

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Whilst you can enjoy it (30 minutes of TV), theres no real dram in this. Everything works out... because money and football.
 

ha_rooney

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I thought it started off well, then I just lost interest towards the end. I didn't really care any of the characters, they were all boring with the exception of Ricky. Decent show, doubt I'll be watching season 2.
 

Baxter

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I thought it started off well, then I just lost interest towards the end. I didn't really care any of the characters, they were all boring with the exception of Ricky. Decent show, doubt I'll be watching season 2.
I'd agree with that. Didn't realise that Denzel was his dad and as soon as I found out it clicked. He sounds so similar to him :lol:. Could've done with 45 minute episodes though.
 

simonhch

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Such a nothing show, about nothing. Characters are all crap, writing is bland. Just nonsense really. Nothing of value to see here.

Irrespective of how bad this is, I still like Dwayne Johnson. He's just cool.
 

JoaquinJoaquin

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Dropped this show. Absolutely awful now. If it wasn't for The Rock it would of been cancelled already.
 

simonhch

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This has to be one of the worst written shows on TV. There was a whole season, season 3 I think, where the entire plot narrative was driven by Spencer and Joe’s desire to own an NFL team. Against all the odds they fight, tooth and nail, to be funded and break into the closed owner’s club. The in the finale when they finally get everything they’ve worked for, Spencer just says no, because it’ll be in the wrong city. An entire season rendered pointless by a five minute moment. It wasn’t as if it was some revelatory epiphanic moment. They just rebooted and started the next season with no connection to what went before. Absurd.

Then season 4 ends with a cliffhanger, but when season 5 starts there is no mention of it, nor any explanation as to how Spence got so wealthy. Wealthy enough that he is presumably worth hundreds of millions, or even a billionaire. It makes no sense whatsoever. You’re just left to assume he got the exclusive rights to USC games.

The season five series finale was about as piss fecking poor as I have ever seen. Just a massively shite show, that for some reason I watched all of.

Glad it’s done. Had virtually no redeeming qualities.
 

Prodigy24

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Wait, was the last weeks episode the series finale?! Wow, I watched it and had no idea. :lol:

It was really bad after the first two seasons. Glad it's ended.
 

Brophs

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This has to be one of the worst written shows on TV. There was a whole season, season 3 I think, where the entire plot narrative was driven by Spencer and Joe’s desire to own an NFL team. Against all the odds they fight, tooth and nail, to be funded and break into the closed owner’s club. The in the finale when they finally get everything they’ve worked for, Spencer just says no, because it’ll be in the wrong city. An entire season rendered pointless by a five minute moment. It wasn’t as if it was some revelatory epiphanic moment. They just rebooted and started the next season with no connection to what went before. Absurd.

Then season 4 ends with a cliffhanger, but when season 5 starts there is no mention of it, nor any explanation as to how Spence got so wealthy. Wealthy enough that he is presumably worth hundreds of millions, or even a billionaire. It makes no sense whatsoever. You’re just left to assume he got the exclusive rights to USC games.

The season five series finale was about as piss fecking poor as I have ever seen. Just a massively shite show, that for some reason I watched all of.

Glad it’s done. Had virtually no redeeming qualities.
Yup. I'm still not remotely clear on how I allowed myself to keep watching after the first season or two.

There were so many really long storylines that they just chucked away. Off the top of my head:

-That QB Travis, who made Jason swim with gators, just disappeared after that season without any mention of him.
-Spencer being addicted to pills
-Spencer being worried about wanting to be a father
-Russell Brand being an uncontrollable maverick and then suddenly just being a bloke who goes places with Joe every so often
 

simonhch

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Yup. I'm still not remotely clear on how I allowed myself to keep watching after the first season or two.

There were so many really long storylines that they just chucked away. Off the top of my head:

-That QB Travis, who made Jason swim with gators, just disappeared after that season without any mention of him.
-Spencer being addicted to pills
-Spencer being worried about wanting to be a father
-Russell Brand being an uncontrollable maverick and then suddenly just being a bloke who goes places with Joe every so often
And then in this final season we saw him walking and downing some pills from a prescription bottle twice. So is he back on them?

As you say, Russel Brand’s character arc was just bizarre. The way the owners all fold at the end after one speech and about 6 tweets, after previously threatening to destroy his life. And Joe hating Spencer with a passion, but then making up with him after a two minute conversation.

It’s like it was written by a 12 year old.
 

The Stain

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It's the kind of show you don't know why you're watching it but you still watch it.
 

JoaquinJoaquin

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Awful finale, but then again the last 2 seasons were also dreadful. Thankful to have this one over with.
 

Tarrou

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you want to cheer for the Rock but he either acts like a moron or a prick throughout the entire show so I'm not sure what the point is
 

Drifter

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It's the kind of show you don't know why you're watching it but you still watch it.
Exactly. And i'm not really into American Football , but i guess it's maybe the screen presence of Dwayne Johnson that kept me watching for the first two seasons.
 

rotherham_red

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It's basically Entourage with even less likeability, which I thought was impossible.