| Man in the Arena: Tom Brady | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Documentary |
| Starring | Tom Brady |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ESPN+ |
| Release | November 16, 2021 (2021-11-16) – April 25, 2022 (2022-04-25) |
Man in the Arena: Tom Brady, or simplyMan in the Arena, is an American sports documentary series co-produced byESPN Films, Religion of Sports, and 199 Productions. Directed byGotham Chopra and Erik LeDrew, the series centers on the career ofTom Brady, with particular focus on his tenure as theNew England Patriots starting quarterback.
The first season of the series ran weekly onESPN+ from November 16, 2021 through January 11, 2022, with its final episode delayed until April 25, 2022.
As described by ESPN's trailer description,Man in the Arena spotlights Brady's first-hand account of his 9 Super Bowl appearances with the New England Patriots, his Super Bowl appearance with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, being married to a supermodel, and smaller, yet pivotal moments during his career.[1]
Co-directorGotham Chopra previously createdTom vs Time (2018), a miniseries about Brady's off-season training regimen and home life.[2] Following the end ofTom vs Time, Chopra stated that there were no plans to create a second season.[3] Shortly prior to signing with theTampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2020, Brady announced the launch of 199 Productions, a media company designed to produce original documentaries, feature films, and television series.[4]
On May 21, 2020,ESPN released an official trailer forMan in the Arena.[1] TheMan in the Arena title is derived from a quote from one of former U.S. PresidentTheodore Roosevelt's speeches.[5] When announcing the series, Brady explained in a tweet:
I have quoted Theodore Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" speech since I saw it painted on our weight room wall atUM in 1995. It's a constant reminder to ignore the noise, buckle my chinstrap, and battle through whatever comes my way.[6]
ESPN Films co-produced the miniseries along with Chopra's "Religion of Sports" and Brady's 199 Productions company.[6]NFL Films was also involved with the documentary's production.[7]
Upon its announcement, many sports media publications likened the documentary toThe Last Dance, which premiered on ESPN in April 2020, and centered onMichael Jordan.[7][6][8] Chopra, however, stated: "It's not Tom Brady'sLast Dance. It's not that. That may or may not exist 20 years from now, I don't know. There's this sort of immediacy to this... The premise [ofThe Last Dance] was telling stories about the seasons, whereas [Brady's], it does feel a little bit more real time."[9]
Originally announced as nine-episode miniseries, a tenth episode was eventually confirmed. Each episode goes through each of Brady's Super Bowl appearance seasons, although Brady went to a tenth Super Bowl after the series went into production.[10] Following the release of the ninth episode, Chopra stated that a tenth episode was still in production and would be released sometime in the spring of 2022.[11] That turned out to be on April 25, 2022.
The series' first nine episodes ran weekly from November 16, 2021 to January 11, 2022. The series' tenth episode was slated to be released on January 19, but was delayed until April 25 because Brady was considering retirement.[12]
| No. | Title | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "In The Arena" | November 16, 2021 (2021-11-16) | |
In2001, Tom Brady fills-in as the Patriots' starting quarterback afterDrew Bledsoe suffers an injury, and leads the Patriots to their first franchise championship with a victory over theSt. Louis Rams inSuper Bowl XXXVI. Interviewed guests: Drew Bledsoe andWillie McGinest | |||
| 2 | "The Toughest Things" | November 23, 2021 (2021-11-23) | |
In2003, the Patriots bounce back from a difficult2002 season and Brady helps lead the team to a victory over theCarolina Panthers inSuper Bowl XXXVIII. Interviewed guests:Lawyer Milloy andRodney Harrison | |||
| 3 | "The Edge" | November 30, 2021 (2021-11-30) | |
In2004, Brady leads the Patriots to back-to-back Super Bowl victories with a win over thePhiladelphia Eagles inSuper Bowl XXXIX. Interviewed guests:Mike Vrabel andTedy Bruschi | |||
| 4 | "Goliaths" | December 7, 2021 (2021-12-07) | |
In2007, the Patriots' offense reaches new heights after wide receiverRandy Moss joins the team. While Brady and the Patriots finish the regular season undefeated, they endure a loss to theNew York Giants inSuper Bowl XLII. Interviewed guests:Randy Moss andMichael Strahan | |||
| 5 | "No Guarantees" | December 14, 2021 (2021-12-14) | |
In2011, Brady balances his on-field demands, as he leads the Patriots to an appearance inSuper Bowl XLVI (another loss to theNew York Giants, with his home life responsibilities as a husband and father. Interviewed guests:Bill O'Brien,Gisele Bündchen, andWes Welker | |||
| 6 | "Stop The Bleeding" | December 21, 2021 (2021-12-21) | |
In2014, Brady finds himself at the center of theDeflategate controversy as he helps lead the Patriots to a victory over theSeattle Seahawks inSuper Bowl XLIX. Interviewed guests:Vince Wilfork andRichard Sherman | |||
| 7 | "Surrender" | December 28, 2021 (2021-12-28) | |
In2016, Brady goes through personal challenges, while on the field, he helps lead the Patriots to a comebackSuper Bowl LI victory over theAtlanta Falcons. Interviewed guests:Julie, Maureen, and Nancy Brady | |||
| 8 | "Nobody's Business" | January 4, 2022 (2022-01-04) | |
In2017, Brady goes through one of the more grueling seasons of his career, while the Patriots end the season with a loss to thePhiladelphia Eagles inSuper Bowl LII. Interviewed guests:Rob Gronkowski andAlex Guerrero | |||
| 9 | "Maybe" | January 11, 2022 (2022-01-11) | |
In2018, the Patriots make their third consecutive Super Bowl trip and defeated theLos Angeles Rams inSuper Bowl LIII. Interviewed guest:Julian Edelman | |||
| 10 | "The Wheel" | April 25, 2022 (2022-04-25) | |
In2020, Tom Brady leaves New England to start a new chapter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and leading them to a victory over theKansas City Chiefs inSuper Bowl LV, and reflects on his hopes of living up to the example set by his hero, his father. | |||
Sally Jenkins, a columnist forThe Washington Post commented on the series, writing: "The documentary is worth watching if only to study how Brady creates equanimity for himself. It's his attempt to overdub the noise, 'theReal Housewives conversation,' as he puts it."[13]
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