| Fever Pitch: The Rise of the Premier League | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Documentary |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC Two |
| Release | 6 September 2021 (2021-09-06) – 28 August 2023 (2023-08-28) |
Fever Pitch: The Rise of the Premier League is a documentary series broadcast onBBC Two from 2021 to 2023, in 2 four-part seasons.[1][2] The series is about thefoundation and early years of thePremier League.
The series was distributed to streaming platforms around the world. It was praised for its production and its interviews, though some reviewers found it focused too much onManchester United and omitted fan voices and criticisms of the league.
The series covers thefoundation of the Premier League, starting withfootball hooliganism events such as 1985'sHeysel disaster that led to declining attendances in the late 1980s,[3] and going on to the £300 million deal made byRupert Murdoch to broadcast the new league onSky Sports.[4] The first episode coversManchester United's victory in the opening1992–93 season, including the arrival ofEric Cantona from defending championsLeeds United.[5] The series later coversBlackburn Rovers' win in1994–95, spearheaded byAlan Shearer.[6] The series later covers Cantona's assault on a fan, and therivalry between Manchester United managerAlex Ferguson andArsenal'sArsène Wenger.[3]Keith Gillespie, who was traded from Manchester United toNewcastle United as part of a transfer forAndy Cole, discusses his gambling problems.[7]
The series was produced by Story Films and Studio 99, the latter being owned byDavid Beckham, who is one of the interviewed footballers. The series was carried byAmazon Prime in Canada, Australia and New Zealand;RTL in German-speaking Europe;Telefónica in Spain andDiscovery+ in India, among others.[8]
Stuart Jeffries ofThe Guardian gave the series three stars out of five, concluding that it gave Cantona disproportionate credit for Manchester United's success: "The legend of Eric the redeemer, as much as the idea that the Premier League has made football beautiful anew, can be exaggerated".[4]
On Football 365, Ian King praised the production values and archive footage, but criticised the series for "bias by omission" and disproportionate coverage of Manchester United. Among his cited omissions were opposition to the founding of the league, and theconflict of interest ofTottenham Hotspur chairmanAlan Sugar that led to satellite channel Sky and not terrestrial channelITV becoming the broadcast partners.[5] Phil Cunnington of theLancashire Evening Post, a fan of lower-league teamTranmere Rovers, called the series "glossy yet superficial" for consisting of iconic clips while having little input from fans.[9]
Emily Baker of thei gave a four-star review, praising the interviews with Cantona and Shearer,[6] and James Croots wrote a positive review on New Zealand'sStuff.co.nz web portal.[3] Several reviewers, such as James Walton forThe Spectator, were amused by archive clips of Sky's unsuccessful attempts to bring American-style entertainment – such as cheerleaders and half-time shows – to English football.[10]
