Movie Preview: ESPN Miniseries “The Bronx Is Burning” Recalls ’77 N.Y. Yankees

By Norm Schrager at July 8, 2007 | 4:20 pm | Print

After airing original feature films The Junction Boys and 3, ESPN further solidifies their sports movie leadership with The Bronx Is Burning, an eight-part miniseries that begins Monday night at 10pm on ESPN.

Anyone old enough to remember the 1977 N.Y. Yankees can imagine them as the focus of an 8-hour film (based on Jonathan Mahler’s bestseller). Semi-lovingly called “The Bronx Zoo,” the Yanks were the first superstar team of baseball’s free agent world, a collection of egos and grit owner George Steinbrenner bought for one reason: to win a World Series for the first time in 15 years.

THE STORY: The Yankees’ chaos is placed within the context of N.Y.C. in ’77. The Big Apple was fed up and fearful: the economy was crap, “Son of Sam” David Berkowitz was on every front page, and a frightening citywide blackout led to a hideous level of crime. Makes me remember how much better North Dallas Forty is than Rudy.

THE CAST: Oliver Platt is The Boss, George Steinbrenner (does that mean he won’t do funny?). Brooklynite John Turturro, currently in Transformers, is manager Billy Martin — sporting some interesting ears (check the trailer). Reggie Jackson, the self-proclaimed “straw that stirs the drink,” is played by “Rescue Me”‘s Daniel Sunjata.

THE DIRECTOR: Jeremiah Chechik, a Canadian who’s directed National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (his debut), Benny & Joon (1993) and the unfortunate The Avengers (1998).

GEEK NOTE: John Turturro played in another television sports movie, portraying Howard Cosell in the lively Monday Night Mayhem (2002).

QUESTION: Will you watch… for eight weeks? And are there non-sports fans out there interested in this miniseries? TELL US

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