Thursday, September 18, 2008
E! TV's "The Soup" producers plan sports spinoff show
Comcast's sports channel- Versus- will attempt to blend satire and sports with, "Sports Soup". Comcast's latest addition reflects ESPN efforts to produce a lineup of sub-genres from the world of sports.
Sports Soup shares the same producers as E! TV's "The Soup" (formerly known as Talk Soup). It debuts Oct. 14 and will air in 30-minute segments at 10 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday nights
Versus chose comedian Matt Iseman as the host. I've never heard of him, but his resume includes guest spots on a variety of network programs, including a few appearances on the Drew Carey Show and Comedy Central's premium blend. (On an interesting side-note, he graduated with honors from Princeton and has an M.D. from Columbia, , but quit his work in the medical field to pursue an acting career)
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(Image from www.versus.com/sportssoup)
In his interview with hollywoodreporter, Iseman claimed:
This will be the Chad Johnson of sports shows -- a little obnoxious, usually hilarious and so fascinating that you just won't be able to take your eyes off it because you have to see what happens next, said Matt Iseman.
I can't help but wonder why Iseman didn't bust out a reference to Johnson's Narcissistic and new last name, Ocho Cinco, which he legally changed prior to this season. Then again, the player formerly known as Chad Johnson still hasn't changed his last name on his own website or his jersey, due to contract obligations with Reebok.
The site says that Iseman will derive his comedy material from every realm of the sports world, from pre-game shows, to post-game interviews and off-field drama. It also promises that no sport is off limits, and his colorful commentary will jab at more than just football,baseball and basketball, but also mixed martial arts and any sport with worthy footage. Marc Fein, Executive Vice President of Programming Production and Business Operations for Versus described the inspiration for the show
As versus continues to grow and evolve, it’s an important initiative for the network to try out new, original programming that will resonate with our viewers and attract new ones. Sports Soup will offer viewers an undistorted glimpse into sports. It’s our way of providing a voice to sports fans as the show will say what we are all thinking but no one is actually saying, until now. That’s refreshing.
This sports' show format is long overdue, and I can only imagine the parodies and comments Iseman could have created after memorable football press conferences such as Mike Gundy's tirade at Oklahoma State or Terrell Owens crying scene after the Cowboys' playoff loss, or Jim Mora's rant about the Colts' chances of making the playoffs.
As an avid sports fan, I can't wait for Oct. 14 and I hope Sports Soup is tasty enough for at least a few seasons.
Posted By Matt O'Hern at 01:38 PM
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