Max Borenstien’s sports series for HBO, Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty, has managed to become quite the hit despite the initial skepticism surrounding the show. It revolves around the Showtime era of the Lakers that features players like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and their coach, Pat Riley.
The show was first thought up by Jim Hecht in 2014, who tried his best to convince “Showtime” author Jeff Pearlman to allow his book to be adapted into a series. A year later, Adam McKay was selected as the director and producer of Winning Time. It was not until 2019 that HBO agreed to let the show air on its platform, and it finally premiered on March 6th, 2022. Although Winning Time had a slow start, it eventually collected almost half a million viewers by the end of its first season.
Cast selection was mostly made by Francine Maisler, and Will Ferrell had requested Adam McKay to let him star as Jerry Buss. McKay had another person in mind and cast John C. Reilly as Buss instead, which ended up infuriating Ferrell.
This decision later turned out to be a good one as Reilly was able to capture Jerry’s character perfectly. Norm Nixon’s son, DeVaughn Nixon, was cast to play his father. As for the main characters, Quincy Isaiah plays Magic Johnson, while Solomon Hughes was selected to play Kareem.
The show now stands as a winner of many awards and has also been nominated for a Primetime Emmy for its cinematography. This series has a unique filming style that makes sure that its viewers feel like they’re in the 80s and features fourth-wall-breaking moments that add to the already excellent storytelling of the Winning Time. Seeing the first season become a hit with its target audiences, a new season of the HBO sports drama was announced back in April of 2022.
Winning Time: What’s The Show About?
The show is centered around the LA Lakers and their rise to stardom after being at an all-time low. Winning Time starts with the Lakers losing their old charm, and this causes their future in the NBA to be uncertain. That’s when Jerry Buss decides to intervene and buy the team. Magic Johnson is also brought onto the team, but his true potential remains unknown. Most of the moments of the Lakers from 1979-1980 are featured in season 1 of the show.
With the next season confirmed to release any time now, it will most likely focus on the rivalry between the Lakers and the Celtics. The producers of Winning Time have hinted at the possibility of the series even featuring the era of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in the long run, although it would depend on the success of the upcoming 2nd season.
Where Is Winning Time Filmed?
Most of the filming for Winning Time takes place in areas around California, more specifically, Los Angeles. It was first started in April 2021, and the principal cinematographers for the series were Todd Banhazl and Mihai Malaimare Junior. McKay made sure that the show had his characteristic filming style written all over each scene by adding a faded grainy look that takes us back to the 80s.
For the Basketball game scenes, the crew used a normal Basketball court which was surrounded by a green screen. To add a realistic effect, Five rows of seats would be added in certain scenes. The moving filming clips were mostly shot by John Lyke using his Rollerblades, which would provide smooth movement throughout the game.
Los Angeles, California
It’s no surprise that most of the scenes of Winning Time would be shot in LA as it’s where most shows are usually filmed these days. These include series such as Succession, Beef, The Mandalorian, Yellowjackets, and many more, with the list being endless. Most of the production companies’ studios are usually located in Los Angeles, and since HBO Entertainment is a unit of Warner Bros., filming of its shows is done in Warner Bros. Studios.
Warner Bros. Burbank Studios, Burbank, California
The Burbank studios, owned by Warner Bros., served as the main place of filming for Winning Time. These studios are known for hosting popular shows like Friends, Young Sheldon, and Euphoria. The studio was previously called First National Studio, as it had been built by First National Pictures back in 1926 during its expansion.
The existing as well as the new season of the sports series will be available to watch on HBO and Prime Video. Canadian Viewers can stream Winning Time at Crave, while viewers from Australia will have to use streaming services such as Binge. YouTube TV also hosts episodes of Winning Time in limited locations.
Also Read: Winning Time Season 2: Spoilers & Preview: When Will It Release?
