Esquire Network is betting on football -- and the kids whose lives it consumes.
The newly launched men's lifestyle network has greenlighted a 10-episode, hourlong docuseries, Friday Night Tykes, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. The series focuses on 8- and 9-year-old football players in the Rookies division in the San Antonio region of the Texas Youth Football Association.
Debuting Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT with back-to-back episodes, Friday Night Tykes follows five different teams, both on and off the football field during the 2013 season. From preseason training to state championships, the series is likely to hit on a range of potentially hot-button issues, from the clashes between coaches and parents to the adult pressures put on these young players.
“Football is a constant in many American men’s lives, from rooting for their favorite teams to watching or coaching their children who play,” said Matt Hanna, head of original programming at the Esquire Network. “By opening a window on this incredibly competitive world, Friday Night Tykesalso raises important questions about how we’re parenting our children.”
Friday Night Tykes is produced by 441 Productions, Texas Crew Productions and Electro-Fish Films. Matt Maranz and Jason Sciavicco are executive producers on the entry, which will join a growing portfolio of original series on the cable network formerly home to Style, including The Getaway, Knife Fight, White Collar Brawlers and Risky Listing.
Email: Philiana.Ng@THR.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
