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| 24/7: Ruutu participates in a bizarre vampire ritual. |
LOS ANGELES — Today the NHL announced further plans to produce new episodes in the 24/7 series, bringing HBO’s dramatic, cutting-edge programming across the league.
“In order to boost our television ratings, we wanted the 24/7 spinoffs to emulate the same drama and story-lines that have made HBO such a successful network,” stated NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman.
Production is already underway on the two latest chapters: one chronicles the Kostitsyn brothers and Roman Hamrlik as they “slash and burn” their way through the seedy Belorussian underworld, and the other—the NHL’s version of “Entourage”—explores the tumultuous relationship between Sidney Crosby’s agent Pat Brisson and Crosby’s raucous, Cole Harbour lobster fishing buddies.
“We want our fans to see that our players aren’t one-dimensional caricatures, they’re people with complex personal lives who have to individual problems and challenges ripe for reality television exploitation,” commented Vice-President of Hockey Operations, Colin Campbell.
To capitalize on the success of HBO’s True Blood, cameras will also document the plight of Ottawa Senators forward and vampire Jarkko Ruuto as he lusts for the cup and human blood, fighting and biting his way through the eternity of the Sens’ 2011 season.
Plans are in the works for still more, including a dissection of life as a suburban neighbourhood drug-dealer starring Jason Spezza, juxtaposed against the lavish, promiscuous culture of New York fashionista and Vogue intern Sean Avery.
“The NHL needs to be sexier,” stated HBO President, Gerald Levin. “If American audiences aren’t going to be riveted by watching hockey, then we should at least be melodramatizing its story-lines.”
Another part of the NHL’s shift towards modern programming includes an edgier and uncensored reformatting of Coach’s Corner for a late-night audience, as a Valentino-clad Don Cherry, casually reclined amidst a set of contemporary decor, will dialogue about the NHL’s latest topics.
The new 24/7 episodes will debut on HBO and nhl.com in May.
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