The essential genius of TNT's “Inside The NBA” is that it is unrehearsed and unscripted. The show can go from mocking analyst Charles Barkley for not winning an NBA title to a thoughtful discussion of the NBA's interests in China.
The closest studio show to emulating the same freewheeling nature and engagement is “UEFA Champions League Today” on CBS Sports and Paramount+.
The show will be hosted by Kate Abdo, with analysts Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry and Micah Richards. Like the best Inside, the cast is able to seamlessly shift from mocking each other to long, thoughtful discussions about racism in soccer. Pete Radovich Jr., executive producer of UEFA Champions League Today, said that when he put together the Champions League pre-match group, his talent decisions were based on decades of “inside” staff. He said he was influenced by what he saw.
This week the show will be broadcasting pitchside matches from the latest round of the Champions League, including Arsenal vs. Porto, from London's Emirates Stadium, the home of Arsenal in the English Premier League. Click here for on-air schedule:
recently, The Athletic We spoke with Abdo, Henry, and Richards to understand why the show is doing so well, and the big question: what is Henry's future on the show beyond this season?
Why is your show so successful?
abdomen: The freedom to go off script, the freedom to be who you are. We all have very different personalities and bring different assets to the table. But overall, I think we all complete each other in some way.
Working in television, that's a huge source of frustration for me because when you're on a show, you often know exactly what's going to happen in the next hour, but every minute counts. is. For something to happen spontaneously, all the air in the room must be removed. We approach each segment knowing that we have an overall vision for each segment, but it's okay to deviate completely from that vision. That freedom was very precious to me. Because I've been a part of something that's been thoroughly rehearsed and has pre-produced elements as well as rehearsed dialogue. … Understood. Everyone wants to look polished, clean, and shiny, and there's something about that. But you have to find the balance between just being real and living in the moment.
Richards: Trust is key for me. I think we are comfortable with who we are. Take Thierry Henry for example. He is a legend in this game and loves football. Carragher is the UK's number one critic. But for the show to work, he has to be kind of a different Jamie on our show. We all know our role within the show to make it the best it can be. You can't have an ego in the show. …I mean, I won the Premier League, but on the show Kate destroys me every week. But I know it's for the show, and as long as my credibility isn't lost, I'm totally fine with it. We have producers who allow us to do things that other companies probably wouldn't allow. We trust and respect each other.
Henry: I would like to mention authenticity. we are real. I think that's why people can relate to it. There's no bull. We respect and love each other, and it's not bulls—. We all know our position and what we can bring to the show. We don't step on each other's toes. It's always for show. If you can educate and entertain people, you can get people to relate to you in a simple way without using a lot of soccer jargon. They see you being authentic. people respond to it. It's a fun show to watch, but I also think they're good at the way they analyze matches. We can go from Micah or I or Kate or Jamie saying something funny to talking about the Ukraine war. The show has something for everyone and we are authentic.
“Inside The NBA” sees similarities between Thierry and Charles Barkley and (Shaquille O’Neal). He is a very famous person who allows other people on set to make fun of him. What do you think of that?
Henry: If you offend me, I'll let you know. But it's not because I had a great career, right? I often get angry when I watch it. I know I have a big forehead. I am comfortable in my own skin. So it's okay to joke.
Sometimes that gets lost in translation because people support what I've done in my life, not the situation. … I watch “Inside The NBA,” and it’s very difficult sometimes because whenever someone tries to tell Shaq a joke, he just says, “Four rings.” So you say, “Okay, sorry, bye.” (lol) People may look a certain way on me and think, “Oh my god, I can't joke with him.” Of course you can. I always joke about myself. … I like jokes, and (Abdo and Richards) know that.
Chemistry. It is important to have chemistry. Because we spend time together, call each other, text each other, and know how I'm doing. We are truly a family, both good and bad. This is what I think, this is what I think. But at the end of the day, it's all about love.
Thierry Henry has enjoyed success with CBS Sports' Champions League coverage. However, his contract is about to expire and he also has a coaching job. (Anne Christine Pujara/AFP via Getty Images)
It's very hard to keep shows like this going because people can get opportunities elsewhere. For example, Thierry has a great passion for coaching. How long do you think this will last?
Richards: There's something special here, but I'm not saying it for the sake of saying it. I think I can do it for another 10 years. But I think if we all stick together, we'll be fine. That's my biggest fear. I don't know where Thierry is. At the moment he is allowed to do both (Henri is the coach of the French Under-21 national team), but if he takes a Premier League job, or a Serie A or La Liga job, If you get a job, you won't always be able to do that. That's my fear. The question is for them. He probably can't give us any guarantees. But for me, I want to stay on CBS for as long as possible.
Henry: Of course, I had the opportunity to coach the U-21 and U-23 teams in big matches, so I tried to do both. Now you know something. Because if I didn't see the value in CBS, I would have left it. I understand that when something is missing, many things are missing. I'm not talking about me. It could be Micah, it could be Kate, it could be Jamie. I don't think it would be exactly the same show if we weren't together.
What will happen after his two years at U-21 (ending in the summer of 2025)? I don't know what will happen. All I know is that I'm happy to be here now and don't want to miss out on anything. I don't know what my mind will be like two years from now. Still want to coach? I don't know. I can't say much more about what I'll do next because I don't know what's going to happen next. But I was happy with CBS and made sure I could do both.
It takes time. I know it's just about the national team and it's not a day-to-day job, but it takes time to think about which team you're going to be on, scouting games, and everything else. It's not easy. But knowing what we have, I wanted to make sure that I'm still going to be a part of this activity. It's special. We are a show that a lot of people talk about. Ironically, this is a show in the US and everyone in Europe is talking about it. I never thought in my life that I would be stopped on the street, and first of all, my playing career would be over, and I could go on vacation in America or anywhere, and people would come up to me and say, “I don't know. I love your show and you guys are so funny. ” This is a reminder to me, and to everyone, that there is something special here.
abdomen: I guess I can't help but think about (how) it will end. Due to the nature of television, it is a short-term contract. We want to keep families together. I think everyone is paying attention to Thierry. For Micah and Jamie, I think television is their chosen profession. That's what they're really after. Me too. Once you find a magical place like this, you won't want to leave. But in Thierry's position, he has another passion that burns just as strong, if not stronger. So, essentially, he's already proven what he can do on television. We all know how good he is. So there's still a part of him that wants to prove not only that he's a great football player, but how well he can guide other players to play football.
We certainly feel nervous. We all know what he brought to the table. Thierry has irreplaceable star power. There's something special about him both as a person and as an analyst. He really doesn't know who can replace it. He could say the same about Micah. …It’s a team situation. The energy and spirit of the people is so important. If someone quits, it will only cause damage.
Thierry, could you give us at least two years?
Henry: My contract (with CBS) expires this year.
Oh, the conversation is really progressing.
Henry: Yes, the situation is mine. We don't know what the future holds. I know what presents do. I always tell people this about this show: We're all real. No one is on the show. You see Mika on the show, and that's exactly the kind of person he is. Jamie, same thing. Kate, same. myself? same. No one does anything to be loved or not to be loved. I can see that Charles Barkley is upset. You can tell when the shack is. They don't try to soften it.
The Champions League format will change for the 2024-25 season. As a television work, it has the potential to garner more attention. What does it look like?
Richards: It's good for us and the fans, but it's not good for the players. You have to think about the product, not just the entertainment. You can rotate players, you can have more subs, that's all understandable, but the reason we all love football is the quality of the football. If the quality deteriorates, it becomes a problem. I don't think that will happen.
I think it's a good thing for a team that doesn't get a lot of praise. I think that's a good thing for them to be competitive. Is that better? I don't know yet. I think it's a good thing for a lower ranked team. I just hope that the quality of the product is not compromised. That's my only concern. But of course it's going to be good for us, for the fans, for entertainment, for television, for the press.
abdomen: I don't like change. I'm a traditionalist. If you are used to changing formats, it will only make you uncomfortable. Their backgrounds as players are not the same. Unfortunately, I like winter vacation. I like six weeks off. The soccer season is long. I'm not crazy about it, but I know that every time the format changes, at first I hate it, and then all of a sudden I have no recollection of what it used to be like. Then it becomes normal. But if I had a choice, that wouldn't happen.
Henry: Get more games, entertainment, and content. It's great for television, for fans, for small teams, for exposure, for content. But as a player, not a pundit, I think about injuries and player integrity. What I personally would like to see as a fan is that (Manchester) City's starting eleven at the end of the season is fresh enough to be able to play against the best starting elevens from Real Madrid and Arsenal. I don't want to see people taking time off because they have too many matches.
As a former player, my problem is that they don't ask anything of their players. UEFA and FIFA are adding matches, which is completely understandable on their side. But who's going to play those games? I'd like to see (Lionel) Messi play, and I'd like to see (Kevin) De Bruyne not return at the end of this season with a hamstring injury. sea bream. We want to see our players perform at their best, so we need to find the right balance.
(Top photo of Kate Abdo, Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Mika Richards at the May 2023 show: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
