The Bronx Is Burning

The Bronx Is Burning
Format	Drama
Created by	Jonathan Mahler
Directed by	Jeremiah Chechik
Starring	John Turturro Oliver Platt Daniel Sunjata
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	8
Production
Executive producer(s)	Mike Tollin Brian Robbins Joe Davola
Running time	60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ESPN
Original run	July 9, 2007 – August 28, 2007

The Bronx Is Burning is a television drama that debuted on ESPN on July 9, 2007, after the 2007 MLB Home Run Derby. It is an eight-episode mini-series adapted from Jonathan Mahler's best-selling book, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning. The book focuses on baseball's triumph over the turmoil and hysteria of 1977 New York City and how the New York Yankees came to embody the hopes and fears of an unforgettable summer with Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson's warfare under George Steinbrenner's leadership.

The show stars Daniel Sunjata, Oliver Platt, and John Turturro, while executive producers Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola, writer/executive producer James Solomon, and director Jeremiah Chechik work on the show. The series is produced by ESPN Original Entertainment in conjunction with Tollin/Robbins Productions. Filming began on September 18, 2006 in Connecticut and New York.

The 2007 debut of the series marks the 30th anniversary of the 1977 World Series win for the Yankees, the first under Steinbrenner.

After airing on ESPN, episodes could be viewed on ABC on Demand.

Summary

The central theme of the adaptation is the 1977 New York Yankees against the backdrop of New York City. Yankee superstar Reggie Jackson (Daniel Sunjata) and manager Billy Martin (John Turturro) are locked in a perpetual state of warfare. Jackson was a perfect foil for the scrappy Martin, the hero of New York's fed-up working-class and a powerful reminder of the team's—and the city's—less complicated past. While owner George Steinbrenner (Oliver Platt) was providing General Patton-style leadership, he was intent on keeping his promise to the people of New York of delivering a World Series title. The show also features subplots concerning the NYPD's pursuit of the Son of Sam serial killer that summer and the devastating blackout and resultant widespread looting in July, all while the city suffered through financial bankruptcy and massive municipal layoffs. Another subplot focused on the 1977 New York City Mayoral race featuring incumbent mayor Abraham Beame, former Congresswoman Bella Abzug, future Governor Mario Cuomo, and Congressman Ed Koch, the eventual winner.

The title refers to an off-the-cuff comment by broadcaster Howard Cosell during the ABC telecast of Game Two of the 1977 World Series:

According to the source book's author, Mahler, at the time property taxes were so high landlords would burn down their buildings for the insurance money, and some tenants would set a fire in a decrepit, privately-owned building in order to get priority for the newer public housing.^[2] However, the burning of tenement housing in New York City in the 1970s was the end-game of urban renewal. After a building was red-lined, it was deemed unsuitable for sale in the eyes of the mortgage banking industry. A building's owner could not sell his building unless he received a cash payment. Landlords were forced to maintain a building that they couldn't afford to keep. Taxes collected by the city were greater than what could be charged to tenants (an unintended consequence of rent control laws). With nobody paying cash to buy the building, and no way to sell the building to a conventional buyer, the landlord's only recourse was to set it on fire.

Episodes were filmed in New London, Waterford and Norwich in Connecticut as well as in New York City. The series' soundtrack consisted of songs by The Ramones.

Historical inaccuracy

The series has been lauded for maintaining the historical accuracy reflected by its literary source. However, one inaccuracy involves a reproduction of an infamous Miller Lite television commercial lampooning Steinbrenner's frequent threats to fire Martin: Its inclusion in the miniseries implies its creation and broadcast during the 1977 baseball season. In reality it was shot and televised during the 1978 baseball season, after Martin had resigned under threat of being fired, and then shortly thereafter rehired "for the 1980 baseball season," announced during that year's Old Timer's Game at Yankee Stadium. In this context, it lampoons Martin's actual "firing" in 1978, not threats of such during the 1977 season.

Episodes

Cast

See also

• 1977 New York Yankees season
• 1977 American League Championship Series
• 1977 World Series
• David Berkowitz
• New York City blackout of 1977

References

• Press Release: ESPN Original Entertainment to Develop Limited Series: "The Bronx is Burning"
• Press Release: ESPN Miniseries "The Bronx is Burning" to Begin Shooting for 2007 Premiere
• Press Release: John Turturro, Oliver Platt, and Daniel Sunjata to Star in ESPN's Upcoming Miniseries "The Bronx is Burning"
• Press Release: ESPN Announces Award-Winning Editor and Additional Cast for "The Bronx is Burning"

External links

• The Bronx Is Burning at the Internet Movie Database
• The Bronx Is Burning at TV.com