truTV and NFL Films Go Behind the Scenes of Professional Football
In New Series NFL FULL CONTACT, Premiering Monday, Feb. 8
Series to Explore What It Takes to Create an NFL Season,
On and Off the Field, from Draft Day through Super Bowl
For football fans, the excitement of watching two teams give it their all in head-to-head competition is a weekly ritual. But what they see on the field is actually the result of countless hours of hard work and high stress.
This February, truTV and NFL Films will provide unprecedented, exclusive access to what really goes on behind the scenes of professional football in the new series NFL FULL CONTACT. The series, which premieres Monday, Feb. 8, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), will follow the action from draft day to the Super Bowl, showing football fans what happens beyond the playing field.
NFL FULL CONTACT will prove that the players and coaches on the field aren’t the only ones feeling the pressure. The show will pull the curtain back to show the people called upon to pull off the biggest live NFL events. From providing security to coordinating halftime performances, jobs are on the line, and every second counts. There are no second takes, and when mistakes are made, the whole world witnesses them. This series will show viewers the unpredictable challenges and conflicts that ensue in the high-stakes atmosphere that extends from the sidelines to the television truck to the locker room to the halftime show.
NFL FULL CONTACT’s opening episode will follow the NFL Kickoff game in Pittsburgh. The following are some of the behind-the-scenes positions featured in the premiere episode:
· Frank Supovitz (Boss) – He oversees all NFL events. And today he can see everything from his perch in a crow’s nest high above the concert. Frank Supovitz is armed with binoculars, a walkie talkie and an attention to detail that he admits “borders on obsessive-compulsive.” Yet he never appears high-strung. Frank is a soothing influence, neither raising his voice nor showing any frustration.
· Gary Natoli (Stage Manager) – Gary Natoli’s responsible for everything that happens onstage – and backstage. The man behind the curtain is part emcee, part problem-solver. He has to be as comfortable with a microphone in front of 80,000 people as he is one-on-one with A-list talent.
· Dan Parise (Concert Manager) – Despite the earring, the long hair and the cargo shorts, Dan Parise is anything but laid back. He wears his heart on his sleeve. Dan is excited by confrontation, but he’s even more thrilled by the headlining country music star’s throwing arm.
· Bardia Shah-Rais (TV Producer) – He’s tall, lanky and unassuming. He lets other people get what they want. Or at least that’s what he’d like everyone to think. While other people “puff their chests out” and raise their voices, Bardia Shah-Rais prefers “killing them with kindness.” He produces the pre- and post-game shows for NFL Network as collaborative efforts, though it takes some extra effort to deal with security guards who don’t recognize Hall of Famer Rod Woodson.
· Bob Angelo (Cameraman) – In 33 seasons as an NFL Films cameraman, Bob Angelo’s been shooed, pushed, cussed at and hit. The rules say he shouldn’t have to deal with this. Then again, Bob doesn’t mind putting himself on the line if it means getting the shot.
· Sean Oates (Security) – Sean Oates towers over the crowd. Easily at least a head taller than most of the audience, he looks almost menacing with his shaved head and icy stare. But when a child goes missing, he melts.
Subsequent episodes will follow the NFL draft, the opening game of the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, the third annual NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium in London and, finally, the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl, both held in South Florida this year.
FULL CONTACT is produced for truTV by NFL Films. Steve Sabol is executive producer of NFL Films, and Charles Coplin is NFL vice president of programming. For truTV, Robyn Hutt serves as executive in charge of production and Anthony Horn is supervising executive producer.
The most storied filmmaker in sports, NFL Films has been chronicling and telling the story of America’s favorite sport for more than four decades. NFL Films has received numerous accolades, including 97 Sports Emmys®. Its Road to the Super Bowl production is the longest running (40th anniversary this year) and most honored (28 Emmys) annual sports special on television.
truTV is television’s destination for real-life stories told from an exciting and dramatic first-person perspective. Currently seen in 91 million U.S. households, the 17-year-old network is enjoying its best deliveries ever in key demographics. truTV features high-stakes, action-packed originals that give viewers access to places and situations they can’t normally experience. truTV’s primetime fan favorites include the original series Black Gold, Operation Repo, The Smoking Gun Presents… and Forensic Files. During the daytime, the channel features expert trial coverage under the name IN SESSION.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
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