Ten TV shows to watch if you enjoyed “Drive to Survive”

By: Rachael Bishop
RP Show Intern

So, you’ve finished watching Netflix’s Drive to Survive, the behind-the-scenes Formula 1 documentary television series that has taken the sports world by storm in recent weeks and months. 

The show is not new; in fact, season three dropped in March of 2021, but the general public is taking notice. Perhaps the fact that people are at home more because of the COVID-19 pandemic has something to do with that; but a recent study by Nielsen shows Formula 1 is gaining younger fans, especially in the all-important age group of 16–35-year-olds. This is likely due to its heavy digital marketing campaign. Drive to Survive is a large part of that. 

In fact, when Netflix announced season three, Drive to Survive was trending number one worldwide on twitter; an extremely impressive feat for a tv show about a non-traditional sport. 

Maybe now you are consuming more Formula 1, but now you don’t know what sports television shows to watch while you wait for season four of Drive to Survive to drop, here are 10 other suggestions to help you fill that that empty void. 

Let’s stick with the same genre and start with documentaries (not listed in any particular order)

1. Last Chance U (Netflix) (junior college football) (five seasons, 40 episodes) (2016-2020), 2020 Sports Emmy Winner for Outstanding Serialized Documentary

What it’s about: Created and co-directed by Greg Whiteley, Last Chance U chronicles a group of football players at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) a junior college (community college), in the small Mississippi town of Scooba. EMCC’s football team is one of the most successful junior college football programs in the country.

             The show focuses on athletes who have the talent, but because these young men largely come from severely underprivileged backgrounds; they often have poor grades, and thus did not meet the requirement to play NCAA Division One football out of high school. As a result, they join East Mississippi for their “last chance” to prove themselves, with the ultimate goal of turn their grades around, in order to meet the requirements to graduate with hopes of potentially getting a scholarship to transfer to a Division One program. 

Seasons three and four took place at Independence Community College in Kansas, a far less successful program than EMCC, and season five (released last July) shifts action to Laney College in Oakland, California. 

Verdict: If you enjoyed watched Greg Whiteley’s Emmy award-winning series Cheer (more on that below), then you will find Last Chance U to be excellent television. The series has a 92 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes so far, with the general consensus amongst critics being that “Last Chance U keeps it simple, focusing on the impact of NFL dreams on players and their families to harrowing effect.”  Considering it has much of the same crew as Cheer, then it’s likely that the stories are engaging, with excellent editing and cinematography to boot. With only 40 episodes total, it should make for an easy watch, whether one is a football fan or not.

2. Last Chance U: Basketball (Netflix) (junior college basketball) (one season, eight episodes) (March 2021-present) 

What’s it about: Released about two months ago, created and co-directed by Greg Whiteley, Last Chance U: Basketball follows the same premise as the original Last Chance U, except with a basketball focus. Last Chance U: Basketball follows the East Los Angeles College Huskies as they attempt to win a first State Championship. The team, which was in complete shambles, has since become a perennial contender in large part thanks head coach John Mosley who rebuilt the program when he took over. 

            The student athletes are much the same as the football players in the original series, external issues unrelated to talent has meant that these men must perform well at the junior college level and improve their grades if they want to have any chance of eventually making it to the NBA. Since the series was filmed during the 2019/2020 school year as well, COVID-19 plays a part, adding an heavy plot line to an already jam-packed series. 

Verdict: This spin-off is critically acclaimed, and I’d expect it to get several nominations next awards season. So far it has a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with much high praise especially for the strong character focus, especially Coach Mosley. Entertainment Weekly gives the show an A- and, in its review, writes “this franchise remains invigorating, though, matching no-look pass thrills with telling little moments.” Again, much like its predecessor, Last Chance U: Basketball, by all accounts appears to be a fantastic example of storytelling juxtaposed with lots of heart-pounding action. Furthermore, with several of the crew from Last Chance U and Cheer returning, it’s easy to see why this series has yet to receive a negative review. 

3.  Cheer (Netflix) (junior college co-ed cheerleading) (one season, six episodes) (January 2020), 2020 Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program, and Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program

What it’s about: This three-time Emmy award-winning series, the third and final on this list created by Greg Whiteley, was released in January of 2020 pre-pandemic. The show follows much of the same premise as both Last Chance Useries’, except this time the show takes a behind-the-scenes look into the world of competitive cheerleading. Cheer focuses on the co-ed cheerleading team at Navarro College, a junior college in the small town of Corsicana Texas. 

            As is the case with Last Chance U and Last Chance U: Basketball, many of these athletes are from underprivileged backgrounds. Some come from broken homes and, despite having the talent to cheer for a Division 1 school, often do not have the financial means, or academic requirements to do so straight out of high school. Hence, they end up at Navarro, and for many of these athletes, they graduate after two or three years and are able to transfer to a D1 program. 

            Similarly, to the East Los Angeles College Huskies of Last Chance U: Basketball, the Navarro Bulldogs were a nothing program until former NCAA D1 cheerleader, and Corsicana native Monica Aldama, and took over as head coach in 2000, the Bulldogs have won 13 National Championships at the Junior College level, and five Grand National titles (highest score total, regardless of division); one of the most successful College cheerleading programs in the United States at any level. The six-episode miniseries, which takes place during the 2018/2019 season follows the Bulldogs as they attempt to win their 14^th National Championship in Daytona, Florida. 

Verdict: It’s excellent. The show focuses on five or six main athletes and the viewer feels as though they really know each one by the end of the show. The editing is also phenomenal, Whiteley once again using several of his team members from his Last Chance U series’. It also provides the viewer with a crash-course into cheerleading, probably the most misunderstood American sport. Cheer is not only incredibly well done, but it is very informative, and breaks wide open many of the cheerleading stereotypes that make up pop culture. 

            It was also a hit with critics, having two Emmys, and is currently sporting a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, Whiteley’s second-highest rated series on this list. Furthermore, it’s only six 60-minute episodes, so it makes for an easy viewing.

4. Pistorius (Amazon Prime four-part mini-series doc) (Track and Field) (2018) 

What it’s about: Both are four part looks at the rise and fall of Oscar Pistorius, the former Paralympian “Blade Runner”, who took the world by storm when he became the first Paralympian to compete with able-bodied sprinters at the 2012 London Olympics. Using home videos from his childhood, interviews, Olympic and trial footage, the Amazon series acts as a documentary of his life. Throughout the four episodes, the viewer learns about Pistorius growing up in South Africa, and how he become a worldwide superstar almost overnight. The series ends with his initial conviction and re-trial for the murder of his then girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

Verdict:  Pistorius is an excellent look of an athlete, who, almost as fast as he gained fame, fell from grace. The interviews are also extremely insightful and really take the viewer on an in-depth of the South African justice system, and a history of the violence in the country in general. While the violent footage can be a little jarring and hard to watch at times, it transcends sports, dealing with extremely important issues such as domestic violence. The show is also very fair and unbiased, the filmmakers simply report the facts from both sides of the story, and do not try to paint Pistorius as guilty or innocent, something that can be hard to find these days. I am unable to find a score on Rotten Tomatoes, but I can assure you that it’s well worth the watch, just be warned of the graphic nature of some of the content.

ESPN premiered the BBC’s own four-part series last year as part of its 30 For 30 series last year, which has received much criticism for not mentioning Reeva at all and trying too hard to make Oscar look like the good guy. I haven’t seen the ESPN version myself, but based on the scathing reviews, I’d say skip it and go for the Amazon Prime version instead, as it provides the viewer with an extensive background on Reeva’s background. 

5. Sunderland ‘Till I Die (Netflix) (professional English soccer) (two seasons, 20 episodes) (2018-2020)

What it’s about: The final documentary on this list, Sunderland ‘Till I Die, is the first one about the “beautiful game”. The first season focuses on Sunderland A.F.C. in 2017/2018 as it navigates life in the English Football League Championship. Sunderland is playing in the Championship after having been relegated from the Premier League (the top division in English soccer) in 2017 for the first time since 2006. Sunderland makes for a great choice for a documentary, because the club has historically been one of the most popular clubs in England; it ranked 16^th in the country in terms of attendance during that season, and the second highest in the Championship, after Leeds United. The second season focuses on the 2018/2019 season as the club navigates its way under new ownership.

Verdict: I didn’t even know of this show prior to doing research for this article, but it’s become a must-watch for me now. Reviews of the show have also been very positive, with Sports Illustrated’s Luis Miguel Echegary writing “the project perfectly encapsulates the cultural significance of the city’s relationship with it’s proud, working class supporters. As a result, despite the club’s plight, is a cut above the rest.” What Canadian and American viewers often don’t realize is how important local soccer clubs are for communities and towns in other part of the world. Everything I’ve read about this show seems to suggest that that Sunderland ‘Till I Die emphasizes that perfectly, and that anyone who is interested in learning more about the inner-workings of the world’s most popular sport, soccer fan or not, should watch this Netflix series. 

Fiction Series

1. The English Game (Netflix) (English amateur/professional soccer) (four episodes, one miniseries) (2020)

What it’s about: This historical one-off miniseries, which aired at the start of the pandemic last March, is about the history of the world’s most popular sport: soccer. The year is 1879, and the English Football Association Cup is still very much dominated by the upper-class teams, namely the team from Eton College (a very prestigious boys boarding school in England, the current British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is an alumnus of the school). The series shows how football quickly went from becoming an elitist sport to one that is for the masses; and how two working class men changed the game from an amateur sport only for the wealthy, to a professional sport that anyone from any social standing could participate. The protagonists of the series, Fergus Sutter, and James “Jimmy” Love are now recognized as pioneers of modern soccer, which has now grown to become the most popular sport on the planet, with over four billion fans worldwide.

Verdict: It received very mixed reviews from critics and, as is the case with historical dramas, is not 100 per cent accurate. On the other hand, its audience reviews are very strong, with 85 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. As a soccer fan, this is definitely one that I have added to my list, I have known about it since it premiered, but it was just added to Canadian Netflix recently, and with only six episodes, and no plans for another season, it, as with many of the shows on this list, won’t take too much time to watch. Critics say the series is slow-moving from a plot-standpoint, but that soccer fans will find it enjoyable, yet the general public seems to enjoy the show. Take with that what you will. 

2. Ted Lasso (Apple TV Plus) (professional English soccer) (10 episodes, one season and counting) (2020-Present) 

What it’s about: The final soccer television show on this list, and it is also the first comedy. Ted Lasso was created from a series of NBC Premier League promos starring Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, an American football manager in London. The show, co-created by Sudeikis, continues with the same character, who has just been hired to coach the struggling AFC Richmond of the Premier League, despite having no prior experience coaching soccer, (in fact he knows nothing about soccer!). His only professional coaching job was with a second division American football team in the NCAA, whom he led to a surprise National Championship. He moves across the pond, and takes his top assistant from college, Coach Beard with him (show co-creator Brendan Hunt) (who appears to actually know a little bit about soccer, and the United Kingdom as a country).

Verdict:  Ted Lasso is cute, hilarious, and heartbreaking at the same time. One becomes so invested in AFC Richmond; you’ll find yourselves wishing it was a real football club. Apple was so confident about this show, that it’s already been renewed for a third season, before the second one airs this summer. The show, which takes place in London, is chalk full of self-deprecating British humour and slang, which I’m a huge fan of.

Ted Lasso is very accurate as well, in terms of the regarding the Premier League structure, even the real life 2019 Premier League Champions Manchester City and Manager Pep Guardiola are mentioned. It is clear that Hunt, Sudeikis et al are big soccer fans and/or did extensive research, because the series is very accurate as well, in terms of the regarding the Premier League structure. Even the real life 2019 Premier League Champions Manchester City and Manager Pep Guardiola are mentioned. Ted Lasso also correctly depicts the passion of English soccer fans, and the diva-like attitude and narcissism of big soccer superstars. Sudeikis as Lasso himself is funny as well, but his charm in this show lies more in the innocence and naïveté of his character, who seems to be the nicest human being on the planet. The female characters are also very strong, which doesn’t often happen in male-centric sports films and television shows. Juno Temple and Hannah Waddingham are excellent as Keely, model and girlfriend of Richmond’s star player Jamie Tartt, and Richmond owner Rebecca Welton respectively. 

 You can watch all of season one now, and then season two will drop episodes weekly starting July 23^rd, (yes, weekly episodes on a streaming service, the way that network television still works!). And with just 10, mostly lighthearted half-hour episodes, Ted Lasso does not require a big-time commitment. If you are a soccer fan, a British culture fan, enjoy a laugh. or you just like sports and want to learn more about “the beautiful game”, then you’ll love this show. 

3. All-American (Amazon Prime in Canada, new episodes weekly on the CW in the USA) (high school football) (43 episodes, one season and counting) (2018-present) 

What it’s about: Inspired by the true story of NFL Superbowl champion Spencer Paysinger, (changed to Spencer James for the show), All-American tells the story of a star wide receiver, at Crenshaw High School in South Los Angeles, who gets recruited by the head coach from the predominately white and affluent suburb of Beverly Hills to help revamp its struggling football program, with hopes of getting an NCAA D1 football scholarship.

Verdict: From what I’ve watched it’s very well done. Don’t let the fact that it is on the CW (a network mostly known for high school dramas and superhero content) dissuade you. I was initially skeptical of the show for that reason well, but I can say that my prejudice was unfair. The opening scene of the show is very strong, with excellent cinematography and editing that take you right to the heart of the action. Critics also agree, All-American has a 96 per cent approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes. The real Paysinger himself acts as a consultant on the show, which only adds to the authenticity of the show. The name of the series itself is funny because Daniel Ezra who plays the “all-American” football player, is in fact, English. However, his American accent is so convincing that one would never know that from simply watching. Unfortunately, the fact that it is a CW show has probably stopped it from receiving any Emmy Award nominations, but I think overwhelmingly positive critical response speaks for itself. The show is currently in its third season, and has been renewed for a fourth, and because it’s a network show, the seasons are longish (16 episodes each) but with still only 43 episodes having aired so far, watching the show is still not a daunting task. 

4.  The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (Disney Plus) (Minor hockey) (10 episodes, one season and counting) (2021-present)

What it’s about: Emilio Estevez returns as Coach Gordon Bombay and his former under Mighty Ducks are now a minor hockey dynasty. The premise for this new show revolves around 12-year-old Evan and his mother (Lauren Graham of “Gilmore Girls” fame). Evan has just been cut from the Mighty Ducks, so he and his mother ask Coach Bombay to form a new hockey team of underdogs, with hopes he can lead them to victory, the same way he did for the Mighty Ducks 19 years earlier. 

Verdict: I’m pretty confident this series will follow the old format and typical Disney formula: lots of feel good, cheesy, kid friendly stories with sometimes over-the-top acting. The series has an 85 per cent from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, which is very high, especially considering the original trilogy was critically derided, (the first movie has just a 21 per cent) although it is now considered a cult classic. The original trilogy also led to an NHL expansion team (the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, now known as the Anaheim Ducks), as well as a hockey breakout strategy (Flying V). I am a fan of the original trilogy, so I assume I will enjoy the new series, as will any sports fans who enjoyed the original. Ducks fly together! 

5. Friday Night Lights (Peacock in the USA only) (high school football) (76 episodes, (five seasons (2006-2011) 14 Emmy nominations, three wins

What it’s about: Partially inspired on the excellent 2004 film of the same name (which is in turn, based on a true story), Friday Night Lights looks at high school football in the football mad state of Texas, with the focus of the show shifting away from the film’s setting of Odessa, Texas to the fictional town of Dillon, Texas. While the original film is based on the true story of the 1988 Permian Panthers football team, the series tells the fictional story of the Dillon Panthers football team. Nothing remains the same, except for the fantastic score by Texas post-rock band Explosions in the Sky, and Connie Britton, who plays Billy Bob Thornton’s wife in the movie and returns to play Kyle Chandler’s wife in the series. Peter Berg, who directed the movie, wanted to explore several of the book’s more personal themes further in depth; hence the series was born. 

Verdict: I refused to watch this series when it aired, because I always thought it would just be another high school drama, and I was so attached to the film, but I’ve since seen some of it, and it’s well worth the hype. The music, the editing and cinematography are all incredible, and the acting is also very strong. I plan to watch the entire series in full in the near future. The opening sequence is one of the best I’ve ever seen in television, it looks and feels like a movie. The television series is critically acclaimed (97 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes), and often is considered one of the greatest tv shows of the last 20 years by fans and critics alike. Plus, the show also stars a Canadian, the B.C. native Taylor Kitsch, as resident bad boy and Panthers cornerback Tim Riggins. Clear eyes, full hearts. Can’t lose. 

Rod’s Top Five (all genres):

1. Yellowstone

2. The Ranch

3. Breaking Bad

4. Ozark

5. Bloodline