Pool's next big thing!

jay helfert

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
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Silver Member
The pool reality show! There are at least four of these shows in the works now, and that's a good thing. In addition, Angel Levine is coming out soon with a dynamite documentary on pool. Some of these reality shows could be on television networks in 2014 and that should spark new interest in pool.

Keep your fingers crossed, some good people are involved in these projects and they just might make them fly. You will see familiar names in all of these shows. Naturally they have picked the guys (and gals) with the best (and most colorful) personalities. I can't tell you more right now, but these shows are definitely in the planning stages and ready for production when they get the green light.

Every time pool is at a low point something new comes along to bring it back up. This just may be it. Stay tuned! :thumbup2:
 
jay helfert said:
The pool reality show! There are at least four of these shows in the works now, and that's a good thing. In addition, Angel Levine is coming out soon with a dynamite documentary on pool. Some of these reality shows could be on television networks in 2014 and that should spark new interest in pool.

Keep your fingers crossed, some good people are involved in these projects and they just might make them fly. You will see familiar names in all of these shows. Naturally they have picked the guys (and gals) with the best (and most colorful) personalities. I can't tell you more right now, but these shows are definitely in the planning stages and ready for production when they get the green light.

Every time pool is at a low point something new comes along to bring it back up. This just may be it. Stay tuned! :thumbup2:
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Thats great news Jay and I like your optimism. Pool related reality shows have been talked about before so maybe its time. I think it stands a chance, there are a bunch of us that love the game and the people involved in it,
 
I can't imagine a reality show that doesn't take in at least some of the DCC.

And hopefully, our sport gets a much needed shot in the arm.

Still, I can't stand the secrets and not being "in the know"! :D
 
The death of a salesman eventually brings rise to the new salesman, right? As completely frosted as we all may be with the state of void/strife in pool right now, opportunity is more available.

We've heard of a # of new efforts in pool working it - coming from less than conventional angles. It's going to be interesting to see how the next year or two play out.

My fingers are crossed too Jay. My two favorite, controversial reality show actors are Ebb and Flow.
 
Think

Jay , I think you are right. We have all been waiting for the next " movie " to save Pool but the real savior in today's market IS Reality TV. I find myself watching things I never had any interest in.I really think Pool will appeal to the 18-30 crowd , hopefully in ways that COM did. PS I found myself watching it COM tonite for the 212th time on Showtime.
 
Blue Hog ridr said:
Do you think that The salesmans name, Willie Loman (Low Man) was just a coincidence?
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It was a coincidence according to the playwright Arthur Miller. Needless to say, had Charles Dickens had a character named Loman, you'd have to assume the opposite.
 
franko said:
Jay , I think you are right. We have all been waiting for the next " movie " to save Pool but the real savior in today's market IS Reality TV. I find myself watching things I never had any interest in.I really think Pool will appeal to the 18-30 crowd , hopefully in ways that COM did. PS I found myself watching it COM tonite for the 212th time on Showtime.
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Has any sport found a new audience due to reality TV? I can't think of one that has.

Regardless, I'll cross my fingers for the success of all the endeavors cited by Jay Helfert. I'm especially keen on seeing Angel Levine's documentary.
 
I think if its done right, it will be good. Pool is not some kind of rolling series of completing tasks.... no one is getting voted out of the house or off the island. This would be absolutely suicide, and I will laugh out loud and actually publish again just to ridicule them openly and mercilessly.

Pool is about people, frikkin period. There is the reality. Room owners, league organizers, suppliers, oh..... and uhhh yeah. PLAYERS! This is a very fertile hunk of stinky soil from which some good train wreck quality sticky icky can grow from. I mean it could actually be cool. Better have some actual cool people producing this master stroke or it will implode and I will be running for my keyboard with a fist full of malice. I just know I will not be alone.

It would be much better to not do anything until you are certain you can bucket that ball with a pristine leave. Kay Im done threatening people now. I love you all and join in the voiceless chorus that is an earnest prayer to see cue sports lifted to the lofty heights it so richly deserves.

Seriously, I will have stinky cheese from Afghanistan mailed to your homes if you mess this up.
 
Too bad pool itself can't actually be in the limelight. But a reality show about pool can. This means that directors and producers will fabricate pool like they do for every other reality show.

Pawn Stars: People paid to bring interesting things to the shop. Interesting but BS.

Documentaries are great because (I guess) they capture actual events like history. But reality shows are anything but reality.

The reality of people like Earl (for example) are why families definately don't want their daughters or sons to emulate. Is it?

What could be the scenario of a pool reality show?? Bonus Ball is a reality TV show maybe.

--Jeff
 
Lesh said:
I think if its done right, it will be good. Pool is not some kind of rolling series of completing tasks.... no one is getting voted out of the house or off the island. This would be absolutely suicide, and I will laugh out loud and actually publish again just to ridicule them openly and mercilessly.

Pool is about people, frikkin period. There is the reality. Room owners, league organizers, suppliers, oh..... and uhhh yeah. PLAYERS! This is a very fertile hunk of stinky soil from which some good train wreck quality sticky icky can grow from. I mean it could actually be cool. Better have some actual cool people producing this master stroke or it will implode and I will be running for my keyboard with a fist full of malice. I just know I will not be alone.

It would be much better to not do anything until you are certain you can bucket that ball with a pristine leave. Kay Im done threatening people now. I love you all and join in the voiceless chorus that is an earnest prayer to see cue sports lifted to the lofty heights it so richly deserves.

Seriously, I will have stinky cheese from Afghanistan mailed to your homes if you mess this up.
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Love this post. You should be writing the script!
 
Masirib5 said:
What could be the scenario of a pool reality show?? Bonus Ball is a reality TV show maybe.

--Jeff
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A good scenario would be to draft a couple/few fixtures of pool society here in America and send them on the road attending local tournaments, talking to people, cue makers, sponsors, fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants cue sports broadcasters who are trying very hard to be as legit and real as possible (really respect the people putting the streams together all over the country - U guys rock)

It's all going to be in the edit and how you cut this melange of material together for presentation. I say concentrate of the human element. It's a guaranteed HIT that our intrepid travelers will meet some of the most interesting people and outrageous situations that no one in the muggle world ( Non cue sport folk) could possibly imagine.

I once played a guy a race to 5 in 9-ball for a goats head. Not a stuffed head, but a goats head... well it seemed like bet at the time. Don't you judge me.

You get the idea.
 
sjm said:
Has any sport found a new audience due to reality TV? I can't think of one that has.

Regardless, I'll cross my fingers for the success of all the endeavors cited by Jay Helfert. I'm especially keen on seeing Angel Levine's documentary.
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The UFC and The Ultimate Fighter. That single reality show pretty much saved the entire sport of MMA in the United States, which is now a multi-billion dollar industry.
 
Baxter said:
The UFC and The Ultimate Fighter. That single reality show pretty much saved the entire sport of MMA in the United States, which is now a multi-billion dollar industry.
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fighting sells its self...it has the drama and action built in...Violence sells

Pool on the other hand has to be shown in a light that makes it interesting...picture the "ultimate 9-baller" instead of the "ultimate fighter" and we just show the training, coaching and practice of some up and coming players and then have them all in a Nick Varner vs Johnny Archer team tournament people are going to see the same old thing they have ever seen in pool and change the channel...(except the diehard pool fans)...

It's going to have to be much more in depth...a few different teams of players hit the road in different directions to see witch team hustles up the most loot over a few month season or something...you'll get to follow all the drama of being on the road....

Maybe it'll be set at a single pool hall and you'll get to follow all the day to day hassles of running a busy pool room...I honestly dont know what angle they will play but It'll either be a hit or it'll instantly flop....

I just hope that which ever way they decide to approach this it works...It would be awesome to see pool halls packed with players and a new generation of pool players to come take all my money :thumbup:
 
If somehow one of these hits as big as Duck Dynasty pool will be saved for another 20 yrs lol...Like Lesh said its going to be about selling the human element...That should be pretty easy as the pool world has some real characters in it...
 
I got to see a little promo of one of them and it looks very good, they are choosing the right characters with the biggest personalities. Should be interesting and it is legit.
 
It looks very promising. There's a little bit of acting mixed in with reality, I guess you could say. If you love pool, this will be a must-see. I hope it gets funding. :)
 
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Rackemep said:
fighting sells its self...it has the drama and action built in...Violence sells

Pool on the other hand has to be shown in a light that makes it interesting...picture the "ultimate 9-baller" instead of the "ultimate fighter" and we just show the training, coaching and practice of some up and coming players and then have them all in a Nick Varner vs Johnny Archer team tournament people are going to see the same old thing they have ever seen in pool and change the channel...(except the diehard pool fans)...

It's going to have to be much more in depth...a few different teams of players hit the road in different directions to see witch team hustles up the most loot over a few month season or something...you'll get to follow all the drama of being on the road....

Maybe it'll be set at a single pool hall and you'll get to follow all the day to day hassles of running a busy pool room...I honestly dont know what angle they will play but It'll either be a hit or it'll instantly flop....

I just hope that which ever way they decide to approach this it works...It would be awesome to see pool halls packed with players and a new generation of pool players to come take all my money :thumbup:
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Fighting does NOT sell itself. Their are many promoters and organizations that are as unsuccessful as most of the promoters in pool.

To me this knowledge brings hope that with improved promoting professional pool can be successful too.
 
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