We watched the premiere episode of Dhani Tackles The Globe on the Travel Channel last night, and it's a def thumbs-up, with the potential for a fist of victory if they make a couple of improvements, as per our suggestions. We're significantly less psyched about the news that Jones' former teammate on the Giants, perpetual ham Michael Strahan, will star in a new sitcom.
Incidentally, Dhani Jones, Michael Strahan, and Today Show correspondent Tiki Barber were all on the New York Giants from 2000-2003. Did those teams have acting coaches?
All right, observations on Dhani Tackles The Globe. First, the good:
1. For a professional athlete, Dhani Jones has a refreshing willingness to get himself in the middle of a foreign culture and look dumb. Him trying frantically to place bets with crazed fans in a language he doesn't speak, on a sport (Muay Thai) he barely knows, was great. As was him watching small fish fight, supposedly for an hour. He's a very likable fellow.
2. He's funny, and a natural in front of the camera. While waiting for a cab by the side of the road, he said "they don't pick up black men here, either." and when the sex workers of Bangkok's red-light district competed for his American dollars, he replied "You love me? You don't even know me!" The whole red-light district thing was good; watching a huge African-American man get tugged on and harrassed by tiny Thai hookers makes for compelling TV. Jones handled it all well, turning to one particularly aggressive prostitute, smiling, and saying "I'm really not comfortable with this." Then, after the pro walked off, turning to the camera, a little freaked out, and saying "I think that was a ladyboy."
3. He busts ass and learns fast. He immersed himself in Muay Thai culture, endured rigorous workouts, and became a passable fighter in a week. That's seriously impressive - his work ethic and aptitude make the show much better. Also, the workouts give producers an excuse to have Dhani shirtless nearly all the damned time.
Now, the not so good:
1. Dhani Jones' voice-over narration (and there was a lot of it) sounded totally overexcited, scripted, and unnatural. Which makes sense, since narrating is unnatural. There's no reason to think someone who's never done that before would take to it easily. Producers need to go to Dhani and say "Calm down. Just talk." If that doesn't work (or even if it does) they can cut down the voice-overs, and have Jones speak directly to the camera, which he does naturally. Or they can use graphics to move viewers from scene to scene. If they recognize the problem, this seems like an easy fix.
2. There needs to be more cultural context and analysis. What does Muay Thai mean to Thailand, aside from it just being popular? How does it fit in to the culture as a whole? What is that culture, and how is it reflected in these sports? This is the kind of stuff Anthony Bourdain does so well with food on No Reservations - explaining, and not in stuffy academic terms, what say, the food in Vietnam means about the Vietnamese. Of course, Anthony Bourdain is a writer, and Dhani Jones is a football player, so having him stick mostly with the physical stuff is a good idea. But Dhani Jones is also a smart dude; maybe they can have him interview an expert type every show, so we can get a better feel for what we're seeing.
Overall, a really encouraging premiere of a show with the potential to be excellent. Still have no idea how the Cincinatti Bengals let Jones get kicked and punched. Also not sure how they feel about him gambling (even for very low stakes) and talking to hookers. But we dug it.
Now, Dhani Jones' former teammate Michael Strahan, and his new sitcom pilot Brothers, described thusly:
"Brothers" will star Strahan as a retired NFL player who returns to his
hometown and starts working to reconnect with his family -- especially
his brother (Mitchell), who is confined to a wheelchair following a car
accident.
Bleccch. There's a real stretch for Strahan, huh? It's like giving him carte blanche to do his wacky Michael Strahan thing, which is annoying enough on Fox NFL Sunday, when at least there are lots of other guys who can interrupt him. Unlike Dhani Jones, Strahan was an all-time great football player, but probably not as good as he thought he was. And definitely not as funny. Michael Strahan obviously has an enormous ego, and is the type of dude who, if you put a camera on him, will invariably make a funny face or do a goofy dance. Real center-of attention stuff, which will of course be fueled by the constant mentions of the pilot on Fox's football coverage, and endless promos if the show gets picked up. Which we're sure had something to do with signing Strahan up in the first place - there's a hype machine already in place to publicize Brothers. But just because Strahan was great with a helmet on doesn't mean sports fans will tune in for his Very Special Episodes.
Maybe we're wrong. Maybe Michael Strahan's show will turn out to be great. But right now, if we had to pick between former Giants, we'd definitely go with the guy who's worse on the gridiron, but way better on TV. Get your Tivo acquainted with Dhani Tackles The Globe. It's a fun show.
PREVIOUSLY:
"Dhani Tackles The Globe" Tonight At 9 On the Travel Channel
Anthony Bourdain Picks And Pans
Imaginary TV Fights: Tiki Barber Of "The Today Show" Vs. Tiki Barber Of "Football Night In America"
