Tag Archives: billiards reality shows

American Chopper – “Jeanette Lee Black Widow Bike”

2 Replies

Lamentably, many Amercians cannot name a professional billiards player alive today. But, among those who can, one name is likely to arise often: Jeanette Lee, aka The Black Widow.

Though Ms. Lee has lately garnered headlines for her recent announcement of stage 4 ovarian cancer (on top of the scoliosis she has fought against since age 12), her billiards accomplishments are legendary. A former No. 1 female pool player in the world; a three times runner-up at the women’s World Nine-ball Championship; the Women’s Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) Sportsperson of the Year Award in 1998; a gold medal winner for the United States at the 2001 World Games in Akita, Japan; and an inductee into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 2013.

Those achievements, coupled with her statuesque looks and distinct visual style, have led to her off-the-baize success and fame.  Ms. Lee has appeared in film (e.g., 9-Ball), television (e.g., Arli$$; Cake Boss – “Painters, Pool and Pink,”), and commercials (e.g., Ford Explorer); she has been profiled in Sports Illustrated; she has been photographed for the ESPN Body Issue; she has even authored a book:  The Black Widow’s Guide to Killer Pool: Become the Player to Beat.

So, perhaps it’s not a surprise that Ms. Lee’s cultural stardom also took her to Newburgh, New York, where she joined Paul Teutal Sr. (aka Senior) and his team at Orange County Choppers (OCC) to create a customized Black Widow motorcycle on the reality television series American Chopper.1 

Produced by Pilgrim Films & Television, American Chopper ran for six seasons, initially on the Discovery Channel and then TLC.  Ms. Lee appears in the series’ sixth season on the December 2009 episode, “Jeanette Lee Black Widow Bike.”

The episode begins with Ms. Lee entering OCC’s retail shop to demonstrate some trick shots, including hitting the 8-ball out of Senior’s mouth into the corner pocket, and then exchanging banter with Senior while playing him in several games of eightball. 

At the end of the games, Ms. Lee shares that ever since the OCC introduced their original Black Widow bike (from the first season of American Chopper), she’s been fielding calls from fans, who mistakenly think it was named after her. So, she wants one, customized for her, that she can take on the road.2 

The bulk of the episode is then focused on the assembly of her chopper. The goal is to leverage the standard Black Widow frame, but add some “wow” to make it truly unique. The decision-making process covers the tank selection, the fabrication of the fenders (with their three-dimensional webbing welding), and the simplification of the seat design.

After two days of assembly, Senior unveils the custom Black Widow bike at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where Ms. Lee is participating in a WPBA tournament.  Ms. Lee looks genuinely thrilled by the chopper. Her husband, George Breedlove, looks a bit more distressed.  Asked for her reaction, Ms. Lee says, “It’s beautiful, sexy, strong, but it’s feminine…it’s hot, it’s a hot bike. I’m feeling some fire.”

The “Jeanette Lee Black Widow Bike” episode of American Chopper is available to stream on Discovery+.

*********

1. Interestingly, this was not the first vehicle renovation reality series to include billiards. A few years earlier, the rapper Xzibit “pimped” a 1988 Chevrolet S10 with a built-in pool table on the show Pimp My Ride.

2. In fact, OCC was commissioned by LiquidWick Pool Cues, which signed Ms. Lee to a multi-year contract at the end of 2007, to build the custom bike for her. As is made apparent at the end of the episode, Ms. Lee is not a motorcyclist, even nervously asking what is the “throttle.”

Furniture to Go – “Pool Table”

Leave a reply

In the 1990s, if one was asked about humorous repair shows on television, the press-the-buzzer answer for most Americans would have been Home Improvement, the ABC sitcom that starred Tim Allen as President of the Binford Tool Company and the host of the DIY home improvement show “Tool Time.”

Furniture to Go

Ed Feldman (left) and Joe L’Erario, hosts of Furniture to Go

But, for a small population of Philadelphians, humorous repair was synonymous with Joe L’Erario and Ed Feldman, stars of The Learning Channel series Furniture to Go, which aired from 1993 to 1997.  The two furniture repairmen from the City of Brotherly Love somehow carved out a niche and developed a loyal following in the crowded how-to television genre by intertwining their bonhomie and bad humor with cinematic references and an easygoing approach to their craft.

Over the course of four years, the pair channeled their restorative powers toward a panoply of furniture, from French Deco cocktail tables and walnut pews to poplar armoires, mahogany throne chairs, and Old World roll-top desks.  And, in 1996, for their 49th episode “Pool Table,” they tackled – you guessed it – the refurbishing of an old pool table.  The full episode is available to watch here.

https://youtu.be/rFWc-6_rr_4

Like most Furniture to Go episodes, “Pool Table” begins with a cinematic interstitial. Mr. Feldman plays Minnesota Fats, and Mr. L’Erario plays Bert Gordon, in a black-and-white parody of The Hustler, which also randomly weaves in a reference to “my friend Harvey” from The Honeymooners billiards episode “The Bensonhurst Bomber.” (Other episodes have lampooned films, such as Arsenic and Old Lace, A Clockwork Orange, and On the Waterfront.)

After the clip, Mr. Feldman and Mr. L’Erario take the viewer to Monarch Billiards in Crum Lynne, Pennsylvania, where they have been contracted by the owner to repair an ash pool table (as opposed to the nearby $56,000 table with ­the Carpathian Elm aprons and legs with hand-carved mahogany lions).

Furniture to GoWith table in hand, they return to their studio to begin the restoration, which includes three stages: (1) refinishing the wood; (2) repairing the leather pockets; and (3) refelting the table. Though each stage is intended to be straight-forward, there are a sufficient number of steps involved to make one admire the difficulty of the artistry from afar.

For example, in the first phase, when Mr. L’Erario seeks to replace the “ugliest color finish he’s ever seen,” he takes the viewer through the following steps: sanding, cleaning, tack ragging, masking off, mixing (clear lacquer, burnt sienna japan color, and red mahogany stain), straining the mix, adding fisheye destroyer, spraying, adding a second layer of color (pure golden oak), spraying again, and finally, spraying a semi-gloss lacquer.

All the while, the duo engage in a series of terrible jokes, many with a nod to movies and celebrities.  Describing the legs of the pool table, Mr. Feldman says, “These legs aren’t that attractive either…They’re kind of like my aunt’s leg.” To which Mr. L’Erario replies, “They’re kind of like Ernest Borgnine’s legs.” Referring to the flattening agent in the semi-gloss lacquer, Mr. Feldman asks, “Flattening agent? Is that what Kate Moss uses?”

By the end of “Pool Table,” after the pockets have been treated with mink oil and the rails have been refelted using a rawhide hammer to secure the fabric beneath the splines, the table is reassembled using just a ratchet wrench (“Use the Ratchet. Miss Ratchet. Nurse Ratchet.”), and becomes the setting for a friendly game of billiards.

Though Furniture to Go only lasted a few years, the repair pair have channeled their skills and zany charm through a variety of off-camera activities, including authoring The Furniture Guys Book in 1999 and teaching classes at the Art Institute of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as have appeared on numerous talk shows, such as Good Morning America, Regis and Cathy Lee, Maury Povich and The View.

However, for true zealots of the show, the great news may be the team’s return to television.  In March 2017, a pre-production announcement for their new show The Old Furniture Guys lit up YouTube. For everyone who can’t wait to watch and once again wish to see these guys “lay down some gorgeous Charlie Sheens,” your prayers may have been finally answered.

Mystery Diners – “Behind the Eight Ball”

Based on posted reviews and garnered awards, you would be mighty foolish to visit Portland, Oregon, and not spend an evening dining and playing pool at the Uptown Billiards Club, located in the city’s Pearl District.  The upscale restaurant-cum-pool-hall is rated 4.8 (out of 5) on Open Table, 4.6 (out of 5) on Facebook, and 4 (out of 5) on Yelp, and it has been recognized as a Top 100 “Fit For Foodies” restaurant, as well as a Top 10 restaurant in the Pearl District.  Have you seen the Big Daddy Burger or the signature Bacon, Pear & Fontina Pizza?  They look absolutely sumptuous, and don’t even get me started on the “themed” five course tasting menu…

Mystery DinersThus, it’s hard to imagine why the club’s owner, Kent Lewis, genuinely felt the need to go on the reality show Mystery Diners and spy on his newly hired “social media expert” to validate his usefulness.  But, that’s exactly the premise of the “Behind the Eight Ball” episode, which aired in November 2014 as part of the series’ eighth season.  The episode is available for purchase on YouTube.

Mystery Diners is yet another undercover reality show (e.g., Undercover Boss; Restaurant Stakeout) that covertly monitors employees at work.  Airing on the Food Network and hosted by the wooden Charles Stiles, owner of Business Evaluation Services and Mystery Shopper Services, the series relishes the use of hidden cameras and microphones, and disguised actors, to learn first-hand what happens when the boss is away.

The series, which has about as much tension as Judge Judy, “has been accused of being both completely fake and scripted,” according to WaitWithUs.  “Several people claiming to be involved with both Stiles’ companies and restaurants that have been featured on the show have come forward and stated that not everything broadcast on the series is real.” [1] And, in fact, each episode ends with a graphic stating, “Certain events may have been re-enacted for dramatic purposes.”

All of which brings us back to the proprietor’s curious decision to appear on Mystery Diners.  As Mr. Lewis states, his challenge is trying to “change the perception of a pool hall,” as he cannot exactly “invest in marketing because upscale pool room is an oxymoron.”  So, he hires Sonny, a “social media expert” to bring in new customers, but he requires Mr. Stiles to evaluate the return on his social media investment.

This is a little hard to swallow for several reasons.  First, Uptown Billiards states prominently on their website: “We don’t pay advertisers or publicists to toot our horn, we believe in word-of-mouth.” Okay, not sure how that jibes with the decision to hire Sonny.  Then, there is the not-so-complicated question of how to evaluate a social media expert, besides through elaborate reality television reconnaissance.  How about Facebook likes? Instagram posts?   It took me 15 minutes on these various sites to conclude Uptown Billiards has little social media presence.  With 210 followers on Twitter (and that’s more than 2 years after the episode aired), I think it’s a safe call Sonny didn’t exactly excel at his job.

As the name suggests, Uptown Billiards not only has a mouth-watering menu, but also is home to 10 Brunswick pool tables: eight 4’x8’s and two tournament-sized in a private room.  Ultimately, Sonny is undone by the printing and distribution of coupons to his friends to use these tables for free, all of which is captured on tape rather unconvincingly.

Mystery DinersBut, that “gotcha!” moment is far more credible than the cornball – and clearly staged – reveal of Bri, the new bartender, not only playing pool while she’s working, but gambling too.  What’s more, Bri is apparently in cahoots with the drunkard she beat on the table.  The secret camera shows Bri lining up a pigeon to get hustled, pretending to pour liquor into the drunkard’s glass, and receiving a pay-off. As Mr. Lewis line-reads, “I grew up in a pool hall and I’ve known hustlers my whole life.  This [drunk guy at the table] is a hustler… [and Bri] is a shill…she’s the person who baits the person with the real money.”

Anyone who thinks this scene is real is probably deserving of a hustle.  Bri clearly cannot shoot pool, as evidenced by her stance and the producer’s inability to capture a decent unedited shot. The tosspot at the table playing air guitar with his cue stick looks too drunk to dupe anyone. And there’s no reason for Bri to receive a payoff after each game. The roping should be an all-night affair, with a payoff at the end.

Mystery Diners Sure enough, Bri is played by an actress, Bri Schreiber. The “Behind the Eight Ball” role is listed in on her website. Interestingly, her email includes the phrase “jimmistick,” which is a word for a sawed-off cue stick.  So, perhaps Ms. Schreiber does have some pool DNA in her?  And, more weirdly, her LinkedIn profile shows her as still working at Uptown Billiards…as a roulette dealer?!

In any event, regardless of the veracity of in “Behind the Eight Ball,” the episode seemed to have little impact on Uptown Billiards.  There were no noticeable spikes in social media followers and no online reviews citing the episode as a reason for visiting.  Even Mr. Lewis appears a little unenthused, judging from his Facebook post.  Maybe that’s because he’ll forever be haunted by his closing words, “Thank you Charles for helping me rack up these hustlers and put them behind the eight ball.”

[1]       Reality TV Fake! Food Network Show ‘Mystery Diners’ Caught Up In Scandal For Faking It

Dog Eat Dog – “Beat the Shark”

Leave a reply

As evidenced by the 32 biographies that comprise David Baber’s 2009 book Television Game Show Hosts, the game show host had been, until recently, a celebrity vocation ruled almost exclusively by men. (Case in point: there are no women featured in Baber’s book.) Then, at the start of the millennium, several women finally grabbed the microphone. They included Anne Robinson, the host of the Weakest Link; Meredith Vieira, the host of the syndicated version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire; and Brooke Burns, the host of Dog Eat Dog, an NBC import that included a famous “Beat the Shark” billiards challenge as part of its first season in July, 2002.

Beat the Shark

Host Brooke Burns (center) with contestant Anastasia Normandin and British billiards sensation Dave Pearson.

While the choice of Ms. Burns helped dismantle the male game show host archetype, the decision to hire the 5’8” former fashion model and star of Baywatch was more likely intended to help NBC build momentum on top of its already popular and superior Fear Factor, a reality game show that similarly tasked eye-pleasing contestants with competing in a variety of physically and mentally challenging stunts (including a billiards-themed sequence in the “Billiards for Gross Eats” episode). Dog Eat Dog, too, often asked contestants to strip down to bathing suits, or in the case of playing Strip Quarterback, disrobe to nothing at all, for a chance to win $25,000. Thus, it’s no surprise that a show marketing the physical bodies of its contestants would, in turn, select a host equally gorgeous and marketable.

Beat the SharkOn each episode of Dog Eat Dog, the six contestants vied in a series of physical competitions, trivia challenges, and assorted games. For the “Beat the Shark” sequence, contestant Anastasia Normandin is chosen by the other players to compete in a round of speed pool against Dave “The Ginger Wizard” Pearson, a British billiards player, who shortly after the airing of the episode set a new Guinness World Record by potting two consecutive racks of 15 pool balls in 82 seconds. (He currently owns four world records, though he has set 20 of them in his billiards career.) In the sequence, Ms. Normandin must sink four balls on her table before Mr. Pearson clears two full tables.

The results are highly amusing and sadly predictable. Mr. Pearson moves around the table like a man on fire, shooting effortlessly and never missing a single shot; Ms. Normandin struggles to set up shots, fumbles with a cue stick, and seems incapable of making even the simplest ball-in-pocket. As a result, she is sent to the “Dog Pound,” like the other contestants who failed before her in earlier games. The full sequence is available to watch here.

In addition to “Beat the Shark,” the seventh episode included “Treadmill Trivia” (answering general knowledge questions while running on a treadmill suspended over a water tank); “Ladder Wheel” (climbing around a large wheel while removing flags); the aforementioned “Strip Quarterback” (trading articles of clothing for footballs which must be thrown through an elevated hole in a tower); and “Hang in There” (suspending from handle bars in the air while “rain” pours down).

Dog Eat Dog only lasted two seasons. (There is speculation that the show’s demise was inevitable after one former contestant sued NBC after he was hospitalized and had alleged brain damage resulting from losing consciousness during a particular underwater stunt.[1])

Since the cancellation of Dog Eat Dog, Ms. Burns had continued to host game shows, most recently The Chase on the Game Show Network. Mr. Pearson has continued to try to break his own world records on the billiards table. Last October, he flew into Ozone Billiards in Kennesaw, Georgia to try to beat his 10 table record in eight minutes and 51 seconds.[2] Unfortunately, I can find no further information on Ms. Normandin. Apparently, the humiliating defeat was more than she could bear.

Special thanks to Mike L for alerting me to this particular billiards television episode!

[1] https://gameshows.fandom.com/wiki/Dog_Eat_Dog

[2] http://www.azbilliards.com/news/stories/11582-the-ginger-wizard-goes-for-world-record-at-ozone-for-cancer-charity/

The Hustlers

The HustlersLet me state upfront that I desperately want The Hustlers to succeed. But, for billiards players, the new reality series can be a frustrating television show to watch.  Some of the editing is sloppy, such as showing the balls in 9-ball getting pocketed out of order. Some of the games feel staged, though cast member and series tub-thumper Michael “Mikey Frost” Farley swears that is not the case. And, of course, most irksome and preposterous is The List, a ranking at Steinway Billiards of the top five players in New York, which provides the central plot thread to the series (as characters try to move up the List), but is otherwise pure fantasy, with top amateur player Gary O’Callaghan holding the coveted top spot.

But, guess what? The Hustlers was not produced for a viewing audience of pool players. It was produced for a mainstream, hopefully very large, audience that probably knows only nominally more about competitive billiards than it does about pawnbroking. Yet, Pawn Stars, the History Channel’s runaway reality success story, has commanded a viewing audience of 7 million people, which is a helluva lot more people than work in the country’s 10,000 pawn stores. So, the real question is not how verisimilar The Hustlers is to pool but how well The Hustlers works as reality television entertainment.

The HustlersAs I recently wrote in my blog post “Billiards Reality Shows Beware,” reality television has not been kind to billiards, though the sport has always seemed ripe for the genre. Fortunately, The Hustlers, which premiered on May 22, 2015, has the right backing behind it, starting with the show’s creators, Pilgrim Studios, the production house behind Street Outlaws and Fast N’ Loud, two popular cable shows that have experienced viewer levels of 3 million and 2.5 million, respectively. Then, there is TruTV, the cable network airing The Hustlers. Approximately 89.7 million American households receive TruTV, a network known for its original reality programming. Finally, two of the show’s cast members are Mike Dechaine and Jennifer Barretta (the star of 9-Ball), both nationally ranked and recognized billiards professionals, who should lend an aura of authenticity to the series. Talk about giving The Hustlers the edge.

The Hustlers

Emily Duddy

The series, which is largely filmed on location at Steinway Café & Billiards in Queens, NY, revolves around a 13-member cast of pool players (of varying abilities) and pool hall denizens. Most of the players are competing either to maintain their spot on, or move up, the aforementioned List, which is managed by William Finnegan, the “Godfather of Steinway Billiards,” a venue he adoringly refers to as “pool heaven” and “my second home.” In addition, two of the players, Mr. Dechaine and Jarrod Clowery, are transplants down from Boston, who have come to hustle (or, in the words of Mr. Finnegan, “rob the place”).

Having watched the first two episodes, I think The Hustlers gets several things right regarding the game of pool. First, the series introduces viewers to a number of variations of billiards (e.g., 9-ball, Scotch doubles) and to a myriad of (hustling) negotiation tactics to gain an edge over an opponent, ranging from determining who breaks and racks to deciding how many games to cede or which ball to “give.” Second, the series chalkboards key shots with the players providing voice-over commentary on how to hit a ball with English, how to position a lead, and/or how to set up a game-winning combo. For the untrained viewer, who hopefully comprises the bulks of the audience, these quick critiques reveal the less flashy and far more strategic side of billiards. And third, the series shows some great pool-playing, including not only the obvious telegenic masse and jump shots, but also multi-ball runs, combinations, and safeties.

My concern, however, is about the more fundamental staples of good reality television: interesting characters; small, unexpected moments of intimacy; and, of course, real, emotional conflict. And on this scorecard, The Hustlers is showing some early signs of struggling.

The Hustlers

“The Godfather of Steinway Billiards” William Finnegan

Granted I’ve only watched the first two episodes, but the character development is so far lackluster. The most interesting character is Mr. Finnegan, who is boisterous, comical, and self-aware. He’s a classic trash-talker, who feeds off the energy of the crowd. As his opponent Emily Duddy says in the first episode, “The only way Finnegan can beat me is if he gets under my skin.” Unfortunately, the producers sink to some cheap scripting tactics by trying to position Mr. Finnegan as an unrepentant sexist, who says, “Is [Emily] a star? Yes, in the kitchen,” and “You can walk around in a bikini. You still won’t win.” These lines do little to create authentic conflict.

The HustlersMr. Dechaine is also an enjoyable character. He is slick, unflappable, and conniving. He most personifies the hustler ethos, the ability to “take any advantage, that’s what the hustle is all about.” According to Kickin’ Chicken on the AZ Billiards Forum, “Mike stole the show thus far with him being himself, playing world class speed with total comfort on how to make the right games.” Mr. Dechaine is one of the top players in the country, so his hustle tends to revolve around giving away the minimum amount. That said, the level of adulation the other players show to Mr. Dechaine, endlessly repeating that he’s a top player, not only undermines Mr. Dechaine’s stated goal to “get on the List and win a lot of money,” but also reminds viewers that the List is simply a plot device.

At the other end of the spectrum, the least enjoyable and least interesting characters are “The Skateboard Kid” Ross Lacy, a henpecked twenty-something, who lives with his girlfriend Amy Tabarovsky, the resident witch, who bullyrags Ross into playing games, thereby earning the duo the self-proclaimed “single most obnoxious couple ever” moniker. Perhaps, the producers are trying to position her as a green baize Omarosa, but currently she lacks even a scintilla of the cleverness of the famous villainess from The Apprentice.

Like the majority of billiards aficionados, I am dying for The Hustlers to succeed. And, while I’m critical of aspects of the show, I’m also excited to watch the rest of the series and to hear how it inspires others.

In closing, I wanted to share this AZ Billiards Forum message from Macguy, entitled “A confession regarding The Hustlers”:

I was one of the first out of the box who didn’t really like the first few shows. It has gotten better with episodes 3&4, much better. Here’s the thing, I don’t play that much anymore other than at home once in a while. ..Well the last few nights I had the urge to go out and play and last night I did go to the pool room. It is not a great pool room with poor lighting but it is only 10 minutes away. I had fun and even got into a cheap ring game for a few hours. I know it is because of watching The Hustlers show I felt like going out and playing. I can’t believe I am that unique, I wonder if it has had the same effect on anyone else.

Billiards Reality Shows Beware

Leave a reply

Within the sub-genre of reality shows focused on career professional activities, there are series about everyone from taxidermists (Immortalized) and life guards (Bondi Rescue) to repo men (Lizard Lick Towing) and pest controllers (Billy the Exterminator). It is not then farfetched to suggest there should be one on pool players. Throughout history, pool halls have been a mecca for characters with indelible names and colorful personalities who seem primed for the camera.

Case in point, consider the pool hustling era of the 1960s and 1970s. Imagine having documented 24/7 with fly-on-the-wall intimacy the hustles of Bernard “Bunny” Rogoff, the intimidation of “Sugar Shack” Johnny Novak, the hijinks of U.J. Puckett, or the hygiene of Omaha Fats? Add in the jarring, dumping, woofing, and jonesing, and you would have had reality gold.

Fear FactorIn fact, billiards has been the focus of reality television episodes on numerous occasions. In the “Billiards for Gross Eats” episode of the reality show Fear Factor, contestants had to shoot pool to determine what inedibles (e.g., squid guts, putrid duck egg) they were required to eat. On the “Empty Pockets” episode of Bar Rescue, host Jon Tasker tried to save Zanzibar Billiards from collapse. On Pimp My Ride, rapper-host Xzibit helped transform a beat-up 1988 Chevy S10 into a mobile pool table on the episode “Sara’s Chevy S10.” And, of course, all the flagship reality shows (i.e., Big Brother, The Real World, The Bachelorette) that congregate hot twenty-somethings with raging hormones and grating personalities into a single house, naturally include pool tables on the premises, providing the perfect backdrop for late-night revelry and drunken competitions.

14 Days Great Pool Experiment - billiards moviesBut, reality is always more complex, and for whatever reason, billiards has yet to fully infiltrate reality television. One reason may be that it’s “boring as piss [to watch],” as semi-pro pool player Andrew Cleary recently shared on a message forum about the topic. To date, the only billiards reality show that I would deem a success is Tor Lowry’s 14 Days – The Great Pool Experiment web series, in which Mr. Lowry films himself providing two weeks of non-stop instruction to amateur players seeking to improve their game. The show works because of its earnest mission, though its viewership is tiny. Otherwise, the billiards-reality show convergence is littered with dead-end pilots and unfulfilled promises.

One of the first to surface was Diaries of Pool Hustlers, a reality show that Blair Thein and Jerry Tarantola began working on in 2007, if not earlier. The concept was for cameras to follow “professional players/hustlers through the grind of different states and cities, traveling on the Hustle Bus as they match up with worthy opponents, putting their names on the lines” and finally competing in the Ultimate Billiard/Poker Extreme Challenge. Unfortunately, these diaries wound up unread. The trailer is available here.

Billiards Reality ShowsAnother reality show still in limbo is the awesomely named, highly anticipated Pool, Poker and Pain. Since 2008, nine-baller, mixed martial artist, and entrepreneur Blair Thein has been promoting his ultimate reality show that would feature contestants battling each other at the pool table, the poker table, and in Mixed Martial Arts combat in the Circle of Truth. While there has been little news on the series since the announcement in late 2012 that Jay Adams (Deadliest Catch) had signed on as a producer, I’m crossing fingers and toes this show gets released one day.

In 2011, Andrew Cleary and Pool Wars author Jay Helfert miscued with their reality show concept High Stakes Pool (later renamed The Pool Hustlers). They shot a 105-minute pilot that featured billiards players Morro Paez, Rafael Martinez, and John “Mr. 400” Schmidt engaged in a high stakes $100-a-man Ten Ball ring game. The plan for future episodes was to increase the stakes to $500 per man, but the pilot was not picked up. The trailer is available here. The DVD of the pilot is sold on Mr. Helfert’s website.

More recently, there have been a slew of announcements about billiards reality shows. Some have already fizzled, others face a challenging road ahead, given the minimal commercial success of their predecessors.

Billiards Reality ShowsOne example is American Road Player (formerly American Hustlers), a new reality series announced in November 2014 that promised to “take you on a 2100 mile ride through 10 states, 40 pool halls and countless hours of pressure-packed shots on the way to the most lucrative week in high stakes, under­-ground pool gambling: The Derby City Classic.” The show planned to feature a crew of hustlers, led by Fred “Scooter” Goodman, a 26-year-old father of two whose motto is, “Only bet on something that you KNOW you can win.” The show had strong production talent behind it, and ran the table when it announced that Keith McCready (Grady Seasons from The Color of Money), was joining the cast. But, a failed Indiegogo fundraising campaign generated just $2,485 of a $40,000 goal, effectively killing the concept.

A billiards reality show that may break from tradition and prove more successful is Kings of Cue. This past December, TruTV announced it was beefing up its original programming and ordered 10 episodes of the series from Pilgrim Studios, the producers of Street Outlaws and Fast N’ Loud, two popular cable shows. Kings of Cue will feature cutthroat pool players, such as Andrew Cleary, competing in New York billiards halls. The series is expected to air at the end of April.

In January 2015, Kelsher Entertainment announced it was recruiting “every day, local, pool players” for its Ultimate Pool Sharks Tournament in Atlanta, May 29-31. The tournament, however, will also be used to produce a reality TV pilot. According to their website, “some of the best and most interesting players can be found in neighborhood billiard halls.” Selected participants will be video recording during tournament play and at other times. Therefore, “colorful personalities and dress styles are as important as good billiard skills….and a little “smack talking and showboating is encouraged…this is REALITY TV!”  

Billiards Reality ShowsAnd finally, there is She Sharks, perhaps the most hyped and highly awaited of all the billiards reality shows. Yet another brainchild of Blair Thein, the show first started generating chatter in late 2013. According to the website, the series, produced by Axius Entertainment, will follow seven professional female pool players on a “10-week excursion across the country on the Hustle Bus looking for action in some of the most notorious “off circuit” pool halls sometimes found on the wrong side of town.” The septet of women include some the best –and hottest – women in the sport: BCA Hall of Famer Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee, BCA Hall of Famer LoreeJon Hasson (nee Jones), Rachel Abbink, Akiko “The Leopard Queen” Kitayama, Kathryn Fairchild, Dawn Fox, and (just announced in January) MAXIM model Shanelle Loraine. The show is supposed to begin filming right around now, starting in Florida.

If history is any predictor of the future, these shows have a (very) tough road ahead. But, billiards has always struggled to find a viewership, so what else is new? Better to put down the Magic 8-Ball, sit back and keep your remote handy, and stick out a thumb, hoping, just hoping, you might hitch a ride on the Hustle Bus.