‘The Last Dance’ Is Getting 10 More Episodes…Well, Sort Of
Given the smashing success and popularity of The Last Dance, the 10-part ESPN/Netflix docuseries chronicling Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, it was only a matter of time before a follow-up came along and that time has come…well, sort of.
It appears that The Last Dance will get 10 more episodes but it will come in the form of a new podcast series titled Beyond the Last Dance, which isn’t likely to feature Michael Jordan at all, at least not in the way in which he was involved with the original.
‘The Last Dance’ was a ratings juggernaut for ESPN and continues to thrive on Netflix
The Last Dance originally wasn’t set to premiere until June 2020 but when COVID-19 shut down the sports world, ESPN moved the release date up to April 19 and aired two episodes every Sunday night for five consecutive weeks. Directed by Jason Hehir, the 10-part series was a huge hit for ESPN, averaging close to 5.7 million viewers per episode when it aired live, also picking up an additional 13 million viewers per episode on-demand, easily making it the most-watched documentary in network history.
The Last Dance began airing on Netflix on July 19 and has been viewed in close to 24 million households, proving that people just haven’t gotten enough of Michael Jordan and the Bulls just yet.
‘Beyond the Last Dance’ will be a 10-part podcast series hosted by J.A. Adande and B.J. Armstrong
On Tuesday morning, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweeted (seen above) that the NBA was set to announce a 10-part podcast series called Beyond the Last Dance that will continue the story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, which the league did. The series will be co-hosted by Jordan’s former teammate and three-time NBA champion, B.J. Armstrong, and former Bulls reporter, J.A. Adande, both of whom were featured in The Last Dance.
NBA Entertainment and Audible are expected to collaborate on the project that seems to have no affiliation with ESPN or Netflix whatsoever.
What should we expect?
So what should we expect from Beyond the Last Dance? According to NBC Sports, the series will “explore additional storylines past ESPN’s documentary and will feature interviews with former players, coaches, and journalists.”
So what exactly does that mean?
Will some of Jordan’s past Chicago Bulls teammates and/or rivals show up on the new podcast series? Perhaps Horace Grant comes on to once again refute what MJ said about him in The Last Dance. Maybe Isiah Thomas pops in for a visit to talk about the audio that clearly shows that Michael Jordan lied about keeping him off the Dream Team. Maybe everyone involved gets the chance to say what they want to say this time without giving Michael Jordan the last word. This could go in any number of different directions so we’ll all just have to wait and see.
But at least we won’t have to wait long. Beyond the Last Dance premieres on August 31.
