The Bronx Is Burning (2007) User Reviews

Innovative Sports Show

[treeskier802 · 9/10 · 24 July 2007]

I am a big baseball fan and have always enjoyed movies like Bull Durham, The Natural, and Major League. The Bronx Is Burning is quite different.

First of all, it is a television show depicting actual events; the New York Yankees run to the World Series during the 1977 series. Second, this show is not your typical "feel good" sports movie. The players, owner, and manager have gripes with each other. It is interesting to see the true nature of a sports team. They are not always slapping each other on the rear ends and high fiving each other. Some of the players, and even the manager, can't stand each other. It truly was The Bronx Zoo.

One aspect of the show I don't particularly care for are the scenes involving the Son Of Sam murders. These scenes get a little too much attention. It is interesting that events of the day are intertwined throughout the show though, it helps put the show in its appropriate time frame and sets a good mood.

The cast of the four main characters Billy Martin (John Turturro), George Steinbrenner (Oliver Platt), Reggie Jackson (Daniel Sunjata), and Thurman Munson (Erik Jensen) is superb.

You don't have to be a Yankees fan to admire this show. It has a catchy story line that keeps you wanting more. The music for the show is also very good. ESPN has hit a homerun with this one. Rating 9 of 10 stars.

Give this a Shot

[battlephrog · 8/10 · 10 July 2007]

I watched the first episode of The Bronx is Burning last night, and I have to say it was good. The actors are believable in their representation, the sets look very authentic, and the wardrobe is great. So far, the standouts in acting are Oliver Platt and John Turturro as Steinbrenner and Martin. The addition to the other then baseball activities going on in New York City during this time adds more meat to the story. I say so far so good and look forward to the next episode. I would recommend you give this a shot, especially if you are old enough to remember or even if you are not, this time in baseball and American history.

Not to be missed.

[esale1 · 10/10 · 9 August 2007]

I think this series is the best thing to hit commercial TV in the last 2 years. The casting is perfect, the acting superb, the script par excellence. I think including the Son of Sam storyline adds to the overall feeling of sweat, fear, frustration and anger in New York that the summer of 1977 seemed to engender. If John Turturro and Oliver Platt don't both get Emmys for their performances, there just ain't no justice! I remember that year, I remember being blow away by Reggie Jackson's ability, and Billy Martin's short temper, but of course knew nothing of what went on in the back office. Interestingly, my first glimpse of Steinbrenner as something other than a name came from the old Seinfelds, and Platt has borough him to life as no one else could. What a marvelous series.

Great Show!

[rcm711 · 14 August 2007]

It's nice to have something to watch after "The Soprano"s". That was the only show that I made a point to watch, and now it's "The Bronx is Burning". Remembering the Yankee's back then is very nostalgic, even though I was a big Dodger fan. I think John Turturro is Emmy worthy, his portrayal of Billy Martin is unbelievable. Pretty much everyone in the cast us right on. I had forgotten about all the drama that occurred back then with that team, but there's certainly plenty to reminisce about. I was wondering about the reaction that retired Yankee' have about this series? Even though though after the show there are interviews with them, what has been the buzz, overall?

Accurate Portrayal of Life in the Bronx

[ramsfan · 8/10 · 3 May 2009]

"The Bronx is Burning" juxtaposes the story of the Yankees' run for the AL Pennant (and ultimately the World Series) with the Son of Sam murders, the infamous blackout and other notable events during this tumultuous time in the city's history. This miniseries mirrors the book "Damned Yankees" written by Moss Klein and Bill Madden, beat writers for The Newark Star Ledger and The New York Daily News respectively, who depicted all the craziness on those Yankee teams from the 70's through the 80's.

George Steinbrenner's tyrannical ownership of the Yankees was marked by a mixture of great success and turmoil during this time. Frequent managerial firings, front office turnover and overpayment of free agents all contributed to a circus atmosphere which was dubbed "The Bronx Zoo" by members of the media. "The Bronx is Burning" does a great job of depicting the principal characters and storyline of the '77 Yankee team. Particularly good is the work of John Turturro as the tactically brilliant but personally troubled manager Billy Martin. His striking resemblance lends immeasurable credibility to the show. Also very good is Oliver Platt as Steinbrenner. His mannerisms and speech closely mirror those of the real George.

If you are a baseball fan or Yankee follower, this is worth your while.

Very good especially when baseball was good.

[TheEmulator23 · 8/10 · 1 April 2008]

I haven't been a fan of baseball since the last strike whenever that was. The fact that a decent player(A Rod) signed a contract for 300 million over 10 years disgusts me. The best thing about this series is it reminds you of the way baseball used to be. It is excellently acted although a little slow getting going and probably could have been at least one episode shorter than it was. It is a fascinating look at the relationships between all the players, coaches, and owner on the Yankees to see what they had to go through to win. For someone who could care less about baseball anymore it is a great trip down memory lane to the good ol' days of baseball *cough* before steroids, BALCO, & all the illegitimate "Great" players that are around these days. Watch this especially if you want to see a good story and the better days of when baseball actually was America's sport. It's now Football just in case you wondered. If you don't have a chance to see the whole series watch the last few episodes instead of the first.

Summer camp come to life on screen

[ray-280 · 10/10 · 27 September 2007]

Baseball is summer camp for adults, especially those who play, manage, and own. I'm referring, however, to the summer of 1977, which I spent at camp in Connecticut, with a camp population equally split between children from New York, Boston, and Baltimore, baseball's answer to the 1944 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, which ended in a triple dead-heat for win. One was threatened in the AL East this summer, where a fire in the south Bronx during a Yankee game led Howard Cosell to inform the world: "Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning." The fire, though contained to an empty warehouse, was symbolic of the plight of New York City and the south Bronx in 1977, as well as the turmoil of the Yankees first captured in "The Bronx Zoo" by Sparky Lyle, a far better treatment of this team from the point of view of its star relief pitcher.

At camp, we were glued to the radio most of the time, and to the television in the dining hall, whenever any of the three contenders were playing. We'd get Sports Illustrated each week to tell us what had happened, and This Week In Baseball was actually a current events show. With no wildcard to spoil the mix, the divisional race was hotly contested, and only one team would escape with the title. At camp, we would leave at the end of August, taunting the kids from the other cities that our team was going to win. That the Yankees won for me was little consolation, as they slipped 14.5 games behind the Red Sox in 1978, although by the time camp ended the lead was down to 7 and the kids from Boston were getting nervous.

The Bronx Is Burning deals primarily with how Reggie Jackson changed and strengthened the Yankees, despite the turmoil, and how George Steinbrenner turned the club owner into a utility position. Steinbrenner has proved many times over that pennants cannot be bought, so the 1977-78 Yankees were indeed special. They won because of Reggie, with an all-time dramatic climax that lived up to and then exceeded the hype, and gave Yankee fans a taste of days gone by, something that would not be repeated for a lot longer than people ever dreamed possible. By 1980, Reggie had aged, though he hit 41 home runs, including his 400th after a seven-day drought (which I waited for many times before missing the night he hit it), but George Brett and the Royals had knocked the Yankees into the history books as a memory of what you saw on this show.

The cast was lousy, especially Oliver Platt as Steinbrenner. "Reggie" (Daniel Sunjata) looked like an inflatable Reggie doll that had been deflated, and John Tuturro put a little too much Herbie Stempel into his Billy Martin, playing him almost as if he had Tourette's. Surprsingly good were Joe Grifasi as Yogi Berra, and Loren Dean as the ultra-forgettable backup catcher Fran Healy (who would later take over for Thurman Munson when Munson died suddenly in a plane crash in 1979), who plays a pivotal role as Reggie Jackson's consigliore. Healy is the only player with so little at stake on the field that he can tell Reggie to "suck it up" when benched in the last playoff game, and the only one Jackson would listen to. Reggie respected Healy but knew he couldn't be like him, just as Healy knew the opposite. This friendship could and should have been explored in much greater detail.

Since ESPN produced the series, it was historically accurate, down to the postgame quote by Steinbrenner that he was "not gonna touch" the Yankees the following year (he fired Martin in the middle of 1978 only to rehire him for 1980). The 1978 story was almost as fascinating and would make a decent sequel, but it is unclear if ESPN will be revisiting this story. Those Yankees had to deal with a runaway Red Sox juggernaut that began to falter late in the year, and visited New York for one of the greatest slaughters in the history of sports.

This series will bring history to life in an entertaining way, and had it been fiction, the ending would have been called predictable, boring, and unrealistic.

If you're young, you'll definitely know why your dad speaks so highly of Reggie Jackson.

Not That Great, Not That Bad

[sheilaemail · 6/10 · 10 July 2007]

This isn't too bad, from what I've seen so far. But it isn't the '77 Yankees. John Turturro as Billy Martin is plain miscast, and his performance is odd. It also might be the script. He's way too laid back. Granted, Billy wasn't throwing tantrums every minute, but he was a very intense guy. He also had a gentle humor about him. He grew up in Berkeley, California, so he did not have a strong Texas/Okie accent as portrayed here. He picked up a little of his buddy Mickey Mantle's accent, but it was more subtle. Platt also is not a very convincing Steinbrenner. I'm not crazy about the guy that plays Reggie Jackson, either. I'm waiting to see if it gets better, let's put it that way. The weaving in of the Son of Sam story and other elements of the time hasn't played out fully yet, either. I'm not sure this series is going to be a keeper. Though it did make me laugh when "Reggie" claimed the character he most identified with is Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I wonder if that's true.

Comparisons of Actor to Real Life Character

[Danman770 · 9/10 · 13 August 2007]

I am a Die-Hard Mets fan. I like to watch the Bronx is Burning. I do know my share about the Yankees. Here are my comparisons by using a scale from 1 to 3, 1: no resemblance, 2: decent resemblance, 3 amazing resemblance.

Oliver Platt who plays Yankees owner George Steinbrenner gets a 2. He does portrays him well.

Kevin Conway, who plays Yankees President and GM, Gabe Paul, gets a 1.

John Turturro, who plays Yankee Manager Billy Martin, has an amazing resemblance gets a 3.

Joe Grifasi who plays Yogi Berra, gets a 2, not the best of resemblances, but has the same voice.

Max Casella, who plays 3B coach Dick Howser, gets a 3.

Daniel Sunjata who plays RF Reggie Jackson gets a 1, because the skin color isn't the same to the real Reggie Jackson (not being racist), and because he isn't as big.

Loren Dean, who plays backup catcher Fran Healy gets a 3.

Erik Jensen who plays C Thurman Munson gets a 3. He also has that grumpy attitude.

Mather Zickel, who plays DH Lou Pinella gets a 2, because Pinella was heavier.

Alex Cramner, who plays 3B Craig Nettles, gets a 3.

Leonard Robinson, who plays Mick "the Quick" Rivers, gets a 2.

Evan Hart, who plays Bucky "Fucking" Dent, gets a 2.

Dock Pollard, who plays 2B Willie Randolph, gets a 2.

Unbelievably awesome!

[Poprocks67 · 10/10 · 18 October 2007]

Wow wow wow! With the World Series coming up (Go Rockies!), I was glad to see that ESPN showed a marathon of The Bronx is Burning. I watched the entire series, only pausing to go to the restroom or grab a soda. It is that riveting. This was done so incredibly well, interweaving the events that were unfolding in New York City in 1976 and 1977, while a minor drama played out in the House that Ruth Built. Beginning with the signing of Billy Martin, arguably on of the best managers to ever be in the Major League Baseball organization, to the signing of "Mr. October" to the amazing 1977 World Series, this played out beautifully. A welcome twist was the storyline within the storyline about the efforts to capture David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam" killer, that terrorized New York Cty in 1976 and 1977. It was almost like getting two mini series in one, complete with 2 all star casts. John Turturro was spot on as Billy Martin, capturing that manic energy he was famous for perfectly. I can never say anything other than glowing comments about Oliver Platt, one of the most underrated actors of our generation. His performance as George Steinbrenner was captivating. Daniel Sunjata was eerie as Reggie Jackson, bringing a lot of depth to Jackson, and his image. From every little detail, the archival footage of the games, to the footage of the 1977 Mayoral Race, to the capture of New Yorks most notorious serial killer, everything about this series lent more authenticity to the entire story. Watching the footage of the 1977 World Series brought back memories because I remember being a 10 year old girl, glued to the set because my beloved Dodgers were in the World Series. Anyone who is a fan of the game needs to see this series. The interviews with George, Reggie, Billy's son, Bucky Dent, Willie Randolph, Lou Piniella, and countless others gives an amazing glimpse into what it was like being in that Molotov cocktail that was the New York Yankees.

Thanks For the Memory?

[MCL1150 · 5/10 · 7 August 2007]

In the Summer of '77, I was a fourteen year-old Yankee crazy kid who watched every last moment of every single game I could on cable and read all the bad press that went along with it. All I cared about was Yankee wins and quickly tired of the whole so-called circus sideshow situations. Watching a dramatization of that season is downright PAINFUL! I remember watching the famous Fenway game when Martin and Jackson came to blows. I also remember seeing Jackson hit those three Series homers live. I'll stick with the actual, seen'em a million times highlights. And one episode's assertion that Mickey Rivers was into cock fighting was simply obscene! What bothers me most besides the over the top soap opera trimmings is how only some of the actors really nail the look of the players. Martin (at least when his hat is on) and Munson are dead on. Jackson looks like a high school actor trying to look like Reggie! Pinella isn't even close and one guy playing a member of the press is a dead ringer for Catfish Hunter which is just confusing. Perhaps he looks just like the guy, but they should err on the side of what fans of the era would remember best. After all, these were and always will be MY Yankees and if you're gonna do something like this, ya gotta get the look of the players JUST right. OK, so Steinbrenner can look wrong, but that's as far as I'll go.

Worth Seeing

[Michael_Elliott · 27 February 2008]

Bronx is Burning, The (Pt. 1) *** 1/2 (out of 4) The first part in this eight part mini-series gets off to a good start as we see George Steinbrenner (Oliver Platt) hiring Billy Martin (John Turturro) only to see the two start fighting over Reggie Jackson being brought in. Also brought up in this episode is the Son of Sam killings starting. I'll hold most of my comments until the mini-series is over but Turturro seems to be excellent as Martin but Platt isn't impressing me too much as the big guy. The supporting players seem to be fitting their roles just fine so we shall see how the series moves along.

Bronx is Burning, The (Pt. 2) *** 1/2 (out of 4) George Steinbrenner (Oliver Platt) and Billy Martin (John Turturro) come to an understanding days after Martin is fired but this doesn't stop Martin's hatred for Reggie Jackson. Also, the Son of Sam killer is now taunting the police with notes saying he's going to kill more. This second part (of eight) really picks up steam with Turturro becoming terrific as the legendary Martin. I've noticed that Platt plays the part a lot better during the quiet scenes but whenever he tries to be the "Big Boss" he gets a bit campy. The stuff in the locker room between Jackson and his teammates is also very well done. Again, I'll post more when the mini-series is over.

Bronx is Burning, The (Pt. 3) **** (out of 4) Things heat up when Billy Martin (John Turturro) pulls Reggie Jackson out of a game in Boston on live television. This leads to Steinbrenner (Oliver Platt) traveling to Detroit to fire Martin. Back in NYC, Son of Sam kills two more people. This part is certainly the best so far with a lot of drama and the notorious event of Martin pulling Jackson makes for some great entertainment. There's also one nicely suspenseful scene dealing with Son of Sam. What's really standing out about this mini-series is the performance of Turturro who is turning in the best work of his career as the troubled Martin. His breakdown towards the end of this episode was really, really heartbreaking.

Bronx is Burning, The (Pt. 4) *** (out of 4) Steinbrenner (Oliver Platt) promises Billy Martin (John Turturro) he won't fire him, the first anniversary of the Son of Sam killing approaches and NYC is hit with a blackout in this fourth part of the mini-series. This was the weakest of the four parts so far but the acting is still top-notch but none of the three main parts are really hammered home like in the previous parts.

Bronx is Burning, The (Pt. 5) *** 1/2 (out of 4) A terrorist plot hits NYC as record high temperatures do as well. The Son of Sam killer is finally caught as the Yankees take over first place after Martin bats Jackson clean-up. After the good but weakest segment last week, this weeks episode picks back up with a great reenactment of the capture of Sam and the Miller beer commercial with Steinbrenner and Martin is still funny.

Bronx is Burning, The (Pt. 6) *** (out of 4) The Son of Sam killer is trying to make money off his killings while the Yankees finally beat out Boston for the Eastern Division but things start to unravel against Kansas City. This is yet another good episode but I was expecting so much more since we've been building up to the playoffs. There's really nothing too overly important that stands out here except for a great scene where Steinbrenner watches one of the playoff games with a group of college kids in their dorm. This scene is also the best Oliver Platt has been as The Boss.

Bronx is Burning, The (Pt. 7) *** 1/2 (out of 4) The next to last episode has the Yankees in the World series against the Dodgers but Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin must come to some sort of understanding while Steinbrenner wants to offer Martin an extension. This episode picks up a lot more of the baseball action and I'm glad to see that this episode goes into more details about what was going on in the dugout. Each game is given plenty of time for us to see all the action and see how the characters were going through it.

Bronx is Burning, The (Pt. 8) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Final episode has the Yankees entering Game 6 and trying to clinch it while a report in Time magazine has Jackson saying he won't return to the team if Martin is still coaching. Before the game Steinbrenner gives Martin a two year contract while Jackson goes out and hits three home runs. This final episode picks up a lot more steam and caps off the series very nicely, although I wish they would have used more new footage instead of all the real life clips. It would have been nice to see more of the reactions after the game but the episode is still quite strong.

"Clash of the Yankees"

[hitchcockkelly · 8/10 · 27 January 2023]

It's an incredible story. Each one of the three main characters could star in their own movie, but put them together on one stage, and it's "Clash of the Titans". "The Bronx Is Burning" is a study in how talent can overcome massive ego, meddling, childishness and pettiness played out on the biggest stage in the world. Of the three, Martin comes out looking the best. How he was able to keep his hair and his sanity, much less win, when caught between the unstoppable force called Reggie Jackson and the immovable object called George Steinbrenner is a wonder. Jackson comes off as a prima donna's prima donna. Tyrell Owens standing on Dennis Rodman's shoulders wouldn't reach to Jackson's chin. Steinbrenner was simply a bull in a china shop. He cared about the team, but his attempts to bring the boardroom to the baseball diamond almost wrecked it. This movie is King Kong versus Godzilla versus Rodan. I wouldn't have wanted to be in the same room with any two of the real guys, but you won't be able to take your eyes off of Turturro, Platt and Daniel Sunjata.

The Best show on TV besides The Wire

[glory2godpd · 10/10 · 28 August 2007]

I don't particularly care to watch TV anymore due to all the un-originally studios are presenting these days with reality TV. It seems that no one with any imagination or has taken a class in screen writing exists in Hollywood giving us trash TV such as FLAVOR OF LOVE, HOW TO MARRY A Millionaire, etc. Once in a blue moon, a creative team brainstorms to create a wonderful, brilliant show that NO ONE WATCHES-there are two shows on TV right now that describes this comment-THE WIRE and THE BRONX IS BURNING.

As a die hard Yankee fan, well I have to be because I was born and raised on Gerard Ave, a block away from the stadium, I raced home from work every night to watch GREAT PERFORMANCES by John Turturo, Oliver Platt, and others, and excellent editing and writing. Although I was only 12 months old when all of this was going on, I felt like the events was happening present day.

People tend to forget that this is NOT a "Sports" show and its not necessarily about The Yankees per se-its about NEW YORK CITY CIRCA 1977. I wasn't bothered by one bit watching the fear that terriorzed NYC from the Son of Sam-this is WHAT Happened and it reflected on everyone's lives (except for us Black folks because he wasn't killing us). Disco was big, SEX was everywhere AIDS free, the summer was a monster and the depiction of the blackout was the best thing I've seen on TV. I'm a vintage freak and watching those old clips of people trying to survive in the 100 degree heat in the dark, makes me wonder how in the hell my parents kept my twin brother and I, sane in our cribs, along with three teenage girls.

What I loved about this show was how they showed the heart and soul of NYC-we may hate you for not fulfilling your responsibilities but when you come through for us, WE WILL WORSHIP YOU and when it comes to the Yankees winning, Color, creed, class of people doesn't matter. The looting doesn't matter-we all love on one another...until after the ticket tate parade.

When I first saw the promo to this, I thought it was going to be another cheap shot of old New York filmed in Canada (not sure if it was)with d-grade performances but I was dead wrong.

Great show and I'm sad that its reached its finale; now the same writers should create SPRING OF 94 where The Rangers won the cup and the Knicks were in the Finals at the same time.

"The Bronx" is BRILLIANT

[texasthunderhawk · 10/10 · 26 July 2008]

I might as well tell you right off, I am not a Yankees fan....

But I am a baseball fan and I respect their legacy. And I love history. So "The Bronx Is Burning" fills both of my favorite subjects: Baseball and History.

The overall plot of the movie is the recounting of how the 1977 New York Yankees rose up to win their first World Series title in more than a decade against the social strife that threatened to destroy the Greatest City On Earth. This includes the rise of urban poverty and crime, a heated Mayoral election, the mis-management of city services like the NYPD and the Sanitation Workers, a sweltering summer heatwave, and of course, the "Son Of Sam" killings. These events outside the baseball field are intricately woven into the story (with the over-riding subplot being the hunt for the "Son Of Sam") and actually are set up in a way that the subplot narratives actually have some bearing on the main story of the New York Yankess.

In 1977, one year after losing the World Series to the "Big Red Machine" Cincinatti Reds, the bullying and pompous owner George Stienbrenner (Oliver Platt, perfectly over the top) began exerting the pressure for which he is notorious for upon the scrappy and fiery manager, Yankees legend Billy "The Kid" Martin (John Turturro, heart-wrenchingly tragic) to win...OR ELSE! To "help" Martin reach this goal, he signs free agent slugger, the cocky and arrogant Reggie Jackson (Daniel Sunjata, perfectly smug) to give the Yanks the final muscle to push their way back into Greatness.

Sounds like the perfect recipe for success, right? WRONG! Martin never wanted Reggie there because he had too many left hand hitters on his roster and the fact that Reggie, despite his massive power, strikes out too much. Another strike against the slugger in Martin's eyes was that Reggie was too selfish and arrogant to be a team player. So needless to say, things were sour from the start...and they got worse from there.

The mini-series chronicles the many notorious incidents that peppered the Yankees' run for the title. This includes Stienbrenner nattering Martin on every miscue and telling him how he should make out his line ups. Martin and his embittered personality which was fueled (as in real life) by his excess drinking. And Reggie's self-righteousness and ability to toss out brash statements that only served to further alienate him from his team mates, which came to a head with an interview he gave for SPORT Magazine in which he seemingly attacked his team mates, and fueled the rivalry between the put-upon Martin and his star slugger which culminated in the notorious dugout brawl at Fenway Park. Also in the mix for this mess is the legendary catcher, Thurman Munson (Who bore the brunt of Reggie's attacks in the magazine article), the dim-witted but lovable Hall of Famer Yogi Berra (Martin's bench coach), the under appreciated Bucky Dent (or Bucky "F****ing" Dent to the Red Sox fans), the quick-witted Mickey "Mick the Quick" Rivers, and the average guy Lou Pinella.

What I loved about this mini-series is how the New York subplots, especially the "Son Of Sam" manhunt are perfectly woven into the story of the Yankees. For example: a cop refers to the "S.O.S." killer as "a raving maniac"....cut to George Stienbrenner in the middle of a rant. A scene about the mayoral race and the arrogance of the candidate...cut to Reggie Jackson being smug. An outside character making comments that if someone doesn't stop this, it will kill them...cut to Martin getting drunk and brooding. It's the intricate lacing of the narrative that makes the story compelling and will make even the most casual sports fan want to go grab the book by Johnathan Mahler upon which the series is based.

This is truly a great mini-series and anyone who didn't see it on TV or felt compelled to go grab the DVD...You must be crazier than the Son Of Sam!

Excellent series but no series can capture the real drama that year

[pachin · 9/10 · 30 August 2007]

I watched "Bronx is Burning" with great interest considering I was a huge fan of the 1977 Yankees. The book was excellent and the way Jonathan Mahler interwove the drama of the 1977 Yankees, politics and the Son of Sam killings was terrific.

Since it was an ESPN production this series focuses mainly on the 1977 Yankees and on the central characters on that team, Reggie Jackson, the egotistical right fielder of the Yankees, Billy Martin, the maniacal and self destructive manager and George Steinbrenner, the owner who also had a huge ego.

I thought John Turturro, Daniel Sunjata and Oliver Platt did excellent jobs as respectively Billy Martin, Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner. Turturro does an excellent job of conveying the tortured sole of Billy Martin. Sunjata also does a terrific job of handling the mannerisms of Reggie Jackson and what Reggie was all about.

I enjoy the way the series showed what was going on in New York in 1977 and the way they were able to switch back and forth between sports, politics and the scary atmosphere at that time because of "Son of Sam." Strangely enough while I thought they did a great job I think it is virtually impossible to understand the amazing drama that was the Yankees of the late 1970's. It was a soap opera and a baseball team rolled into one. A group of amazing talents and perhaps even more amazing egos.

In 1977 you wondered if the team would be more exciting on the field or off the field. Sometimes you would get both as shown by the near fight that Reggie Jackson almost had with Billy Martin in Fenway Park during that season. There were the incredible comebacks during the games, comebacks from relatively far behind in the standings, comebacks from trailing in the 9th inning in the last game to the Royals. The drama of the Jackson benching in the final game of that playoff series and Reggie redeeming himself with a clutch hit late that game.

There seemed to be a major controversy every day and you had to check out several newspapers to get the stories of what was going on with that year.

The ending that year of the 1977 Yankees and Reggie Jackson was so stunning that if it was a fictional story I would not have believed it because it was so corny! In possibly the greatest single game performance in baseball history Reggie Jackson hit 3 home runs on only 3 swings to win the World Series for the Yankees for the Yankees first title in 15 years. This was the signature game for Reggie and the game that people always think of when they think of "Mr. October" aka Reggie Jackson.

Strangely enough the following year may have been every bit as exciting if not more so. The 1978 Yankees wouldn't be a bad mini-series either.

Story is building nicely.....

[coleman-33 · 10/10 · 26 July 2007]

I didn't know how this miniseries would develop but had read the book and was hopeful. I must admit that ESPN has done well and I'm enjoying the series very much. I've watched the first three episodes....The sets are a cut above for a miniseries and the characters are growing nicely in their parts. I'm old, so I remember the 70's. It was before the strike and baseball was still very much a part of America. That is, the old America, when a night at the game made your week, when the guy selling peanuts could throw a strike 15 rows up. Including all the historical events of the time, in New York City, with a good baseball story puts me right back there. That was definitely part of the story, so I'm glad ESPN chose to stay true to the book.

Good job, ESPN!

Extremely Disappointing

[makeham98 · 3/10 · 30 August 2007]

The casting is terrible... Oliver Platt acts like a complete buffoon... Steinbrenner is annoying and obnoxious, but he's played as a bumpkin here... Reggie is dull... the real Reggie was never dull... Billy Martin is played as a pathetic loser... no admirable qualities at all, NONE... a really mean-spirited portrayal. Thurman Munson, "beloved captain", played as a jealous jerk... Gabe Paul, impotent idiot (okay, they got one right). DiMaggio with no charisma (or overwhelming arrogance, take your pick), just bland. No Mickey? Not Mick the Quick, he was hilarious.

The good parts about the miniseries are the actual clips that are patched in and the backstories at the end of each episode. Chris Chambliss, Fran Healey, et al. Where's Rizzuto? The theme music is blackboard scratching awful... like the theme from "S.W.A.T." garbage.

Watch it on the net if you haven't seen it already - www.bronxisburning.com. Some commercial breaks, not bad.

Not bad; Looking forward to future episodes...

[ZacAttackFeelsGood · 14 July 2007]

"The Bronx is Burning" is a show on ESPN that deals with the 1977 New York Yankees and the relationship between the players, manager Billy Martin, and owner George Steinbrenner. It also focuses on the events going on in New York City during this time period, most notably the NYPD's pursuit of David Berkowitz, the "Son of Sam".

I enjoyed the first episode from start to finish. The acting is good and convincing (Daniel Sunjata looks exactly like Reggie Jackson). The show is historically accurate, from Billy Martin's womanizing to Reggie Jackson's attitude toward his teammates.

I am looking forward to the rest of the episodes, and I predict they will get better as they move forward.

I give it a 7/10. I enjoyed the first episode, but I think that it could've been much better, and it will be much better as the show progresses.

Burn, Baby, Burn!

[ldavis-2 · 2/10 · 5 September 2007]

My impressions based on the last two episodes: 1) Joe DiMaggio waiting in line for tickets with the great unwashed only to get an "I just work here" from the bozo at the window? Somebody has to prove to me that actually happened! 2) The scene with Steinbrenner "talking" to Howard Cosell was ridiculous! They couldn't even be bothered to make sure Cosell's image was cleaned up and in focus! 3) Reggie looked like Jackie Chiles having a VERY bad hair day! 4) Reggie reading "Jonathan Livingston Seagull"? LOL! 5) In case anyone cares, DiMaggio had brown eyes, not blue! 6) Save for Howser, everybody were such egotistical, immature pricks, they had me pulling for the Son of Sam!

apparent goof in Bronx is Burning

[finklinksel · 31 July 2007]

Although Jose Cardenal first used the "cupped out" bat design in 1972, the design was still not in popular use in 1977. Photos I have seen of Jackson in 1977 suggest he was still using the conventional "rounded out " cap bat design. Yet,in this series he is always shown using the now prevalent " cupped out " bat. Did Jackson ever use the " cupped out " bat in 1977? Nevertheless, the series does strive for authenticity and seems to capture the very mercurial personalities ( each for different reasons that students/experts in psychology and human behavior could have their own "field day" discussing ) of George, Billy and Reggie. Add to this mercurial mixture the spotlight and heat and resulting pressure of the New York Media, "Yankee" tradition/culture and the times and it is not surprising that the Bronx was burning. Nor is it surprising that the Bronx was exploding and this Series captures and does not try to contain that explosion.

Is She Gorgeous? Yes! *A discussion of Greatness" Right here, NOW.

[stuman-2 · 5/10 · 1 September 2007]

As one who notices great beauty, wonderful new artists in all genre, and one who knows a great performance from an Orchestra compared to a fair one. I consider myself, in all honesty, a person who knows what "great" is when that word, Great! is applied to anything, well, almost anything.

In this case, a few words beg to be said to describe Meredith Deacon. Ms. Deacon is one of the most thoroughly beautiful faces I've ever seen. I notice all sorts of wonderful things that the world has to offer. Beautiful people is one area where I consider myself to be an expert.

I recently noticed Meredith Deacon in a rather disappointing made for TV movie, " The Bronx is Burning." Although I was very happy for Gordy Greisman the Executive Producer/Writer, I have not yet messaged Gordon re: the rather poor showing of his production. Though detailed and well worked in spots, even interesting to some extent in an episode or two, the entire mini- movie was disappointing. I would suggest that while the production was not very good or very interesting, there were some people who were well cast. One, with a minor roll, was Meredith Deacon. During the last episode, the viewer was treated to her incredibly gorgeous face. Seemingly she played one of Reggie Jackson's girlfriend's. Actually, all wasn't very clear as to what roll Meredith plays. The viewer can assume that she may have been some kind of fan of Jackson's, but it is not made clear as to if she is simply a "Groupie" or in a serious relationship with the star of the Yankees during the 1977 season. Meredith is seen hanging out in a bar on the night that Jackson hits three World Series Home Runs. It came all in Game six, which was also the final episode.

Meredith was a wonderful surprise for those of us that appreciate sheer beauty. When I say beautiful, I mean an absolutely, beautifully rare female face. She was my pleasure to watch.

A couple of thoughts stirred after seeing Meredith Deacon. First: Why don't we know more about this stunning beauty and two: why isn't she handled more aggressively so that at the very least, we can see more of her. There are only a very few pretty photos of Meredith that are found on the WWW, but they are noticeably rare. For such an absolutely beautiful face,(we do not see much of her figure anywhere) unfortunately there is not much credited to her for her career of choice, acting. I'd like to know more of her, more about her. Is she a well known Model? I haven't written a review of "The Bronx is Burning," which on this site has received some decent reviews. But that isn't the point here. What I would like to do is open up a discussion to critics who feel that they may have something to add regarding what they consider "GREAT." The word is used much to much. Thus, I open up a discussion on "Greatness." Let's discuss it. Anything beautiful or wonderful or terrific is open for discussion. So, please bring it on. Thanks to all for joining in.

Stu Martin