Are you ready? I found a new Alaska show that I enjoyed. Like, actually enjoyed. Not enjoyed in an "I hate this so much that I love it" way. I'm not going to throw around stupid quotes from the stars, or focus on the questionable fashion choices of the characters. I'm going to talk about a television program in a completely genuine, non-sarcastic way.
To quote Samuel L Jackson in the OG version of "Jurassic Park," "Hold on to your butts."
"Football Town: Barrow, Alaska" is a legitimately good show. It's jointly produced by Northern Lights Media, Leftfield Pictures and the NFL Network. The eight-episode series will chronicle the 2015 season of the Barrow High School Whalers football team. It weaves in practices and games with interviews with the coach and players.
The program shows how football fits into the lives of the players, whether their families have been in Barrow for generations or are new to the state. It totally hits the heartstrings. At the same time, the Whalers' bright blue turf sits only a handful of feet from the Arctic Ocean and adds incredible visuals.
To set the stage, tugboat captain Alan Crooks talks about bringing the football field to Barrow about 10 years ago. Then coach Brian Houston explains that the idea for the program goes back to 2006, when "the school district saw there was a problem with dropout rate in the high school. They were asking the students, what would they like to have at their school that would help them stay in school. And so the kids wanted to have a football program."
While the producers are trying really hard not to call this a reality TV show, but instead "documentary series," it still has all the drama that makes for great television.
I briefly interviewed Brad Hillwig, executive producer with Northern Lights Media, and he said that he'd been following the Barrow Whalers since they got the team together and made the effort to build their field. And it fit in perfectly with their vision of telling Alaska's story.
"Part of our goal with taking stories about Alaska to the Lower 48 and beyond is to tell stories that are authentic and true to Alaska. Stories that Alaskans can be proud to watch," said Hillwig. It seemed like a natural fit to partner with the NFL Network, which has "commitment to showing football and how it impacts and connects communities. And does good things in people's lives."
The first episode took place in late July/early August as the team got ready for their first game. New episodes are still being filmed as the Whalers are currently 3-3 and have a playoff off game this Saturday against Monroe Catholic in Fairbanks. Hillwig said if the Whalers make it into the championship game, the editing timelines will be tight, but it's part of the story they want to tell.
"Football Town" airs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays on the NFL Network. If you are a normal person without a baller cable package, you can sign up for the NFL Game Pass to add to your digital subscriptions.
Maybe it's because I grew up in a slightly football-obsessed town in Illinois, so I was instantly filled with nostalgia. Maybe it's because I love inspiring sports stories and cry when the underdogs win. Maybe it's because when you add a coming-of-age element to inspiring sports stories, I absolutely lose it.
Who's to say? The moral of the story is that "Football Town: Barrow, Alaska" is one of those rare shows that both my husband and I can agree on.
Emily Fehrenbacher lives in Anchorage, where she reviews Alaska reality TV. You can reach her at realitycheck@alaskadispatch.com or on Twitter @ETFBacher.