'Hard Knocks: Los Angeles': Release date, teams, trailer and all you need to know about HBO's NFL docuseries
While the coronavirus pandemic has stopped the National Football League preseason games in 2020, that's not stopping the NFL Films and HBO docuseries 'Hard Knocks' from returning for its 15th season. 'Hard Knocks: Los Angeles' will be the only NFL action on television ahead of Week 1 and for the first time ever, there will be two teams whom the show will focus on this season.
Here’s everything you need to know about the project:
Release date
The latest season of 'Hard Knocks' premieres on Tuesday, August 11, at 10 pm ET on HBO. New episodes will air once a week every Tuesday night following the premiere.
Background
First broadcast in 2009, 'Hard Knocks' is a reality docuseries that covers a specific NFL team's training camp and preparation for the season. With the pandemic situation, there are new social distancing rules in place for training camps but to make up for it, 'Hard Knocks: Los Angeles' will be covering the prep work of two LA-based teams: the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams.
Here's the official synopsis for the season: "HBO Sports, NFL Films and the two Los Angeles-based NFL franchises are teaming up for an unprecedented and unfiltered all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League when 'Hard Knocks: Los Angeles' kicks off its five-episode season this summer."
The Teams
Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams
For the first time ever, 'Hard Knocks' will be featuring two teams this season. The Chargers and the Rams aren't exactly NFL heavyweights but the show should still help drum up support for the teams ahead of the 2020 NFL season. Neither team made it to the playoffs last season so they're both going to be hard-pressed to better their performance this time around.
This will be the first season in which the Rams and the Chargers will share the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood as their home ground. This season is also the Chargers' first without quarterback Philip Rivers since 2003. The Chargers' head coach this season is Anthony Lynn while the Rams' head coach is Sean McVay. Both men have held their posts since 2017.
Narrator
Liev Schreiber
This will be Schreiber's 14th season narrating for 'Hard Knocks'. Schreiber is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and narrator whom you may remember for his roles as Victor Creed / Sabretooth in 'X‑Men Origins: Wolverine', Theodore "Ted" Winters in 'Salt', and the eponymous lead of 'Ray Donovan'.
Trailer
A teaser for 'Hard Knocks: Los Angeles' was released on July 21. The short clip teases the exciting action to come with the two teams training together.
A full-length trailer for the season was released online on August 3. The minute-long video expands on the teaser with more footage of both the teams as they rework their playbooks and plan for a total rebirth in their new shared stadium.
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