Given enough time, every TV network will eventually break out of its format and try to do something new. For example, Cartoon Network now has live-action programs, The History Channel has stuff about pawn shops for some reason, and IFC’s Comedy Bang Bang show isn’t actually an independent film. The NFL Network is not so easily swayed, though. It has the square jaw and broad shoulders of an accomplished sportsman of some kind, so it won’t back down from its mission to do nothing but talk about the NFL. It will, however, expand that mission. According to Variety, The NFL Network will soon be taking a break from exclusively airing programming about the NFL for a new documentary series called The Timeline, which will reportedly “highlight pivotal moments and teams in National Football League history.”
The Timeline comes from “show-business luminaries like Tim McGraw and Jeremy Renner,” and the stories it will tell include “the complicated relationship between Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, the merger between the National Football League and the American Football League, and the Giants’ momentous decision to move from New York City to New Jersey.” The NFL Network has also released a trailer for the series, in case you’re curious to see what it’s like when The NFL Network decides to talk about the NFL.
Variety’s report also quotes NFL Network CCO Jordan Levin as saying there could be a lot more shows coming to the network soon that aren’t just football games, but rather “recognizable formats” with “a football twist or an NFL spin.” He wonders what an NFL Network outdoor show or cooking show would look like, which gives us a great idea for a show where professional quarterbacks kill ducks with footballs, and then make delicious tailgating snacks out of the duck meat. Give us a call, NFL Network.