Steph Curry’s Big Acting Splash Didn’t Get Enough Playing Time

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Steph Curry isn’t used to missing — though he was never much one for twos.

Peacock has ended the mockumentary “Mr. Throwback,” which marked NBA star Curry’s acting debut (although he only played himself in an episode on HBO’s “Ballers”), and the first live-action scripted series produced by his company Unanimous Media, after only one season. The decision to cancel was reportedly due to low viewership rather than poor quality, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Mr. Throwback made a solid entrance, although THR‘s review argued that it didn’t fully match up to Curry’s appeal or background. The first season, consisting of six episodes, currently holds an 86% rating among TV critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 80% approval from the audience. (Among “Top Critics,” it stands at 67%, which is lower but still considered “Fresh”, though this only represents six reviews – a relatively small number compared to a larger sample size.)

The show may have had its imperfections, yet it managed to remain amusing and endearing enough to span over 180 television minutes – roughly equivalent to three and a half basketball games. Despite his impressive NBA titles (four) and MVP awards (two), Curry wasn’t aiming for Emmys or Oscars. However, he pulled off the role admirably since he essentially played himself, perhaps in a more unsophisticated or naive portrayal.

In the acting and comedic aspects, everyone’s friend Adam Pally (known from ‘Knuckles’, ‘Iron Man 3’, and ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ movies) stepped up as Danny Grossman, our main character Mr. Throwback. Ego Nwodim (‘SNL’) and Ayden Mayeri (‘I Love That for You’) also contributed to the humor. Pally portrayed a struggling sports memorabilia dealer who was initially seeking authentic Curry jerseys to pay off a debt but eventually sought redemption by reconnecting with his sixth-grade basketball teammate, Curry. They made an endearing, if unconventional, pair of friends. Danny managed to gain some redemption, but it’s challenging to fully break free from his past by episode 106.

The movie was a strong family comedy, brought to us by a talented comedy family – the latest project from Pally, David Caspe (writer/executive producer), Matthew Libman, and Daniel Libman, who have worked together in the past on shows like Happy Endings and Champaign ILL. Directed by David Wain, it provided a well-timed transition for Curry from his sports career to a potential future in television and film. Imagine Curry and Unanimous Media as the equivalent of LeBron James and Springhill Entertainment in the world of comedy.

Initially, the project took off well, but it didn’t quite live up to expectations as “one of the top 5 Peacock original comedies” during its opening weekends, according to representatives. Despite this promising start, it failed to make Nielsen’s streaming top 10 rankings. In contrast, another Peacock series, “Based on a True Story,” managed to appear once on Nielsen’s list of originals, reaching the eighth position during its premiere week before being canceled.

Regardless of how well Mr. Throwback initially performed, it certainly had a remarkable debut chance. The comedy series premiered on Peacock on August 8, 2024, and just two days later, Curry led the men’s USA Basketball team to win a gold medal on the same platform. During the game and subsequent medal ceremony, cameras captured Curry making a reference to Mr. Throwback – a cheeky gesture – from the podium. This moment was met with excitement by NBCUniversal executives, symbolizing a successful example of corporate synergy. It served as a small victory following the delayed 2020 launch of Peacock, which was initially planned to coincide with that summer’s Olympics. Unfortunately, COVID-19 had other plans, and there is debate whether or not Peacock has ever fully recovered – some even questioning if it ever will.

NBCU highlighted to the press that about three-quarters of Peacock viewers who watched the show, Mr. Throwback, during its premiere weekend had also tuned in for Olympic basketball. While this aligns with their goal, it would have been much more advantageous for Mr. Throwback if 77% of the viewers watching the Olympics had instead chosen to watch Mr. Throwback, as the audience for the show is considerably smaller compared to the viewership for the Olympics.

Well, I’ve got to say, the debut of Mr. Throwback was promising, at least for me. But unfortunately, that was about as far as it went. The next month, they tried airing Mr. Throwback on NBC in an effort to boost ratings the old-school way, but it didn’t quite work out. It’s a shame really, because Mr. Throwback harks back to the classic network sitcoms in many ways, and let’s face it, no one has ever done those better than NBC.

The buzzer has sounded on Mr. Throwback, and a long-range shot (which Curry makes effortlessly like a layup) isn’t an option this time. However, there’s still a chance for one final attempt. In a significant change in broadcasting rights, the NBA will be back on NBC later this year – a perfect timing to re-introduce season two of Mr. Throwback in the fall. This alignment of media properties is almost too good to be true for NBCU executives. But… could they have known that there wouldn’t be a 2025 Summer Olympics?

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2025-04-16 21:55