Eastbound & Down

Last updated
Eastbound & Down
Eastbound & Down promo poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Genre Sports comedy
Created by
Starring
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes29 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerStephanie Laing
Running time30 minutes [1]
Production companies
Original release
Network HBO
ReleaseFebruary 15, 2009 (2009-02-15) 
November 17, 2013 (2013-11-17)

Eastbound & Down is an American sports comedy television series that was broadcast on HBO, and created by Ben Best, Jody Hill and Danny McBride. [2] It stars McBride as Kenny Powers, a former professional baseball pitcher who, after a career downturn in the major leagues, is forced to return to his hometown middle school in Shelby, North Carolina, as a substitute physical education teacher. [3]

Contents

Producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay received an order for six episodes for the first season from HBO. [4] The series was produced by Ferrell's production company, Gary Sanchez Productions. The show premiered February 15, 2009. [5] Its second season, consisting of seven episodes, began on September 26, 2010. On October 27, HBO announced it was renewing the show for a third season. [6] At PaleyFest 2011, it was announced that the third season, which premiered on February 19, 2012, would be the last. [7] In July 2012, HBO picked up the comedy series for a fourth season of eight episodes. [8]

On June 6, 2013, HBO announced that the fourth season would be the show's last. The fourth season premiered on September 29, 2013, and ended its run on November 17, 2013. [9]

Plot

Years after he turned his back on his hometown, a burned-out major league ballplayer who "forced himself into retirement by the depths of his own jerkiness" [10] returns to teach physical education at his old middle school. Still trying to reclaim his fame he starts on a comeback—righting his previous wrongs along the way—only to unwittingly sabotage his own efforts.

While not based on the life of former Major League Baseball relief pitcher John Rocker, the show's creators do cite Rocker's attitude as an inspiration. [11] Former major league pitcher Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams has often been cited as the inspiration for the Powers character, [12] though Williams himself has disavowed any connection. Explaining the tone of the show, McBride has stated that he and his fellow co-creators had intended to "make fun of a South where you could learn an ancient martial art like Tae Kwon Do in a shopping center next to a tanning salon.” [13]

Cast

Main cast

Recurring cast

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 6February 15, 2009March 22, 2009
2 7September 26, 2010November 7, 2010
3 8February 19, 2012April 15, 2012
4 8September 29, 2013November 17, 2013

Production

Production on the second season of the show began in May 2010. The setting moved to Mexico, with shooting actually occurring in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. The new season brought several changes to the cast, including new faces Michael Peña and Ana de la Reguera, who play the owner of a Mexican baseball team and Kenny's new love interest, respectively. Don Johnson appeared in the role of Kenny's father, whom Kenny and Stevie managed to track down in Mexico. All of the supporting cast from the first season are absent or only make cameo appearances, with the only exception being Steve Little as Stevie Janowski, who follows Kenny to Mexico. Ben Best is not a writer for Season 2 but returns in a small role as Clegg. [16] Adam Scott returns in two episodes as the now cocaine-free baseball executive Pat Anderson.

Actor Deep Roy joined the cast as Aaron, one of Kenny's new Mexican sidekicks. [17] The Mexican baseball team owned by Peña's character Sebastian Cisneros, the Charros, is coached by Roger Hernandez, played by actor Marco Rodriguez. Co-director Jody Hill described the season as "a cross between the films Amores perros and The Bad News Bears ". Hill directed four episodes in season two, while David Gordon Green directed three. [18]

Season 2 premiered on September 26, 2010. [19] Vice magazine reported on August 31, 2010 that "it's worthy of the original and is its own different, more somber beast." [18] The writers had considered setting the second season in America; according to McBride, "at one point, we considered opening on a shot of the big sombrero at South of the Border, so you think Kenny’s in Mexico. And then he would have said [voice-over tone], ‘I went down to the butthole of the Carolinas.’ [laughs] We actually thought about setting the entire season in Myrtle Beach instead of in Mexico. I gotta say, the Myrtle Beach idea was pretty brilliant. It would have really been something. Maybe he ends up there next season. [beat] Who knows?" [20]

Season 3 saw Jason Sudeikis join the cast, [21] and the returns of Matthew McConaughey as Texas scout Roy McDaniel, and Will Ferrell who reprised his role as car salesman Ashley Schaeffer. [22] Ike Barinholtz also joined the cast as Ivan, a Russian pitcher who serves as Kenny's competition. [23] The show was filmed in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at TicketReturn.com Field and features Kenny as a member of a minor league baseball team called Myrtle Beach Mermen. [24]

Reception

Eastbound & Down was met with positive reviews during its run. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of the show has a rating of 60%, based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The site's consensus reads, "Eastbound & Down might be too profane and obnoxious for some, but its broad humor and irreverent vibe make for some great comic moments." [25] Metacritic gave season 1 a "generally favorable" average score of 62 out of 100, based 16 critics, [26] and seasons 2 and 3 scores of 89 [27] and 83 out of 100, [28] respectively, both indicating "universal acclaim". The fourth and final season of the show holds a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 11 critics. [29]

International syndication

HBO has syndicated Eastbound & Down to many international markets.

CountryBroadcastersTime slotPremiere date
Australia showcase/7mate 19:302009-10-27
Brazil HBO 2 20:052012-03-13
Canada HBO Canada/The Score/FXX 22:30 (HBO)2009-02-15
Finland YLE 00:202011-06-05
Germany Sky Atlantic HD 21:302013 August
MexicoMaxPrime22:302009-11-17
NetherlandsComedy Central22:302010-04-30
New Zealand Comedy Central 21:302009-10-27
Norway NRK 22:252010-09-15
Portugal MTV Portugal 23:002009-07-09
Romania HBO Romania 23:002010-05-29
Sweden C More 20:002009-08-11
Turkey CNBC-e 23:002011-06-20
United Kingdom & Ireland Fox 22:002009-10-01

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Ferrell</span> American actor, comedian, and producer (born 1967)

John William Ferrell is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Ferrell is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. He has earned four Emmy Awards and in 2011 was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. In 2015, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named the best comedian in British GQ.

John Loy Rocker is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher who played six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his major league debut in 1998 with the Atlanta Braves, for whom he played parts of four seasons. He was later a member of the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He last played professionally for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Sudeikis</span> American actor and comedian (born 1975)

Daniel Jason Sudeikis is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. In the 1990s, he began his career in improv comedy and performed with ComedySportz, iO Chicago, and The Second City. In 2003, Sudeikis was hired as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, and later spent nine seasons as a cast member from 2005 to 2013, playing Joe Biden and Mitt Romney, among others.

Joseph Macay McBride is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and the Detroit Tigers.

Steve Little is an American actor, comedian and writer, best known for his roles on the shows Camp Lazlo, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, Eastbound & Down, Adventure Time, The Grinder, and Haters Back Off. He also used to co-star on the Adult Swim series Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny McBride</span> American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter

Daniel Richard McBride is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. He starred in the HBO television series Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals, which he co-created with frequent collaborator Jody Hill, and The Righteous Gemstones, which he created himself. He has appeared in films such as The Foot Fist Way (2006), Hot Rod (2007), Pineapple Express (2008), Tropic Thunder (2008), Up in the Air (2009), Land of the Lost (2009), Your Highness (2011), This Is the End (2013), and Alien: Covenant (2017). He has done voice acting for Despicable Me (2010), Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), 30 Minutes or Less (2011), Hell and Back (2015), The Angry Birds Movie (2016), Sausage Party (2016), The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019), and The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021).

Jody Hill is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. In 2006, he directed, co-wrote, co-produced and co-starred in his first film The Foot Fist Way, which he based on his experience as a Taekwondo black belt and instructor. His follow-up film, Observe and Report, stars Seth Rogen and was released on April 10, 2009. Hill is also co-creator, director and executive producer of the HBO series Eastbound & Down, Vice Principals, and The Righteous Gemstones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katy Mixon</span> American actress and model

Katy Mixon is an American actress and model. She began her career playing supporting roles in films such as The Quiet (2005), Four Christmases (2008), and State of Play (2009), before landing the female leading role in the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down (2009–2013).

Joseph Stephens is an American multi-instrumentalist, film score composer, and songwriter. He composed music for the television show The Righteous Gemstones, the film Observe and Report, directed by Jody Hill as well as the HBO series Eastbound & Down, produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Powers (character)</span> Fictional character

Kenny Powers is a fictional world famous baseball player in the HBO television comedy series Eastbound & Down, played by Danny McBride. He is portrayed as a once dominant baseball pitcher, whose poor work ethic, ego, and short temper jeopardized his professional career. In season one, Powers becomes a substitute physical education teacher who is attempting to make a return to Major League Baseball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Henchy</span> American film director, film producer, and screenwriter

Christopher Thomas Henchy is an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for being a creative collaborator with Will Ferrell, including co-creating the website Funny or Die and writing several Ferrell films, including Land of the Lost, The Other Guys and The Campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew McConaughey</span> American actor (born 1969)

Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first success as a leading man came in the legal drama A Time to Kill (1996). His career progressed with lead roles in the science fiction film Contact (1997), the historical drama Amistad (1997), and the war film U-571 (2000).

<i>Were the Millers</i> 2013 film by Rawson Marshall Thurber

We're the Millers is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Rawson M. Thurber and starring Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, Molly Quinn, and Ed Helms. The film's screenplay was written by Bob Fisher, Steve Faber, Sean Anders, and John Morris, based on a story by Fisher and Faber. The plot follows a small-time pot dealer (Sudeikis) who convinces his neighbors to help him by pretending to be his family in order to smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States.

<i>True Detective</i> American TV series

True Detective is an American anthology crime drama television series created by Nic Pizzolatto. The series, broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States, premiered on January 12, 2014. Each season of the series is structured as a self-contained narrative, employing new cast ensembles, and following various sets of characters and settings.

<i>Vice Principals</i> American television comedy series

Vice Principals is an American dark comedy television series starring Danny McBride, Walton Goggins, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Dale Dickey, Georgia King, Sheaun McKinney, Busy Philipps and Shea Whigham. The co-creators were Danny McBride and Jody Hill. The series was ordered by HBO in May 2014 with an 18-episode pickup, and the series was split into two seasons for a designed finite run. The series began to shoot in 2015 and wrapped in mid-2016, and premiered on July 17, 2016. The second and final season premiered on September 17, 2017, and concluded on November 12, 2017.

<i>Goliath</i> (TV series) American legal drama television series

Goliath is an American legal drama television series by Amazon Studios. The show was commissioned with a straight-to-series order of eight episodes on December 1, 2015 and premiered on October 13, 2016, on Amazon Prime Video. On February 15, 2017, Amazon announced the series had been renewed for a second season and confirmed that Clyde Phillips was joining the series as showrunner. The trailer for season 2 was released on May 1, 2018. Season 2, consisting of eight episodes, was released on June 15, 2018. On December 11, 2018, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on October 4, 2019. On November 14, 2019, Amazon announced the series was renewed for a fourth and final season, which premiered on September 24, 2021.

Succession is an American satirical comedy-drama television series created by Jesse Armstrong that aired for four seasons on HBO from June 3, 2018, to May 28, 2023. The series centers on the Roy family, the owners of global media and entertainment conglomerate Waystar RoyCo, and their fight for control of the company amidst uncertainty about the health of the family's patriarch.

<i>Dead to Me</i> (TV series) American dark comedy television series

Dead to Me is an American black comedy-drama television series that stars Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini as two grieving women who bond during therapy. It was created by Liz Feldman and executive produced by Feldman, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Jessica Elbaum. The series premiered on May 3, 2019, on Netflix and received positive reviews. In June 2019, Netflix renewed the series for a second season which was released on May 8, 2020. At the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, Applegate received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

<i>The Righteous Gemstones</i> American comedy television series

The Righteous Gemstones is an American black comedy crime television series created by Danny McBride that premiered on August 18, 2019, on HBO. The series follows a famous and dysfunctional family of televangelists. It stars Danny McBride, John Goodman, Edi Patterson, Adam DeVine, Cassidy Freeman, Tony Cavalero, Tim Baltz, Skyler Gisondo, and Walton Goggins. The series has aired three seasons, and was renewed for a fourth in 2023.

<i>Ted Lasso</i> American sports comedy-drama television series

Ted Lasso is an American sports comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly, based on a character that Sudeikis first portrayed in a series of promotional media for NBC Sports's coverage of England's Premier League. The show follows Ted Lasso, an American college football coach who is hired to coach an English soccer team whose owner secretly hopes his inexperience will lead it to failure, but whose folksy, optimistic leadership proves unexpectedly successful.

References

  1. Lowry, Brian (February 11, 2020). "Eastbound & Down". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  2. "Eastbound & Down - Cast and Crew". TV Guide . Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  3. "New HBO TV series 'Eastbound and Down' unites old friends". StarNewsOnline.com. October 21, 2008. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  4. "Talk: Home". HBO. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  5. HBO – February 2, 2009.
  6. Andreeva, Nellie (27 October 2010). "HBO Renews Series 'Bored to Death' And 'Eastbound & Down' –". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
  7. Wright, Adam (March 11, 2011). "'Eastbound And Down' to End After Third Season". Tvdonewright.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
  8. Levine, Stuart (July 2, 2012). "HBO asks for more 'Eastbound & Down'". Variety. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  9. Kondolojy, Amanda (June 6, 2013). "'Eastbound & Down' Canceled by HBO; Production on Fourth and Final Season Begins". TV By The Numbers. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  10. "Eastbound and Down, A Pitcher's Life After the Third Strike". The New York Times. February 12, 2009. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  11. All Things Considered (February 15, 2009). "HBO Debuts 'Eastbound And Down'". NPR. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  12. "5 Real-Life Players Who Inspired 'Eastbound & Down'". Complex.
  13. Friend, T. (June 5, 2017). "Danny McBride's Horror Show". New Yorker . Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  14. "Chapter 21". Eastbound & Down. Season 3. Episode 8. April 15, 2012. Event occurs at 10:19. Home Box Office. Steven Bernard Janowski, you are hereby relieved of your duties as my assistant.
  15. "Sylvia Jefferies". IMDb.
  16. "BRING IT ON HOME – The Southern Boys Behind Eastbound & Down Send Kenny Powers' Ass to Mexico – Vice Magazine". Viceland.com. August 28, 2007. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  17. "EB&D IN PR – Viceland Today". Viceland.com. June 21, 2010. Archived from the original on 2011-09-07. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  18. 1 2 "Eastbound & Down Season Dos Is Almost Here – Viceland Today". Viceland.com. August 31, 2010. Archived from the original on September 6, 2010. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  19. "Eastbound and Down Season Two is F*cking In". Tv.gawker.com. June 14, 2010. Archived from the original on July 21, 2010. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  20. "BRING IT ON HOME – The Southern Boys Behind Eastbound & Down Send Kenny Powers' Ass to Mexico – Vice Magazine". Viceland.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  21. Sneider, Jeff; Levine, Stuart (July 7, 2011). "Sudeikis set for 'Eastbound & Down'". Variety.
  22. Schillaci, Sophie A. (July 12, 2011). "Matthew McConaughey, Will Ferrell Return for 'Eastbound & Down' Season 3". The Hollywood Reporter.
  23. Goldberg, Lesley (September 1, 2011). "'Eastbound & Down': 'Mad TV' Alum Takes the Mound (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  24. "Myrtle Beach Mermen".
  25. "Eastbound & Down: Season 1 - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes .
  26. "Eastbound & Down - Season 1 Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. February 15, 2009. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  27. "Eastbound & Down - Season 2 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  28. "Eastbound & Down - Season 3 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved June 28, 2013.
  29. "Eastbound & Down: Season 4 - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes .