The L.A. Clippers Scandal Will Be Clipped for TV
You get a show! You get a show! Everybody* gets a show!!!
(*If you’re an NBA team in Los Angeles, apparently.)
The L.A. Clippers are getting their own Winning Time, courtesy of FX and Hulu. Will the reaction from real-life players be better this time? Clipped, which is based on the ESPN’s “30 for 30” podcast The Sterling Affairs, explores former Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s 2014 racism scandal. Or, as a press release puts it, the six-episode show will chart “the collision between a dysfunctional basketball organization and even less functional marriage, and the precipitating tape’s impact on an ensemble of characters striving to win against the backdrop of the most cursed team in the league.” Here’s what we know about the upcoming limited series, including what happens in the trailer, who was cast as Mr. Sterling’s self-described silly rabbit, and when you can stream it on Hulu.
What happens in the trailer?
Nothing too surprising, if you followed the real-life scandal. Doc Rivers (Laurence Fishburne) is welcomed as the new coach of the Clippers, which is owned by billionaire Donald Sterling (Ed O’Neill). Sterling’s wife is engaged in a courtside competition with his personal assistant, V. Stiviano. Then, a recording of Sterling making racist remarks is leaked to the world — including some horrified Clippers players. Perhaps most importantly, we get a li’l audio teaser recreating part of Stiviano’s unforgettable interview with Barbara Walters.
Who’s in the cast?
Laurence Fishburne will coach the Clippers as Doc Rivers, while Modern Family’s Ed O’Neill will play problematic team owner Donald Sterling. Cleopatra Coleman will star as Sterling’s assistant and self-described silly rabbit, V. Stiviano. She’ll clash with Jacki Weaver, who plays Sterling’s wife and decades-long business partner, Shelly. The show’s full roster also includes Kelly AuCoin as Andy Roeser, J. Alphonse Nicholson as Chris Paul, Rich Sommers as Seth Burton, Corbin Bernsen as Pierce O’Donnell, Clifton Davis as Elgin Baylor, and Harriet Sansom Harris as a character simply identified as Justine.
Is anyone else is involved?
Yup. Gina Welch (Castle Rock) serves as creator and showrunner, and is also executive producing alongside Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Zanne Devine, Ramona Shelburne, and Kevin Bray.
When is it coming out?
Clipped will start streaming on Hulu on June 4. Do we think any … clips of it will go viral?
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