Series synopsis
30 for 30 is an American documentary television series that premiered on ESPN on October 6, 2009. It was created by Bill Simmons, Connor Schell, John Dahl.
30 for 30 is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This currently includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series under the ESPN Films Presents title in 2011–2012, and a series of 30 for 30 Shorts shown through the ESPN.com website. The series has also expanded to include Soccer Stories, which aired in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and audio podcasts. This e ...
Premise
30 for 30 is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This currently includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series under the ESPN Films Presents title in 2011–2012, and a series of 30 for 30 Shorts shown through the ESPN.com website. The series has also expanded to include Soccer Stories, which aired in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and audio podcasts. This entry refers to the main Volumes of the series presented by ESPN
Cast and characters
Guest cast
- Morgan Freeman
- Wayne Gretzky as Himself
- Walter Gretzky as Himself
- Janet Jones as Herself (as Janet Jones Gretzky)
- Jim Matheson as Himself
- Bruce McNall as Himself
- Marty McSorley as Himself
- Rod Phillips as Himself
- Peter Pocklington as Himself
- Luc Robitaille as Himself
- Glen Sather as Himself
- Peter Berg as Self
Episodes
This series spans 5 seasons with 211 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 71 | May 15, 2012 | September 28, 2022 |
| Season 1 | 30 | October 6, 2009 | December 11, 2010 |
| Season 2 | 30 | October 2, 2012 | June 8, 2015 |
| Season 3 | 32 | October 13, 2015 | July 2, 2019 |
| Season 4 | 48 | September 10, 2019 | February 6, 2026 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
30 for 30 Shorts: Here Now An interview with Pete Rose, Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader, at The Forum Shops at Las Vegas' Caesars Palace, where he signs autographs and memorabilia while store employees act as barkers to lure shoppers into the store. |
May 15, 2012 |
| 2 |
30 for 30 Shorts: Arnold's Blueprint A look at how a young Arnold Schwarzenegger's compulsory service in the Austrian Army played a critical role in his path to international bodybuilding fame. |
September 26, 2012 |
| 3 |
30 for 30 Shorts: Jake The career of Alfred Slote, an author of sports-oriented children's books (Jake being his personal favorite) whose interest was not so much the games played but the drama that the characters encountered. |
October 25, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
King's Ransom The 1988 trade of Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings and the effect it had on Gretzky, the fans in Edmonton, and the popularity of hockey in Southern California. |
October 6, 2009 |
| 2 |
The Band That Wouldn't Die A profile of Baltimore's love affair with football and the Colts, focusing on the Colts Marching Band. After the Colts decamped for Indianapolis in 1984, the band stayed behind to help promote the eventual return of the NFL to the city. |
October 13, 2009 |
| 3 |
Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? Fresh interviews and archival footage track the life and demise of the United States Football League in the mid-1980s. A highlight is Tollin's interview with Donald Trump, the former New Jersey Generals owner whose post-interview comments on the league give this documentary its title. |
October 20, 2009 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Broke An exploration of the road to fortune in sports and the eventual detours (for various reasons) to financial difficulties and bankruptcy, as experienced by top athletes including Leon Searcy, Andre Rison, Keith McCants, Bernie Kosar, and Cliff Floyd. |
October 2, 2012 |
| 2 |
9.79* A profile of the Men's 100-meter final at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the lives of the eight men who participated, including Ben Johnson (whose world record of 9.79 seconds was annulled after he tested positive for anabolic steroids) and Carl Lewis (who was awarded the gold medal after Johnson's disqualification). |
October 9, 2012 |
| 3 |
There's No Place Like Home The story of one fan's obsessive quest to purchase, at a 2010 auction, James Naismith's original rules of basketball, perhaps the most important historical document in American sports history, and to bring it "home" to Lawrence, Kansas, where Naismith taught and coached at the University of Kansas for 39 years. (70 mins in length) |
October 16, 2012 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Trojan War A profile of the rise and fall of USC Trojans football during Pete Carroll's coaching tenure in the 2000s. |
October 13, 2015 |
| 2 |
The Prince of Pennsylvania An exploration of the turbulent relationship between Olympic wrestling brothers Mark and Dave Schultz and their eccentric benefactor, John du Pont, culminating in the murder of Dave by du Pont. |
October 20, 2015 |
| 3 |
The Gospel According to Mac A look at how Bill McCartney mixed two religions—college football and evangelical Christianity—while serving as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes in the 1990s, a tenure that included a national championship. |
November 3, 2015 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Rodman: For Better or Worse The unfettered and definitive look at the life and career of Dennis Rodman. |
September 10, 2019 |
| 2 |
Chuck & Tito The hot-and-cold relationship between MMA fighters Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, from the start of UFC through its rise in popularity and to the present day. |
October 15, 2019 |
| 3 |
Vick: Part 1 Part 1 of 2. Chronicling the career of quarterback Michael Vick: his incredible rise, shocking fall and polarizing return. After high school in Newport News, Va., Vick led Virginia Tech to a BCS title game and was drafted No. 1 by the Atlanta Falcons. He was also a star who refused to turn his back on the friends who'd been with him since the beginning. Ultimately, that refusal would portend his downfall. Directed by Stanley Nelson. |
January 30, 2020 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ESPN |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 6, 2009 |
| Last aired | February 6, 2026 |
| Status | Returning Series |