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Last year, when South Africa first went into lockdown, Tiger King and The Last Dance reigned supreme.

They tell very different stories, but both became smash hits and are still talked about today.

Joe Exotic (or Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage if you want to go all-in) is still languishing in prison, although he did recently enjoy a rare victory in court.

Michael Jordan, star of The Last Dance, has since become a wonderful meme, and is still regarded as one of the finest (if not the finest) basketball players of all time.

Anyway, I’m waffling on about The Last Dance in particular because it’s similar in many ways to the latest Netflix sports docuseries, Untold.

The five-part series comes from the same team that produced Wild Wild Country, which was a smash hit, and also features a single episode released each week.

Radio Times with more:

[The series] from brothers Chapman Way and Maclain Way takes a new look at fascinating stories from the world of sport, from the infamous Pacers-Pistons NBA brawl to the athletic rise of Caitlyn Jenner.

New episodes of Untold will arrive on Netflix every Tuesday, beginning with Malice in the Palace, which made its debut on the streamer on Tuesday 10th August.

That means there’s a decent chance you’ll have seen the first episode when scrolling for something new to watch.

For those who haven’t seen a trailer, this covers the entire series:

Then there’s this clip, from the first episode, which is titled Malice at the Palace:

If you don’t love an in-depth look at a proper sports brawl, you’re not living right.

The rest of the episodes will be released as follows:

• Untold: Deal with the Devil – August 17
• Untold: Caitlyn Jenner – August 24
• Untold: Crime & Penalties – August 31
• Untold: Breaking Point – September 7

Deal with the Devil focuses on the story of Christy Martin, a female boxer who struggled with substance abuse, domestic violence, and a near-death experience.

Caitlyn Jenner – I think you know the name.

Crime & Penalties looks at a minor league ice hockey team, the Trashers, that was bought by a trash magnate with mafia ties.

Finally, Breaking Point tells the story of Mardy Fish, a tennis star who struggled with anxiety.

Across the board, the reviews are good, and The Guardian even scored Untold a stellar five-star review:

Netflix’s thrilling new show will fill the gap with its deep dives into astonishing moments from sports history…

This five-part documentary offers a forensic look at sport and the stars it creates. It goes deep into the psychology of excellence, and how fame and expectations can have a corrosive effect on an athlete’s mental and physical wellbeing…

Unusually for Netflix, one episode will appear per week, rather than the whole lot arriving at once. Given that each documentary is a meaty, standalone feature-length film, shot with a cinematic flavour, it seems reasonable. They are all so gripping it almost enhances the pleasure to wait.

I’m a serial binge-watcher, but we can make the odd exception.

Also, with the English Premier League returning this weekend, there is no shortage of sporting action to choose from, so an episode a week is doable.

[sources:radiotimes&guardian]