Fever Pitch: The Rise of the Premier League

Synopsis

The series begins with football hooliganism and the 1985 Heysel disaster, which contributed to declining attendances in the late 1980s, and progresses to Rupert Murdoch's £300 million deal for Sky Sports to broadcast the new league. The first episode covers Manchester United's 1992–93 title win and Eric Cantona's arrival from defending champions Leeds United. Later episodes address Blackburn Rovers' 1994–95 victory led by Alan Shearer, Cantona's assault on a fan, and the rivalry between managers Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger. Keith Gillespie, traded from Manchester United to Newcastle United for Andy Cole, discusses his gambling problems.

Reception

Stuart Jeffries of The Guardian gave the series three out of five stars, arguing that it exaggerated Cantona's role in Manchester United's success. On Football 365, Ian King praised the production values and archive footage but criticised the series for bias by omission and disproportionate coverage of Manchester United, noting omissions such as opposition to the league's founding and the conflict of interest involving Tottenham Hotspur chairman Alan Sugar that led to Sky rather than ITV becoming the broadcast partner.

Phil Cunnington of the Lancashire Evening Post, a Tranmere Rovers fan, called the series glossy yet superficial for relying on iconic clips while including little fan input. Emily Baker of the i gave a four-star review, praising interviews with Cantona and Shearer, and James Croots wrote a positive review on Stuff.co.nz. Several reviewers, including James Walton for The Spectator, were amused by archive clips of Sky's unsuccessful attempts to introduce American-style entertainment like cheerleaders and half-time shows to English football.

Did You Know?

• David Beckham, whose company Studio 99 co-produced the series, was one of the interviewed footballers.
• The series was carried by Telefónica in Spain and Discovery+ in India.