# 30 for 30 (2009)

> An ESPN documentary anthology that revisits interesting people and events in sports history, one self-contained film at a time.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/29176

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 141
- Episode runtime: 51 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: documentary
- Created by: Bill Simmons, Connor Schell, John Dahl
- Network: ESPN
- Cast: Morgan Freeman, Wayne Gretzky, Walter Gretzky, Janet Jones, Jim Matheson, Bruce McNall, Rod Phillips, Peter Pocklington
- TMDB rating: 8.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1408430/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: nostalgic, reflective, wistful, sincere, irreverent

## What critics say

Viewers broadly regard the series as acclaimed for its compelling storytelling on sports figures and events, with the early volumes rated highest and the later volume rated markedly lower.

## Synopsis

30 for 30 (2009-present) is an American sports documentary anthology created by Bill Simmons, Connor Schell and John Dahl for ESPN. Rather than following recurring characters, each film turns a camera on a particular person, team or event in sports history, and the title is an ongoing series that has grown across four volumes of thirty entries each. Interviews with athletes, coaches, executives and bystanders are set against archival footage, so the viewer hears how a famous moment felt from the inside. The engine of each installment is a question about what the event meant and what it cost the people involved, whether a championship run, a scandal or a rivalry that outlived its sport. Shape and scale are those of a long-running anthology, with every film self-contained and watchable in any order. The tone is reflective and nostalgic, with flashes of humor and an occasional sharp edge when the stories turn to fame, money and failure. Sports fans will find resonance here alongside fans of The Last Dance and O.J.: Made in America, which likewise trade on archival access and retrospective storytelling about famous figures and turning points.

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