It's Showtime for North Minneapolis High's football team
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Image: Courtesy of Showtime
Showtime docuseries "Boys in Blue," which follows the Minneapolis North Community High football team in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd, premiers tonight.
Details: Director Peter Berg (creator of "Friday Night Lights") embedded his crew with the Polars as the team, mostly made up of Black teens, navigated gang violence and police brutality, all while pursuing a state championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
I watched the first episode. It's heartbreaking if you've followed the news of Deshaun Hill Jr.'s murder in February. Fifteen-year-old Hill was the quiet and promising quarterback of the team and he features prominently in the series.
- "The hardest part for me is him going to, like, the bus stop, catching the bus for school (and) going to the corner store," Hill's mother, Tuesday Sheppard, told filmmakers in August 2021. "Because I don't know if it's going to be the last time I see him, because it's that bad around here."
- Six months later, Hill was shot to death walking to the bus stop. The alleged shooter, Cody Fohrenkam, goes on trial this month for second-degree murder.
Between the lines: The docuseries is bound to be complex. The first episode includes some of the players raising concerns about police brutality.
- Later, the filmmakers reveal that most of the coaching staff consists of current and former cops, including head coach Charles Adams, who left MPD and became director of security for the Minnesota Twins in 2020.
How to watch: You will need a subscription to Showtime for the full series, but Episode 1 premiers tonight at 7pm on Showtime and is free to stream now.