“Now and again I like an easy job – and this is an easy job.” That was sports entrepreneur and general all-round business genius Barry Hearn talking in 2010 after being appointed chairman of the World Snooker Association (Wsa). Many thought he’d gone bonkers to take the job on at the time – even his close friend and former protege Steve Davis expressed his doubts live on the BBC – such was the slump in popularity the game had experienced. Fast forward to the present, and how is the “job” – to restore snooker back to something like its former glory – going? With another world championship at the Crucible Theatre looming, let’s take a look.
When Hearn took over, the game was still very much in the doldrums. Attendances were poor, save for the real prestige tournaments on the calendar, prize money had dried up somewhat and general interest levels were a shadow...
When Hearn took over, the game was still very much in the doldrums. Attendances were poor, save for the real prestige tournaments on the calendar, prize money had dried up somewhat and general interest levels were a shadow...
- 4/11/2017
- by Dan Green
- The Cultural Post
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BBC iPlayer original comedy drama The Rack Pack tells the story of Alex “Hurricane” Higgins and snooker's exploding 1980s popularity…
“Colourful” is the preferred press euphemism for describing lives like that of snooker’s Alex Higgins. The “bad boy” of the game, he was a genius on the baize who drank, smoked, snorted and head-butted his way to world champion status and back. Talk about colour. As the tabloids tell it, Higgins’ story is a nothing short of a kaleidoscope.
It’s harder to describe his 2010 death as similarly vibrant. Higgins died broke and alone, wilfully starving in sheltered housing after throat cancer left him toothless and skeletal.
That’s the bit of these stories we prefer to ignore. Stories of men like Higgins and his Belfast contemporary George Best, whose talent comes packaged in a personality that erodes it. Men whose self-destruction isn’t just tolerated by their public but celebrated.
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BBC iPlayer original comedy drama The Rack Pack tells the story of Alex “Hurricane” Higgins and snooker's exploding 1980s popularity…
“Colourful” is the preferred press euphemism for describing lives like that of snooker’s Alex Higgins. The “bad boy” of the game, he was a genius on the baize who drank, smoked, snorted and head-butted his way to world champion status and back. Talk about colour. As the tabloids tell it, Higgins’ story is a nothing short of a kaleidoscope.
It’s harder to describe his 2010 death as similarly vibrant. Higgins died broke and alone, wilfully starving in sheltered housing after throat cancer left him toothless and skeletal.
That’s the bit of these stories we prefer to ignore. Stories of men like Higgins and his Belfast contemporary George Best, whose talent comes packaged in a personality that erodes it. Men whose self-destruction isn’t just tolerated by their public but celebrated.
- 1/15/2016
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
The BBC has commissioned its first feature-length scripted film for iPlayer - a comedy drama based on the rivalry between snooker players Alex Higgins and Steve Davis.
Endemol Shine indie Zeppotron will produce The Rack Pack, a 90-minute-plus film exploring the “glory days” of the 1970s and 80s snooker scene.
The film is penned by Shaun Pye, Mark Chappell and Alan Connor, the writing team behind Sky Arts’ A Young Doctor’s Notebook, which starred Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm..
Luke Treadaway (Fortitude) will play ‘Hurricane’ Higgins, the naturally talented showman, while Will Merrick (About Time) has been lined up as the more conservative Davis, who under the guidance of snooker mogul Barry Hearn (Kevin Bishop) dominated the sport.
The film coincides with the 30th anniversary of the 1985 World Snooker Championships final between Davis and Dennis Taylor which was watched by 18.5m people - holding the record for the UK’s biggest...
Endemol Shine indie Zeppotron will produce The Rack Pack, a 90-minute-plus film exploring the “glory days” of the 1970s and 80s snooker scene.
The film is penned by Shaun Pye, Mark Chappell and Alan Connor, the writing team behind Sky Arts’ A Young Doctor’s Notebook, which starred Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe and Mad Men’s Jon Hamm..
Luke Treadaway (Fortitude) will play ‘Hurricane’ Higgins, the naturally talented showman, while Will Merrick (About Time) has been lined up as the more conservative Davis, who under the guidance of snooker mogul Barry Hearn (Kevin Bishop) dominated the sport.
The film coincides with the 30th anniversary of the 1985 World Snooker Championships final between Davis and Dennis Taylor which was watched by 18.5m people - holding the record for the UK’s biggest...
- 9/25/2015
- ScreenDaily
Skins star Will Merrick will play Steve Davis in an upcoming snooker biopic set for BBC iPlayer.
The Rack Pack, a comedy drama feature film, centres on the '80s rivalry between Davis and Alex Higgins, portrayed by Luke Treadaway.
Kevin Bishop will appear as Davis's manager Barry Hearn, while Nichola Burley and James Bailey play Lynn Higgins and Jimmy White respectively.
Directed by Black Mirror's Brian Welsh, the project will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the famous 1985 World Snooker final.
Controller of comedy commissioning Shane Allen said: "BBC iPlayer offers a unique creative space for comedy of all shapes, sizes, tones and ambition - free of the traditional parameters of TV slots.
"Higgins was to snooker what George Best was to football - a Northern Irish folk hero whose mesmerising talent made for a fascinating world class champion on the snooker table, but his explosive personality made for...
The Rack Pack, a comedy drama feature film, centres on the '80s rivalry between Davis and Alex Higgins, portrayed by Luke Treadaway.
Kevin Bishop will appear as Davis's manager Barry Hearn, while Nichola Burley and James Bailey play Lynn Higgins and Jimmy White respectively.
Directed by Black Mirror's Brian Welsh, the project will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the famous 1985 World Snooker final.
Controller of comedy commissioning Shane Allen said: "BBC iPlayer offers a unique creative space for comedy of all shapes, sizes, tones and ambition - free of the traditional parameters of TV slots.
"Higgins was to snooker what George Best was to football - a Northern Irish folk hero whose mesmerising talent made for a fascinating world class champion on the snooker table, but his explosive personality made for...
- 9/24/2015
- Digital Spy
Sky Sports has agreed a new rights deal with the Professional Darts Corporation (Pdc) that will take their partnership into its 25th year.
Under the new five-year rights deal, Sky Sports viewers will get over 50 days of live and exclusive darts throughout the year, including the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship each Christmas until 2018.
Viewers will also be able to enjoy live coverage of the McCoy's Premier League, PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix, William Hill Grand Slam of Darts, Betfair World Cup of Darts and the Betfair World Matchplay.
Sky Sports and Barry Hearn's Pdc first partnered two decades ago for the inaugural Pdc World Darts Championship in 1994.
Live televised darts has since grown from just a few hundred fans at venues such as the Circus Tavern to over 10,000 people attending the O2 Arena for the Premier League.
The World Championships now offers £1 million in prize money, and over £5 million...
Under the new five-year rights deal, Sky Sports viewers will get over 50 days of live and exclusive darts throughout the year, including the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship each Christmas until 2018.
Viewers will also be able to enjoy live coverage of the McCoy's Premier League, PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix, William Hill Grand Slam of Darts, Betfair World Cup of Darts and the Betfair World Matchplay.
Sky Sports and Barry Hearn's Pdc first partnered two decades ago for the inaugural Pdc World Darts Championship in 1994.
Live televised darts has since grown from just a few hundred fans at venues such as the Circus Tavern to over 10,000 people attending the O2 Arena for the Premier League.
The World Championships now offers £1 million in prize money, and over £5 million...
- 3/7/2013
- Digital Spy
When Barry Hearn took over the reins at World Snooker he promised there would be no huge changes to the prestigious ranking events.
Fast forward a couple of years and the World Open, formerly the Grand Prix, is being held in Haikou, China, where the first matches of the day start at 6.30am for viewers in Britain.
There are, of course, pros and cons to the tournament being held in China. Firstly, the length of the matches have been extended to best of nine in the first rounds, best of 11 in the semi-finals and best of 19 in the final. This is compared to last year when the tournament was held in Glasgow and the opening matches were best of five.
This is mainly due to the fact that players were not too happy about a possible 30 hour flight to Haikou only to play three games and get knocked out 3-0 in the first round.
Fast forward a couple of years and the World Open, formerly the Grand Prix, is being held in Haikou, China, where the first matches of the day start at 6.30am for viewers in Britain.
There are, of course, pros and cons to the tournament being held in China. Firstly, the length of the matches have been extended to best of nine in the first rounds, best of 11 in the semi-finals and best of 19 in the final. This is compared to last year when the tournament was held in Glasgow and the opening matches were best of five.
This is mainly due to the fact that players were not too happy about a possible 30 hour flight to Haikou only to play three games and get knocked out 3-0 in the first round.
- 2/28/2012
- by Jonathan Pritchard
- Obsessed with Film
Jimmy White has claimed that being on I'm A Celebrity has calmed him down and reignited his interest in snooker. The six-time world championship runner-up told The Guardian that his career had "been a bit quiet for a while" before he agreed to enter the ITV show. White said: "Not so long ago I was thinking of moving to somewhere hot and just playing bad golf. But being in the jungle gave me a lot of time to think and now that's the last thing on my mind. "I really do want to pursue my career in snooker, and now [World Snooker boss] Barry Hearn's involved the excitement's (more)...
- 1/11/2010
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
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