Look, I never thought I'd be recommending a show on The Golf Channel. But the niche network's The Haney Project is one of television's best docu-dramas. And yes, it helps if you are a fan of golf—but you don't have to be.
Golf is a sport that can humble the even the proudest of players: The simplicity of hitting a tiny ball into a hole is sinisterly deceiving. And there's nothing like seeing someone famous succumb to the intricacies of one of the world's most popular sports/hobbies, and then revisit the suffering the very next day. And then the next.
The first season of The Haney Project saw Hank Haney, the world-famous coach of Tiger Woods (on the golf course, not the rest of his life), tackle the worst golf swing known to man: Charles Barkley's triple-hiccup hack (demonstrated by Romano in the video below). Season 2, which began last night (the premiere should re-air several times this week), challenges Haney with a new student: comedian (and now serious actor) Ray Romano.
The joy of the show comes from watching Haney, who combines serenity and cockiness, struggle with a new student—a new student who just so happens to be one of the more amicable people on the planet. It's fascinating to watch the process—that of a teacher learning how to teach a particular subject—because Hank wants to accomplish this goal just as badly as Romano does. Barkley proved to be a dream subject for the show, and Romano is a close second. He's very serious about his game, but he's also Ray Romano and we get to see him just be himself. It's part MTV's Made, part Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
But whereas Barkley was just a complete mess on the course, Romano has some skills. Realizing this, the producers added a simple twist: Give Romano an easily measurable goal... to break 80 on 18 holes (note to those who don't play golf: that's very difficult). To hear Romano talk about this dream like it's the only thing he wants to accomplish before he dies (he once missed a three-foot putt that would have gone down as a 79 on the scorecard) totally humanizes him and gives viewers something to root for.
The show straddles the line between being technical enough for people who know the difference between Pebble Beach and Fruity Pebbles and being inviting to those who don't, through both celebrity cameos (Romano's pals Brad Garrett, Kevin James, and Scott Bakula appear in the series) and the simple story of a man and a dream.
Production on the series has also been spiffed up this season, providing some nifty eye candy. HD viewing is a must.
The Haney Project airs Mondays at 9pm on The Golf Channel.
Comments (2)
Its a very good shoW! I love it and watch it!
If this show is anything like "Making the Cut" (the show he did with Kevin James hoping to get on to the US Open) it should be good. Making the Cut was funny and moving to watch him work so hard and miss the cut. Kevin James actually golfed better than him at that time. I will need to check it out ON DEMAND.