It's hard to think about the state of the Dallas Cowboys right now without also thinking of the words "Hard Knocks." The gruesome leg injury to quarterback Dak Prescott in 2020 ruled out any sort of Super Bowl run (to say nothing of potentially ending dude's career), and led to a 6-10 season and watching the playoffs from home for first-year coach Mike McCarthy.
Hard knocks, indeed.
And now the team will be the subject of this year's edition of the HBO behind-the-scenes show of the same name. Hard Knocks: Dallas Cowboys will premiere on Aug. 10 at 10 p.m. Eastern on HBO and HBO Max.
The series will follow the Cowboys over five weeks of training camp, filling five hour-long episodes.
“We are thrilled that Hard Knocks will be returning this summer and excited for our return to the NFC East and the Dallas Cowboys franchise,” Jonathan Crystal, Vice President, HBO Sports, said in a press release. “We are beyond grateful to the Cowboys for opening up their doors and allowing HBO and NFL Films to spend the summer with one of the sport’s world’s truly iconic franchises as they prepare for the upcoming season.”
This season will mark the third time the HBO and NFL Films cameras have followed the Cowboys at training camp in Oxnard, Calif., with the team previously appearing in 2002 (when they finished 6-10), and 2008 (9-7). The series will utilize a 30-person crew from NFL Films, with more than 1,750 hours of footage to be shot before being whittled down into the five episodes. Camera crews will have access to players' and coaches' meeting rooms, training rooms, living quarters, and the practice fields.
Liev Schreiber will narrate his 15th season of the show.
“The Cowboys are one of the most storied franchises in NFL history and a team that elicits strong reactions from fans around the world,” Ken Rodgers, Vice President, Senior Coordinating Producer at NFL Films, said in the press release. “Tens of millions of fans love them, but just as many people love to hate them. Either way, when the Cowboys show up people watch, which makes them perfect for Hard Knocks. This year, their high-profile status as “America’s Team” is paired with uniquely interesting storylines. We can’t thank Mr. Jones and Coach McCarthy enough for letting us tell the story behind what we hope is the beginning of an exciting year in Dallas.”
