Stay on the Diamond Please

The acting performances are generally pretty good - specifically that of Oliver Platt as George Steinbrenner, but the miniseries bites off way more than it can chew. I was interested in the story of the 77 Yankees but the series kept on taking detours into surrounding New York areas with sloppy examinations of the Son of Sam serial killings, summer heat wave and ensuing blackouts. They might have been meant to flesh out the atmosphere around the team but there was more than enough conflict in the Yankees clubhouse to keep me interested. Add in some seriously sub-par green screen effects that attempt to place the modern day actors into the 70s era Yankee stadium and there are some serious design flaws that detract from the immersion needed to make an endeavor like this successful. Still, when it focuses on the trials and tribulations of Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Billy Martin and, of course, the boss, it works pretty well.

6/10