Perfect timing
With the US still experiencing the aftershock of a betting-scandal filled 2025, a timely new comedy series on NBC looks primed to attract heavy viewership, with film critics already raving about it.
a match made in comedy heaven.”
‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ premiered with Episode 1 on Monday with film critics calling the combination of actors Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe “a match made in comedy heaven.”
Emmy-Nominated TV Host Jeff Conway shared an interview with Morgan and Radcliffe on X, calling the new show in which the stars play a disgraced NFL star and filmmaker duo “hilarious:”
Radcliffe plays a blacklisted movie director, while Morgan plays an ex-running back for the New York Jets whose career tanked after a gambling scandal.
Becoming culture
Despite its comedy billing, ‘Reggie Dinkins’ taps into real-world gambling industry scandals and the financial and reputational damage they do.
In the NBC series, Morgan plays a Hall of Fame-caliber athlete who blew his career and lost the Jets the Super Bowl by betting on his own game, costing him endorsements, reputation, and league standing.
dangerously close to the new norm.”
In its glowing review of ‘Reggie Dinkins,’ Variety, referenced the “new ubiquity of sports gambling”. The entertainment media giant stated that based on the TV show, no-one could know how the fall of the fictional Jets player “is now dangerously close to the new norm.”
The Los Angeles Times was also full of praise for the new series, stating the lead role fits Morgan “like a tailor-made suit.”
Redemption arc
While Morgan’s character is financially solid thanks to his ex-wife and business manager, he wants to repair his NFL legacy. Enter Radcliffe’s shamed Oscar-winning documentarian who, like his co-star, is also out to rehab his image and rebuild his career.
Mashable also praised the “cast of comedy heavy hitters” including Erika Alexander, Precious Way, and Bobby Moynihan, that results in giving ‘Reggie Dinkins’ “an ensemble that blends brilliantly right off the bat.”
While sports betting was once illegal and negatively perceived, it’s now legal, regulated, marketed and, thanks to ‘Reggie Dinkins,’ also dramatized.
