Current TV has ordered new docuseries, 4th and Forever, a look at the 2010 football season of Long Beach Polytechnic High School from former MTV executives Brian Graden and Lois Curren.
The series documents the trials and tribulations of the school, which Sports Illustrated has dubbed the "Sports School of the Century" and sent a number of athletes to the National Football League and Major League Baseball.
"4th and Forever will air Sunday nights, beginning on April 3 at 10 p.m. (ET), comprises nine 30-minute episodes shot on location in Long Beach and throughout Southern California and will explore how the team is a point of pride for a community that struggles with poverty, drugs, and gangs.
"This is a defining and exciting moment for Current TV, but our mission goes far beyond simply expanding and investing in original programming," said Mark Rosenthal, CEO, Current TV, in announcing the pick-up. "In an era of cookie cutter reality series, game shows and recycled programming ideas, Current TV believes there are important stories that have not yet found a voice on television. The Long Beach Poly student athletes showcased in ‘4th and Forever' are inspiring and their lives, passions and experiences will truly resonate in this documentary series. ‘4th and Forever' personifies the kind of meaningful entertainment we will be dedicated to providing in 2011."
Graduates include the Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver DeSean Jackson and offensive lineman Winston Justice; the Arizona Cardinal's linebacker Pago Togafau; Washington Redskin's safety Omar Stoutmire; and the Houston Texan's linebacker Darnell Bing. The school has also been the home to the San Diego Padres' Hall of Fame baseball star Tony Gwynn; the Philadelphia Phillies' Chase Utley; the Seattle Mariners' Milton Bradley and former professional tennis player Billie Jean King.
More recent graduates include Samantha Larson, who at 18, became the youngest non-Nepalese woman to summit Mount Everest. With over 5,000 students, the largely urban school has been the backdrop for such films as American Pie, The Craft and American Beauty. The school's other notable attendees include actor John Wayne, actress Cameron Diaz and rapper Snoop Dogg.
4th and Forever is produced for Current TV by Graden and Curren for Brian Graden Media, LLC; Stephen Land, Jupiter Entertainment, Inc.; Michael Hughes, DLP Entertainment; and Clint Stinchcomb, Global Content Partners, LLC.
