Full Color Football: The History of the American Football League

2009 - 2009

The New Frontier

16th September 2009

Episode 1

When 26 year old Lamar Hunt's dream of owning a pro football team is road-blocked by the NFL, Hunt dreams bigger and starts a new league. The AFL's early days coincide with the dawn of a new age in America, reflected in the energy of a young president and the grand national ambition to reach the moon.

Times They Are A Changin'

23rd September 2009

Episode 2

The AFL enters its 4th season with the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the passing of the Civil Rights Movement changing the landscape of America. The ripple effects were felt in the AFL, where the Sid Gillman helped the Chargers become the premier offensive team in the league, winning the AFL championship in 1963.

War and Peace

30th September 2009

Episode 3

Bolstered by a generous new TV contract from NBC, the AFL wages war against the NFL by outbidding and even kidnapping top college prospects to join the new league. The arrival of Joe Namath revives a sagging New York franchise, while existing stars Lance Alworth, Willie Brown, Clem Daniels and others set records and increase attendance.

Revolution

7th October 2009

Episode 4

The AFL's quest for respectability takes another hit after the Raiders are soundly beaten in Super Bowl II. In 1968, amid the backdrop of the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, a league full of rebels and misfits continue to revolt against the establishment.

The Final Frontier

14th October 2009

Episode 5

It's 1969 and anything is possible—the Jets upset the Colts in Super Bowl III, Man walks on the Moon—but the AFL is still considered separate and unequal in the eyes of the NFL. The debate over how the leagues will be realigned is long and contentious. The now predominant figure in all of pro football, Joe Namath, nearly retires under attack from the NFL establishment.

Top Cast

John Madden•Peter Coyote

Full Color Football celebrates the 50th season of the maverick American Football League, from its tumultuous beginnings to its unlikely merger with the rival NFL.

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Full Cast

John Madden Image

John Madden

Peter Coyote Image

Peter Coyote

Himself - Narrator

Full Crew

David Plaut

Producer

Steve Sabol

Executive Producer

Ken Hershman

Executive Producer

Steve Seidman

Producer

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