NBC’s Melodramatic Coverage of American Olympians Does Athletes and Viewers a Huge Disservice
variety.comCaroline Framke Chief TV CriticAs has become Olympics tradition, NBC has spent every night of its primetime coverage unveiling the stories of top U.S.
athletes like it’s selling a weepy drama about their lives. Figure skater Nathan Chen came to Beijing to banish bad memories of his last botched Olympics, the humiliating clip of which NBC will whip out at a moment’s notice to underline his plight.
Biathlete Leif Nordgren had to meet his new daughter virtually, live on air, as he blinked back tears. Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin is trying to mount a comeback through debilitating grief over the recent death of her father, whose grin used to be an omnipresence on whichever slopes she conquered.
For NBC, these segments represent “heartwarming” tales of resilience and pride, especially if the athletes involved manage to beat the odds and land a medal.
Read more on variety.com
