The '85 Chicago Bears are getting the limited series treatment

As recounted in Cohen’s 2014 book, the ’85 Bears were a cultural juggernaut, making national celebrities (and/or minor cultural gods) out of folks like Ditka, running back Walter Payton, and rookie lineman William “The Refrigerator” Perry. Capping one of the most successful seasons in professional football history with a 46-10 blowout against the New England Patriots at Super Bowl XX, the team exists, essentially permanently, in the pantheon of Chicago sports legends; the new show purports to celebrate that legacy while also highlighting the behind-the-scenes drama that powered the season. Written by Lift‘s Daniel Kunka and directed by Hot Tub Time Machine‘s Steve Pink, the series will  track all the dramatic throwdowns—including a reported ongoing power struggle between Ditka and his defensive coordinator, Buddy Ryan—the highs (all that winning), and, we’re assuming the team’s darkest moment of all. (Losing the 1987 Grammy for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group for “The Super Bowl Shuffle” to Prince’s “Kiss.”)

No streamer or studio has been attached to the project, although the recent general interest in sports history projects (including 2020 docuseries The Last Dance, about fellow Chicago sports institution the Bulls, and HBO’s two-season Lakers drama Winning Time) suggests it won’t be that hard to find it a home. The fact that Cohen is a well-known entity in the world of TV probably won’t hurt; the author previously served as a co-creator, with Mick Jagger, Martin Scorsese, and Terrence Winter, on HBO series Vinyl.