Hate the Participant: The Ben Johnson Story revisits one of the crucial scrutinized moments in Canadian sport, this time with a really totally different tone. As reported by CBCthe six-episode collection makes use of a mockumentary formatutilizing satire as an alternative of a proper retelling.
In 1988, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson had simply run the race that outlined his profession, profitable gold and setting a world file within the 100m closing in Seoul. Three days later, he examined optimistic for the banned steroid stanozolol, was stripped of his medal, and his outcome was disqualified. The aftermath led to the Dubin Inquiry in 1989, which uncovered widespread doping amongst Canadian athletes.
A special approach of telling it
The collection shifts the attitude because it seems to be again at Johnson’s life and profession. Johnson supported the concept of telling the story by comedy. “I feel what occurred to my profession was a joke to me,” he informed CBC. “It was simply the precise match to place it again in a distinct perspective.
Shamier Andersonwho performs Johnson, mentioned the story additionally exhibits how rapidly public notion modified, with Johnson shifting from being embraced to being pushed apart in a matter of days. Anderson has a private connection to the story as properly. “I grew up in Scarborough, the place Ben educated, the place his identify nonetheless echoes,” he mentioned. “He was a hometown legend. Sure, difficult, but in addition somebody individuals rooted for.”
Greater than the race
The collection doesn’t observe a easy timeline, experiences The Globe and Mail. It strikes forwards and backwards by Johnson’s life, mixing exaggerated moments with extra grounded ones. That method permits for various interpretations of how issues unfolded, quite than attempting to choose one model of occasions. It’s reportedly “impressed by intensive analysis performed by Canadian creator and journalist, Mary Ormsby,” whose e-book World’s Quickest Man: The Unimaginable Lifetime of Ben Johnsonwas revealed in 2024. (It was reviewed within the July/August 2024 subject of Canadian Working.)
Anderson, who additionally serves as an govt producer of the present by his firm Bay Mills Studios, has mentioned the challenge goes past the race itself. It seems to be on the individuals round Johnson, his upbringing and the best way his story has been informed over time. The collection is written by BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated author Anthony Q. Farrellwhose credit additionally embrace The Workplace and Run the Burbs.
“Based mostly on the historical past of different athletes doing the identical factor, it was simply the precise match to place it again in a distinct perspective to inform this nice story in a comedy format so individuals can take pleasure in it and be ok with themselves and be stunned with among the issues that they noticed on this,” Johnson says.
Hate the Participant: The Ben Johnson Story is streaming now in Canada on Paramount+.
