One Strike, Two Balls: 3 reasons to watch IFC’s Brockmire

Hank Azaria as Jim Brockmire, Amanda Peet as Jules – Brockmire _ Season 3, Episode 2 – Photo Credit: Kim Simms/IFC

The cities and guest characters. Brockmire shows the joys of exploring new jaunts within the same lovely old confines of one’s own narcissism.

Brockmire’s ascent back into a major league booth begins in the minor league city of Morristown, which is awash in despair and fracking initiatives. This has placed the minor league team’s existence in peril. Jules (Amanda Peete) needed an attraction at the same time Brockmire needed a fresh broadcasting opportunity. In the end, they both need a drink.

Molly Ephraim serves up the drinks in season one, aiding Brockmire’s alcohol-fueled bender in the first season. New Orleans is Brockmire’s home in season two. Florida during spring training is where hope blossoms for rookie ball players and at least one old veteran broadcaster.

JK Simmons and Utkarsh Ambudkar play foils to Jim’s grand plans to win another major league microphone. Becky Ann Baker is Jim’s needling sister, and Linda Lavin plays their dismissive mother.

Martha Plimpton serves as Jim’s grounded AA sponsor in the third season. George Brett, Bob Costas, and Joe Buck all play themselves wonderfully. Richard Kind is the new in-game studio producer leading Jim through his first sober season in forty years.

Of the set of the third, more soberly reserved season, Hank Azaria told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"“I can’t cut loose the way I normally do. Brockmire doesn’t have fun anymore. He tolerates and survives. The challenge this year was to find a way for Brockmire to feel real and funny at the same time he’s sober.”"

The IFC channel has a fourth season ordered and scheduled for filming. Over the past few seasons, Jim has attempted to change. We are approaching the seventh inning stretch of this series, and the relief pitchers (supporting actors) have shown an ability to save the winning formula of IFC’s Brockmire game.