HBO's NFL Series 'Hard Knocks' Not Airing Until 2012 Due to Lockout

HBO Sports and NFL Films announced on Friday that the five-episode reality series Hard Knocks, which follows one NFL team during preseason training camp, will not air this year.our editor recommendsNFL Lockout Ends: What Hollywood, Players Are SayingNFL Lockout Nears an End Because of the NFL's expedited timetable this month, it made it impractical for any professional football team to commit to the docu-series. Hard Knocks will return, however, in 2012. In place of a season, a 90-minute special episode with footage from previous seasons will air Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 10 p.m. on HBO. The special will feature moments from memorable seasons featuring the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys and the New York Jets, which were featured last year, just to name a few. "We know football fans are hungry for compelling NFL programming and we think they'll love the 10th anniversary special," said Rick Bernstein, executive producer at HBO Sports. "The first 10 years of Hard Knocks has been the ultimate fly-on-the-wall NFL training camp experience. We look forward to taking a look back at those shows and reintroducing the fans to those characters who made the decade of Hard Knocks so memorable," said Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films. The NFL lockout ended on Monday when players and owners agreed to a 10-year collective bargaining agreement. Email: philiana.ng@thr.com Related Topics HBO HBO Films NFL NFL Films