Berg had lived in Minneapolis in the 1980s and 1990s.
I thought there was something there.
In short order, Berg got in touch with Adams and flew to Minneapolis to spend time with him.
Coach Charles Adams and team in ‘Boys in Blue’Courtesy of SHOWTIME
I said, I would like to try and tell your story.
I dont have an agenda.
I believe theres something quite extraordinary happening in your community.
Director Pete BergCourtesy of Daniel McFadden
And they said, Well, OK, come on down.
particularly for a white man to document a Black community thats been rocked with trauma.
And I was very clear that, yes, I am a white man.
Berg and his team grappled with the challenge of balancing out these parallel, yet intertwined stories.
I was very, very proud of our editorial team for helping me find that balance, Berg reflects.
We knew that the football season would be the spine of the show.
But I was cognizant of not wanting to turn it into a show about football.
Berg and his team were three days from wrapping production when they heard the news.
This was the most challenging experience of my career, Berg recalls.
And they were just wrecked.
This was a principal player in our series whom wed come to really love.
We had cuts of the show prior to Deshauns murder.
She was saying, We need help.
Our community needs help.
Its very dangerous to live in a community like this.
After Deshaun Hill was killed, Berg continues, I said to our crew, Everythings different now.
I was happy that his mother said, Go forward with this show.
