Starring Chris Connelly Original network ESPN First episode date 22 October 2001 Language English | Country of origin United States Related shows Final episode date 25 June 2002 | |
Running time 30 minutes (with commercials) Original release October 22, 2001 – June 25, 2002 Genres Interview, Talk show, Sports Similar Around the Horn, E:60, Pardon the Interruption, ESPN College Football | ||
Unscripted with Chris Connelly is a half-hour daily interview program that aired on ESPN from October 22, 2001 until June 25, 2002.
Contents
Format
Originating live Monday through Friday at 5PM ET from the ESPN Zone at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California, and hosted by Chris Connelly, Unscripted was designed to be an updated, more contemporary version of Up Close, which ran on the network for nearly 20 years prior. On the show, Connelly would spend the entire half-hour with one guest (or a group appearing together), usually an athlete or someone connected with sports, although other entertainers would make occasional appearances. On the guest's way onto the stage, he/she would stop and sign an autograph onto the wall of the set. The show was shot in front of a live audience.
Cancellation
Unscripted with Chris Connelly debuted the same day as Pardon the Interruption, ESPN's highly successful debate show, and served as its lead-in. Unscripted, however, never enjoyed the same success. Due to low ratings and the potential of another debate show to capitalize on the success of PTI, Unscripted was canceled after just eight months on the air. After a period of random programming in its timeslot, it was eventually permanently replaced by Around the Horn.
As of 2016, Connelly remains employed by ESPN as a reporter working primarily on human interest stories. His reports are often seen on weekend editions of SportsCenter.