Unlike ‘Bonds’ Series, This Show Fit for King

Before the producers of “Bonds on Bonds” sold the reality series to ESPN, they pitched it to HBO. A source at HBO said, “We turned it down in a heartbeat.”

Good call.

Actually, producer Mike Tollin and his partner, Brian Robbins, pitched it to several networks.

“But ESPN was the only network we had serious discussions with,” Tollin said.

Now ESPN is stuck with the embarrassment and controversy generated by “Bonds on Bonds.”

The third episode was televised Tuesday, getting only a 0.4 rating, down from a 0.6 the previous week, and Barry Bonds again portrayed himself as a victim.

“People hate for no reason,” he said.

Of the possibility that he could be facing perjury charges, related to his grand jury testimony in 2003 regarding his possible steroid use, Bonds said, “They’re not going to break me. They can try, but they’re not going to break me.”

The series does provide an inside look at Bonds, but is what we see real?

One day after the third episode of “Bonds on Bonds” was shown on ESPN, HBO held a screening in Hollywood for “Billie Jean King: Portrait of the Pioneer,” an excellent one-hour documentary that will be shown on HBO, with the first airing next Wednesday at 10 p.m.

What a contrast!

Where Bonds, in his series, comes across as unreal, King, in the HBO documentary, comes across as a real person, complete with frailties and self-doubts.

Unlike with Bonds, no topic is off limits. Among other things, King, 62, talks openly about her sexuality and how she has dealt with it. And the palimony suit brought against her in 1981 is part of the show.

And unlike Bonds, who stands to reap some of the profits from his series, King has no financial interest in the HBO project.

Larry King -- no not CNN’s Larry King but rather Billie Jean’s former husband -- is interviewed at length and speaks glowingly about his former wife.

As one might expect, King’s current life partner, Ilana Kloss, also has nice things to say.

Longtime friend Elton John says, “If there was a knighthood system in America, she’d be Dame Billie Jean King.”

The production is HBO quality, but after the screening Wednesday night, King did express one regret.

In covering her 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match with Bobby Riggs, King is shown saying at the time that she would not take part if Jack Kramer worked alongside Howard Cosell and Rosie Casals as a commentator on the ABC telecast.

“He didn’t believe in women’s tennis,” King is shown saying. “Why should he be a part of this match? He doesn’t believe in half of the match. I’m not playing. Either he goes, or I go.”

King was upset with Kramer because at a Southern California tournament he promoted, only 10% of the purse went to the women competitors.

ABC’s Roone Arledge had to acquiesce and take Kramer off the match.

“What didn’t make the show,” King said, “is that Jack and I made our peace in 1984, before the Olympics in Los Angeles, at the home of UCLA chancellor Charles Young.”

Overall, HBO, as King did on a tennis court, covers a lot of ground. And what really makes this show a must-see is King herself. There is no narrator, so King does most of the talking. It’s good to hear someone being so honest in front of a camera.