The Franchise
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"Well, here we go."
—Tim Lincecum, "Preview Episode"
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The Franchise: A Season With the San Francisco Giants, better known as The Franchise, is a Reality Show currently airing on Showtime as of August 2011. It follows the 2011 season of the San Francisco Giants, after their 2010 season, which culminated in them winning the World Series. The series currently has a 'preview episode' and eight standard episodes, and each episode focuses on one or two players on the squad, going deeper into their life stories and current problems.
A second season, to focus on the Miami Marlins, is due to start in the summer of 2012.
Tropes used in The Franchise include:
- Badass Beard: Brian Wilson.
- Big Game: Pretty much Once an Episode.
- Curb Stomp Battle: A couple of times, the most notable so far being the Giants losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-2.
- A Day in the Limelight: One of the selling points of the show - no one is too big or too small to be featured.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Tim Lincecum becomes aware of a camera watching him as he offhandedly sings a bar of 'Last Friday Night' in the clubhouse. He quickly stops.
- Down to the Last Play: Played straight and subverted on numerous occasions.
- Mr. Fanservice: You'll probably find someone on the team attractive.
- High School Sweethearts: Buster Posey and his wife.
- Loads and Loads of Characters: Between the 25-odd members of the team, the minor leaguers who bounce back and forth between the Giants and Triple-A, and everyone's families, there are a ton of people to keep track of.
- Manly Tears: Brandon Belt, during his meeting with manager Bruce Bochy, where he is informed he's made the starting lineup for Opening Day.
- Opposing Sports Team: Duh.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The 2010 Giants team is referred to as such a few times, being cobbled together from castoffs from other teams, a few new kids, and a couple of eccentrics.
- Reality Show
- Real Men Wear Pink: Brian Wilson.
- Save Our Team: Worked pretty well for the Giants in 2010, but, as the show documents, isn't working as well for them in 2011.
- Serious Business: Dominoes, apparently.
- Shirtless Scene: Since about 50% of the show takes place in a locker room...
- This Is for Emphasis, Bitch: "Dominoes, bitches."
- Those Two Guys: Aubrey Huff and Mark De Rosa inadvertently become this when sitting the bench during a game. Tim Lincecum and Brian Wilson could also count.
- Underdogs Never Lose: Played very straight during the 2010 Postseason.
- Unfortunate Names: Poor Madison Bumgarner. Lincecum isn't the greatest last name in the world, either.