ESPN to Begin Casting forPoker Drama"Tilt"

ESPN, which managed to offend the NFL with an edgy football drama, is back in the game with a project set in the world of high-stakes poker. The sports network has ordered 13 episodes of "Tilt," which chronicles the lives of six fictional gamblers in the months preceding the World Series (news - web sites) of Poker. Casting is expected to commence next month, with shooting slated for mid-November. It comes from executive producers Brian Koppelman and David Levien, who last delved into the poker world in "Rounders," the 1988 film they co-wrote. "Tilt" is ESPN's first scripted-series bet since "Playmakers," the controversial football drama benched in February after one season partly because the National Football League didn't take kindly to the show's unflattering depiction of professional athletes. But "Playmakers" was a solid first effort for ESPN in the series arena, averaging 2.2 million total viewers over 13 episodes, including more than 1 million in ESPN's core demographic of men 18-49. ESPN is touting "Tilt" as a more complementary addition to its schedule, which already boasts high-rated, male-skewing coverage of the World Series of Poker. Poker-themed programing also has been a hit for cable channels including Travel Channel, Bravo and Fox Sports Net. Read more.