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4th and Long

4th and Long

2009–Ongoing2 seasons11 episodesMidcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

4th and Long is a reality television series hosted by Michael Irvin that premiered on Spike on May 18, 2009. The winner of the show earned a spot at the Dallas Cowboys training camp - with a shot of making the roster. The show pits six wide receivers against six defensive backs. The show was filmed at the Cotton Bowl, with Joe Avezzano as the coach for the receivers and Bill Bates as the coach for the backs. The athletes have varying backgrounds, including national champions, CFL players, arena league veterans, semi-pro players, and those who have tried to make NFL rosters.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch 4th and Long?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists 4th and Long to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy

Reception

Is 4th and Long worth watching?

4th and Long's Midcredits score is the 37th percentile of all shows, from 31 ratings (very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional). 48% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

37th percentile

Better received than 37% of shows

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

58th percentile among Reality-TV32nd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)61st
Approval (how many liked it)15th

Acclaim

Divisive: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

73 /100

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

61st percentile of all shows

71st percentile among Reality-TV53rd percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

48% liked it

15th percentile of all shows

34th percentile among Reality-TV12th percentile among 2000s
48% rated it 7–1052% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

2nd percentile

31 ratings across platforms

7th percentile among Reality-TV2nd percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 5% in 30 days

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2009 · 10 episodes

  • S1E1
    S1E1

    4th Quarter Training

    May 18, 200960 min
  • S1E2
    S1E2

    Within Your Grasp

    May 25, 200960 min
  • S1E3
    S1E3

    Game Day

    Jun 1, 200960 min
  • S1E4
    S1E4

    The Red Zone

    Jun 8, 200960 min
  • S1E5
    S1E5

    Halfway There

    Jun 15, 200960 min
  • S1E6
    S1E6

    Great Sacrifices, Great Rewards

    Jun 22, 200960 min

Watch experience

What is 4th and Long like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you hopeful.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseHopefulCathartic
Heaviest: middle
Register
Adventurous · 15% of showsExuberant · 4% of shows: Bursting with energy and joy in its own filmmaking.
Told as
Episodic · 11% of shows: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe show presents the competition and contestants' journeys with earnest excitement and tension.
The rideMid-season episodes typically feature the most intense cuts and pressure moments as the roster narrows, while the finale offers resolution.
StructureSeries structured as a sequential series of trials and eliminations across episodes.
Episode formatEach episode presents specific physical and mental challenges with eliminations, while a season-long elimination arc determines the ultimate roster spot — the 'case' is the episode's competition, the 'arc' is the season's progression.
Season formatEach season brings a fresh cast of hopefuls competing for the same prize, with a self-contained competition arc that resets between seasons.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
HopefulRousing · 9% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayViewers leave inspired by the contestants' pursuit of an NFL roster spot.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeReality competition series with no central narrative plot; the format is the show.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfAmbitionSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 14% (this title) · Purpose 16% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

Ambition · 14% of showsSelf-worth · 7% of showsPurpose
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe show centers on contestants' desperate drive to make an NFL roster, exploring how far they'll go and what the opportunity means for their sense of personal value and life direction.
StanceThe show primarily observes the contestants' journeys with a sympathetic lens, focusing on their individual struggles rather than taking a critical or satirical stance.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalRealistic
ElectronicSupportive music · original score · Ron Wasserman
SettingFootball training facilities and competition venues associated with the Dallas Cowboys
MusicThe score uses driving electronic tracks to heighten tension during challenges and emotional moments during cuts.

Cast and crew

Who is in 4th and Long?

Cast

Andrew Hawkins
as Self
Michael Irvin
as Self

Crew

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