Complementing its live-game coverage, MSG has set the programming lineup for its fourth annual "Summer Block Party."
The regional sports network, which will televise WNBA New York Liberty games and Major League Soccer's Red Bulls matches, plans themed programming every night at 8 p.m. (ET) from Memorial Day to Labor Day: "Movie Mondays and Tuesdays" presented by Melrose Credit Union; "Countdown Wednesdays"; "Knicks Thursdays"; "Music Fridays presented by Visa"; "Saturday Night Originals"; and "Sunday Night Fights."
Hosted by actor Michael Rapaport, MSG's Movie Mondays and Tuesdays kicks off the summer with a Memorial Day double feature of Academy Award-winning movies, Sly Stallone's Rocky and Woody Allen's Annie Hall. The network will then put the famed New York director and Knicks season ticketholder on full display in June with Allen's Broadway Danny Rose, Radio Days, Zelig and Love and Death. The RSN also has three New York, Al Pacino movies on its marquee with Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and City Hall. MSG will salute the London Olympics in July and August with Chariots of Fire and Without Limits, and will round out the summer with the classic sports theatricals Rudy, Brian's Song and The Natural.
MSG Countdown returns on Wednesday, with all-new episodes under the heading of "Celebrity Edition," with famous sports fans presenting such top 25 moments as the Beastie Boys' "Top Knicks Dunks" from 2011-12; Edie Falco's "Top Rangers Game Winning Goals"; Jerry Ferrara's "Top Jeremy Lin Moments"; Justin Tuck's "Top Knicks Clutch Shots"; Steve Schirripa's "Top Knicks Moments from 2011-12", John Duddy's "Top NHL Fights from 2011-12"; and Rapaport's "Top Knicks Dunks" of all-time.
On 10 to One sarcastic and edgy host Brittany Umar ranks athletes, past and present, that call Madison Square Garden and MSG Network home. Episodes include: "Top Draft Steals," "Biggest Villans," "Top New York and New Jersey-Born Athletes," "Underrated Players" and "Fantastic Finishes."
The RSN will also reprise The Lineup: Hits & Errors - The Best and Worst Deals in New York Baseball.
The new original series Knicks Thursdays will tip off with Brooklyn's own Bernard King recounting his back-to-back 50-point games in 1984 for the orange and blue, while also dissecting the first round of the NBA playoffs from the same year when he averaged nearly 40 points per game.
Also on court,:1994 March to the Finals, in which Walt ‘Clyde' Frazier and Spero Dedes relive the Knicks' 1993-94 season in a 20-part retrospective that spotlights some of the most memorable games and performances from that year, when the Knicks lost to Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. On the 25-part Knicks Greatest Rivalries, hosted by Anthony Mason, Derek Harper and Spero Dedes, the trio look back at the epic battles of the early 1990s between the Knicks and their biggest rivals, notably the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers.With Knicks in 60, MSG will knock down the best and brightest of the 2011-12 season into hour-long episodes.
Supermodel Chrissy Teigen and Fuse's Allison Hagendorf will host MSG's music lineup every Friday night. Performances on Music Fridays include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pink, Coldplay and Florence and The Machine. Also featured, New York's hottest concert of the year, the "Z100 Jingle Ball 2011" from Madison Square Garden and some of the top acts from Bonnaroo.
As for its Saturday Night Original schedule, MSG has installments of The Game 365 and Halls of Fame in the mix; MSG ProFiles, biographies of current and former Knicks and Rangers players, including Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Michael Del Zotto and Rod Gilbert; and more behind-the-scenes looks at the renovation of the world's most famous arena, with The Garden Transformed: Year One.
Fresh episodes from MSG Vault's will also be unveiled this showcasing Frazier, King and the 1975 New York Islanders.
On Sunday nights, MSG will shine the spotlight on the sweet science. MSG's Fight Night Classics features top boxing matches at MSG's various incarnations from the 1930s through the 1980s, while Epix Fights review recent heavyweight championship bouts, including Vitali Klitschko vs. Derek Chisora for the WBC world heavyweight title and Wladimir Kiltschko vs. Jean-Marc Mormeck for the WBA/IBF/WBO world heavyweight championship.
The RSN will also pay homage to the sport's aspirants with Golden Gloves action, bouts between the NYPD and NYFD in Battle of the Badges, and Irish boxing start John Duddgy, who is 9-0 in the building. This summer MSG will showcase eight of his fights, including thrilling victories against Ramon "Yory Boy" Campas and Anthony Bonsante.
