“Last Chance U” is one of Netflix’s biggest hit shows, which means it will continue as long as producers find a willing subject.
After chronicling East Mississippi Community College over its first two seasons and Independence Community College in Kansas over seasons three and four, the show will continue its sojourn west for Season 5. The show announced this week its next stop will be Laney College in Oakland, Calif.
Ready for another season? Last Chance U will return to @netflix in 2020. This time, at Laney College in Oakland, CA. pic.twitter.com/YfqPWbhsSX
— Last Chance U: Basketball (@LastChanceU) August 9, 2019
Laney head coach John Beam told the San Jose Mercury-News his goal will be to turn the show’s premise on its head.
“I told them we’re not ‘Last Chance U,’ ” Beam said. “We’re your first chance. We’re your Best Chance U.
“I said you’re not (rejects). All those kids from the other shows either left school, got kicked out from a four-year school or something. Well, that’s not us. You’re the kids who came here for a reason. To better your grades or better you football outlook. We’re your best chance.”
With many a player who could not care less about academics and coaches whose tough love can cross the line to verbal abuse, “Last Chance U” sometimes showcases the worst college football has to offer. Beam will be a welcome break from that.
“How many NFL players and NBA players have come out of this city of 400,000? A lot. Why is that?,” Beam told the paper. “We think Oakland is special. And I hope that’s how (“Last Chance U”) portrays our city.”
The show will follow Beam’s 40th season in coaching. He spent 22 years at Oakland’s Skyline High School, going 160-33-3 with 15 city championships and 11 section titles. This will be his 16th season at Laney. He was named the California Community College Coach of the Year in 2018 while leading Laney to a state title. The school boasts a 90 percent graduation or transfer rate among its football players and averages around 11 Division I signees per year.