An institution which, sadly, no longer exists at Sunday dinner time, although it looks as of early 2012 that ESPN is trying to work it back in, NFL contracts with other networks notwithstanding. Berman and Jackson highlighted the NFL games of the day, joined some years by a second-stringer or two to give the major talents a breathing spell. Originally it ran 7-8, then it was moved back to 7:30-8:30 (mistake), probably as some marketing tool to run into ESPN's own Sunday night game when they had one. Berman and Jackson are one of the great two-somes in TV history, and I go far enough back to be able to say that with some authority. Over the 20 year run Berman coined a number of what are now Americanisms, starting with "he could go all the way" (a Cosell schtick sometimes said when the runner didn't make it), to made-up middle names, to rumbling bumbling stumbling, to tick tick tick tick, tick tick tick tick. A recent iteration of "Primetime" involved Michael Irvin, requiring an immediate channel switch, and even more recently the babbling, obnoxious and insufferable Trent Dilfer. In its true form NFL Primetime is the duo of Berman and Jackson only, hopefully it will return there some day.
Review of NFL Primetime
