Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills is giving NFL fans an inside look at one of sports‘ most fun and exciting franchises. The HBO and NFL Films series has long delved deep into the inner workings of teams and even whole divisions, but the Bills are as thrilling—and as popular—as they’ve ever been.

Ahead of the Aug. 5 premiere, producer Pat Harris spoke to TVBrittanyF.com about getting the Bills onto Hard Knocks and what he’s most looking forward to during the season. Here’s what he had to say about how the show developed; stay tuned for Part 2 of our in-depth conversation as well as episode-by-episode breakdowns!

Brittany Frederick: Hard Knocks has become an institution within the NFL. Having worked on the show for several years, what do you think makes a season memorable?

Pat Harris: It all starts with personality. Some of our more iconic ones usually stem from just natural, good personalities. A lot of times—as weird as it is to say—just putting a camera in front of that likes to talk and isn’t as comfortable around it usually leads to great television. It’s always tough to manufacture excitement and humor and all that stuff. So when it just happens naturally, I think that makes for the best episodes and best seasons.

You have a personal connection to this season, being from Rochester. How much does that influence you as a producer? Does it put any additional pressure on your shoulders?

I definitely know that if friends and family don’t like the episode, I’m going to hear about a little bit more than I normally would in a given year. (laughs). There is definitely more of a sense of pride, that I just want to make sure it’s done right. I want to make sure we show Rochester and Buffalo in the best light we possibly can.

I had a little pressure from our crew when we first got here to [know] the best places to eat, so I had some friends help out to pass along some good places to keep the crew happy. Usually, if the crew is happy, my life’s a little bit easier. (Laughs.)

But it was surreal that it landed on the Bills, knowing I was able to come work with my favorite team, but also be back in Rochester. A lot of family went to St. John Fisher [University], where training camp is. I grew up coming here. It was definitely a pretty surreal experience, and it has been a surreal experience thus far.

What made this the right time to do a Hard Knocks season on the Buffalo Bills?

I think the Bills just have an incredible amount of intrigue behind them. They’re constantly playing in primetime games, and they’re now a team that not only people of Western New York want to see, but the rest of the country and the rest of the world want to see. I think Josh Allen being one of the biggest, if not the biggest star in the NFL definitely helps. But it just felt like a good time to see just what has made them tick so far, for these incredible years that they’ve had.

With that increased level of interest in and media attention on the team, do you have to pivot your focus in Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills? Are you trying to avoid storylines or ideas that have already been covered in the public eye?

It’s a tough, tough conversation. There’s a lot of back and forth, because I’m obviously very in tune with some of the stories that are told, some of the people that have already been covered, just by the local media [and] by the Bills video staff. There is a sense we don’t want to just copy and paste something else.

We try to take it from the lens of hey, if we’re going to introduce somebody that Bills fans already know, what’s a new part of their story that we can introduce—so it doesn’t feel like we’re just copying and pasting or doing something that’s already been done before. But there’s plenty of intrigue, plenty of people to talk about, so it doesn’t feel like it’s too repetitive.

Are there any players or people that you’re particularly excited to showcase to the HBO audience?

Dion Dawkins is the obvious one. He’s an incredible person, incredible player. He has been great to the crew, just an awesome person to be around. I think his energy is kind of infectious. He’s one that I think the world is going to fall in love with, no question. I don’t know how he has the energy he does. We end our days around the same time, and we’re all pretty exhausted—and he’s ready to go hang out with his family, to go do something and not just sit around. And he’s the one that’s blocking 280-pound men all day. I don’t know how he does it, but I love his energy. I think it’s great for anybody that’s around him.

I’ve had a relationship with Tre’Davious White for a couple years, and worked with him previously, so it was great to see him come back. [He’s] another one that I think the world will really see the type of person he is. And I think they really represent the Bills in a pretty incredible way.

So far, what has made Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills stand out to you? Is there any aspect that has so far separated this from other seasons?

There’s a different sense of urgency here, because the team has been so successful. The way that they practice and the attention to detail that they have is definitely evident, and hopefully that comes across on the screen. I think they’ve just hit the ground running—there is an acclimation period, but there isn’t, if that makes sense. They are a team that brought back a lot of pieces. The product that’s on the field, on both ends and even on special teams, is already at an elite level.

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills premieres tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO, and airs Tuesdays with episodes streaming on HBO Max. Photo Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.