The wheel deal
Adrenaline-fuelled motorcycle races take pole position in Discovery’s dramatic retelling of the birth of Harley-Davidson. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, Harley-Davidson has cemented its reputation as one of the world’s most iconic brands. Now the story of how the world-famous motorcycle company came into existence – set against the backdrop of social and technological change – is being retold for US cable channel Discovery. Harley and the Davidsons recalls how three friends from Milwaukee, William ‘Bill’ Harley (Robert Aramayo) and Arthur and Walter Davidson (Bug Hall and Michiel Huisman), risked their entire fortune and livelihood to launch the budding enterprise. In particular, it was Walter’s ferocious ambition that propelled him to become a top motorcycle racer – and help put Harley-Davidson on the map – while competing in the deadly motordrome competitions sweeping the US. Produced by Raw TV, the six-hour series launched last night on Discovery in the US and will air around the world from this month. The executive producers are Ciaran Donnelly, Raw’s Dimitri Doganis, and John Goldwyn, the channel’s executive producer of drama. Like Discovery, Raw is best known for its factual and documentary programming but both firms are stepping further into drama. The network’s first scripted miniseries was 2014’s Klondike, set during the Gold Rush of the 1890s, while Raw has produced single dramas such as Cyberbully and Blackout. But while some ideas naturally fit factual formats, Doganis says it was clear the story behind the birth of Harley-Davidson would be … Continue reading The wheel deal
