Netflix’s Beat Luke Littler line-up has been revealed, and it feels a long way from the original pitch.
When the show was first announced, the idea sounded simple: a bloke from down the pub gets to take on Luke Littler. One leg of 501. £501,000 if they can beat him. But several of the names in this group are already familiar to darts fans, and some have serious competitive experience.
The names listed include:
- Mitchell Lawrie
- Ashley Coleman
- Fallon Sherrock
- Jayden Walker
- Jacob Gwynne
- Mark Pooke
- David Wawrzewski
- Zac Griffiths
- Zac Spain
- Jasper Scarrott
- Jarod Becker
- Sonny Johal
- Bhav Patel
- Katie Sheldon
- Tony Cole
- Lauren Bloomfield
- Cameron Edwards
- Pearse Mackle
- Kasey Smith
- Will Kemp
- Brett Todd
- Theodore Wallich
- Makinley Cooper-Johnson
Fallon Sherrock is the standout name for many casual viewers, while darts followers will know plenty of the others too. That doesn’t make it a bad line-up. It should make for a better show. But it does change the feel of the challenge. This is not quite the pub player plucked from nowhere that the original idea brought to mind.
Netflix’s format gives each challenger one leg of 501 against Littler, with the £501,000 prize going to anyone who beats him. He has to get through every player to keep the money. In a one-leg shootout, even the best player in the world has very little margin for error.
With this line-up, someone winning a leg feels entirely possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them takes the chance. Either way, Littler may have to work harder for his money than the original “bloke down the pub” idea suggested.
Beat Luke Littler will be live on Netflix on Friday, 30 October.
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