Shows like Mike

These portraits of public figures rely on the friction between private impulse and sudden celebrity. They examine how the pursuit of dominance in a high-stakes arena often demands a total detachment from ordinary life.

Those who followed the rise and fall of the heavyweight champion will find a similar scrutiny in American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez and Mr. McMahon. These selections trade clean biographies for the messy reality behind the headlines. Expect character studies that prioritize psychological weight over spectacle.