UPDATE: 'Ball Boys' Reflect on First Season in National Spotlight

UPDATE—ABC has decided to air Ball Boys in primetime, 9 to 10 p.m. on Saturdays.

ORIGINAL—The —filmed right here in Lutherville—looked like it was going to be a homerun, but after only two strong weeks in the ratings, appeared more like a pop fly.

“It was so bad they didn’t even release the ratings,” said Robbie Davis, Jr., one of the show’s stars and co-owner of .

Ball Boys started strong from it’s two-episode premier weekend, but dwindled in an undesirable, unplanned timeslot.

“I think from inception it was good,” Robbie Davis, Sr., said. “I think the premise was good and it could work. I think what happened is the NBA didn’t go on strike. So they didn’t promote our show like it would’ve been promoted had they gone on strike.

“By them committing in advance, they had to scramble to find some place to put it, which didn’t give us the exposure that we would’ve gotten,” Senior continued.

Ball Boys was shown nationally on ABC (WMAR locally) at 3 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

It now appears as though ABC isn’t ready to give up on the sports themed pawn show. Ball Boys, according to the Junior, is being tested in different time slots through the summer. He said he was told there was already an uptick in interest when the show aired this past Sunday at 5 p.m.

“The show is going to be played more than 24 times before it’s all over and done with,” Junior said. Season one was 12 episodes long, spread out over six weeks. 

Both Senior and Junior remain optimistic for a second season.

“It’s because the people I think are interested in us and not the memorabilia,” Senior said. “There is a in no matter what shop you go to. But it’s the people who run the shop and the personalities that are keeping us on TV.

“I think ABC has gotten that same response, which is why they’re jumping these times,” he continued.

In his comments, Senior alluded to the cancelled All-Star Dealers, a Discovery Communications owned show with the same premise. After two weeks on air, Discovery moved the program to Velocity.

“You’ve never even heard of Velocity,” Senior said jokingly.

Despite the uncertainty of a second season, Ball Boys has given a boost to the small sports memorabilia shop. Senior said since the show premiered he and his staff have fielded more calls from out-of-state collectors looking for rare pieces of sports history.  

That doesn’t mean Senior wouldn’t be disappointed if his shop at 9 West Ridgely Road didn’t get a second chance in the spotlight.

“I’d be disappointed that America didn’t pick up on it and like it enough to keep it on the air. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. I honestly believe that if Swamp Thing is on, we’re definitely going to be on,” Senior said.