Eric Bristow was the first superstar of darts. The Crafty Cockney had a cheeky persona. He was young talented and cocky. Unlike others at the time, he was a big guy but not fat. Bristow was telegenic.

This was a documentary made in 1979 when Bristow was still a rising star of darts. He was yet to win his first world championship title but it would be only a matter of time.

The documentary follows Bristow going from town to town. Playing in exhibition matches with local players who thought they were good enough to beat him in working men's clubs. Later doing a question and answer session. Attending radio interviews where he gets berated for being arrogant.

Bristow talked about how he had to work hard to win the crowd around especially when he travelled up north. They would always be a few that were resistant to his charms.

Bristow played up to his reputation. He may not had been academically bright but he had a quick wit, he could add up the numbers to win a match and he could play darts.

Before Phil Taylor, Bristow was the first man to win five world titles in the 1980s. He was the dominant force until he got afflicted by Dartitis. He just could not let go of his darts. It led to his eventual decline.

It is a fascinating insight of life that has disappeared. Many of these working mens clubs no longer exist. Even darts as a sport later waned, consigned mainly to satellite television.

Not until the emergence of teenage sensation Luke Littler has darts hit the headlines again.

This was an era where darts held a lot of promise. Bristow talks about emerging challengers from abroad. Bristow was not worried, he could beat them and win the titles.

The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

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The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

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Documentary film following rising darts star, Eric Bristow, as he travels around the pubs and working men's clubs of Britain, challenging the local heroes and playing exhibition matches.

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