The Hollywood Reporter

10 p.m. Tuesday
HBO

Red Sox fans got off light. That could be the subtitle of this engrossing HBO Sports documentary on the annually fresh hell endured by fans of the Chicago Cubs.

Through "curses" both animal (the goat of '45 and black cat of '69) and human (Leon Durham in '84, Steve Bartman in '03), the Cubs faithful have been denied a championship since the Teddy Roosevelt administration. The perfectly titled "Wait 'Til Next Year: The Saga of the Chicago Cubs" touches on Wrigleys, Veecks, day games and ivy-covered walls, but its focus is on the unique pain the team's fans are forced to endure six months out of each year -- and whose emotions are toyed with every few decades as the Cubbies threaten to end the jinx.

Packed with memorable quotes, the docu cleverly juxtaposes the team's mostly bitter past century with the eternal hope of another opening day. Spliced between old footage and well-chosen interviews, we see uberfans preparing to attend or watch Game 1 of a new season, when the Cubs are tied for first place. These subjects range from comic actor Jeff Garlin to a Korean immigrant who learned English by watching Cubs games to an 85-year-old who has been to "probably 50" opening days. Their passion for the team is matched only by their anguish.

Dennis Farina offers authentic and enthusiastic narration; like many of the interviewees, including Bryant Gumbel, he uses "we" when referring to the team's accomplishments and pratfalls. And Farina has the program's most telling line: "Rooting for the Cubs is not easy, but the best things in life never are." Holy cow.