The series has shown the personal and family lives of the players, coaches and staff, as well as competition for places on the roster, and inside jokes and pranks. It has particularly focused on rookies' adjustments to playing in the NFL, usually with emphasis on the team's most recent top draft pick, and on undrafted or journeyman players trying to secure a job. The series has been narrated by Liev Schreiber since 2001, with the exception of the 2007 season, which was narrated by Paul Rudd. The NFL and HBO have called Hard Knocks "the first sports-based reality series".