The Cincinnati Bengals will be the next team featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks series which is produced by NFL Films and televised by HBO.

The team announced on Thursday that HBO’s Hard Knocks five show series featuring the team would begin Aug. 12 at 10 p.m. and ends Sept. 9. A 24-person crew will descend on Georgetown College for training camp to shoot more than 1,000 hours of video beginning July 30.

Ross Greenburg of HBO and Steve Sabol of NFL Films attended a noon news conference Thursday with head coach Marvin Lewis.

“This is a fascinating team,” NFL Films president Steve Sabol said in a release issued by HBO. “They’ve got a lot to prove to themselves and to the fans. As Coach [Marvin] Lewis has said, ‘This is a team with a chip on their shoulder.’ Training camp is a laboratory of human emotions and the Bengals have a compelling mix of personalities that should make for dramatic television.”

Other NFL teams that have been featured on the series include the Dallas Cowboys, who appeared on the show twice, the Baltimore Ravens in 2001 when Lewis was the defensive coordinator, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Since Lewis has already taken part in a Hard Knocks series before, he has some experience dealing with the circus that comes with the taping of the show. Despite, the madness that will ensue, Lewis still is excited about the opportunity.

“Hard Knock will give Bengals fans a tremendous opportunity for an inside look at their team. And for NFL fans across the country, it will provide another expertly produced program on how an NFL team operates behind the scenes. As for our players and coaches, the presence of HBO and NFL Films on a daily basis during the preseason will bring a heightened sense of excitement and intensity to the jobs we are all doing to get ready for a great year.”

Lewis also feels that his Bengals team has matured to a level where inviting cameras in to film one of the most important parts offseason won’t be a hindrance to the ultimate goals for the season and the preparation that goes into getting ready for the year.

"I think our football team is beyond that point," Lewis said. "I think we've got a mature group of guys that are fighting for jobs. They won't notice the cameras. We know there'll be special things that guys will be a part of, I think that way we're mature enough. Steve has approached me before and we didn't come to the same conclusion. This time I did because I think we're in a different step in the team's maturity and where we are. I think it’s great for our fans. I felt like we could handle this."

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