Each week, I take a look back at a pilot from the 2011-12 season, first reviewed on my blog during that season. This week, I am looking at the first cancellation of that season, NBC's The Playboy Club!
The Details:
Premiered: September 19, 2011 on NBC
Starring: Eddie Cibrian, Laura Benanti, Amber Heard, Jenna Dewan Tatum, Naturi Naughton, Leah Renee, Wes Ramsey, with Jennifer Lewis and David Krumholtz
Created by: Chad Hodge
What I Thought Then:
"It's a mix of sex, crime, mystery and romance, so why did it feel somewhat boring? And what was the controversy all about?"
"The ambiance is stronger than the story or performances. I'm a sucker for 1960s material so it was fun to see the era in full including songs, cars and looks."
"This show really shouldn't have dragged yet it did for the middle part of the episode."
"I liked parts of it and I will give it another chance but I am skeptical."
What Others Said:
"A sharply drawn and riveting one from the evidence on hand, and bolstered by a skilled cast. This club should lure plenty of customers, television-viewing variety. They'll have good reason." - Dorothy Rabinowitz, Wall Street Journal
"The series does have energy and narrative drive, some fun performances, and a glossy 60s eye-candy sheen. That may be enough to hold your attention while Playboy works on some of its problems." - Robert Bianco, USA Today
"The acting isn't great, some of the hundreds of subplots aren't bad, but this ain't Mad Men and Cibrian and Heard are no Jon Hamm and January Jones despite their desperate attempt to be." - Linda Stasi, New York Post
"An ambitious but ultimately weak attempt to set an ensemble drama inside Hugh Hefner's hallowed, smoke-filled nightclub of early 1960s Chicago." - Hank Stuever, Washington Post
"The Playboy Club is nothing but a tarted-up mob drama; the bunnies may be used as the marketing and milieu but the main narrative is about the men, and no one seems aware of the irony." - Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times
What I Think Now:
When The Playboy Club premiered, Mad Men was in the middle of its run on AMC but I hadn't watched it at that point. Since then, Mad Men became my all time favorite TV Drama so I understand why people thought The Playboy Club was a pale imitation of Mad Men. It definitely was - the 60s setting without anything below the surface, a Jon Hamm-type actor in the lead role who had none of the charisma as Hamm, and a topic that may have sounded titillating but was actually far, far safer and tamer than Mad Men, which pushed the envelope in much less obvious ways. And yet, I still don't think this pilot was as bad as everyone said it was. Despite both taking place in the 60s, it's not really fair to compare this to a legendarily great TV drama. On its own, The Playboy Club may have been soapy and silly but it was quite watchable with strong production values and some good performances mixed in among the drivel. Laura Benanti felt a bit above this show but she was very strong here regardless and Amber Heard had her moments. I am not here to defend this as a great show. It's certainly not. But take it as a silly soap that just happens to be set in the Playboy Club in the 60s and it's not an unenjoyable experience.
What Happened to the Show:
The Fall 2011 TV season had two network attempts to capture the magic of Mad Men - The Playboy Club as well as Pan Am on ABC. The Playboy Club spent the Summer of 2011 mired in controversy as the marketing ramped up and the playboy bunnies were seen everywhere. The show drew complaints from quite a range of people and groups. Of course there were protests by the Parents Television Council but the show also received a rebuke from Gloria Steinem, who urged people to protest the show due to her experiences in the actual club in the 1960s. So with the ultra conservative and ultra liberal sides somehow united on a desire to boycott this show, it was dealing with a lot before its premiere. It seemed like the controversy might help the ratings the way it had for NYPD Blue years earlier. It was slotted for Mondays at 10pm on a network that was struggling on pretty much every night. The reviews were bad (45 on Metacritic) and all the pre-release handwringing didn't matter much because the show landed with a thud in the ratings. It premiered to DOA numbers at five million viewers and a 1.6 demo. It lasted two more weeks before NBC pulled the plug, making it the first cancellation of the 2011-12 season. I am pretty sure I watched all three episodes and I remember liking the third and feeling like it was heading somewhere even though I knew I probably wouldn't get to see where it was heading as it was a dead show walking.
Final Episode: October 3, 2011
Episode Count: 3 + 4 unaired
Where to Watch: Not currently available to stream anywhere
I'm excited to be contributing to The TV Ratings Guide! You can read my regular work at Benjamonster's TV!
