The Playboy Club [US] [** Spoilers **]

JP Liz V1

Source

Two more actresses have joined the cast of NBC's pilot Playboy.
The drama is set at the Playboy Club in Chicago in 1963.
Deadline reports that Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Leah Renee have now signed up for roles as Playboy Bunnies in the project.
Laura Benanti and Amber Heard have also signed up to appear in the Playboy pilot.

Richard Dower

Playboy and NBC should NEVER be used in the same sentence, it should be Playboy and HBO....anything else is an utter waste of a viable idea.

Richard Dower

Now see the interesting thing i gleen from this news is Hepner is a regular on Hellcats, so does that mean he is leaving or perhaps Hellcats is getting cancelled?

Actor Jeff Hephner just got his big break, landing the lead role in NBC's drama pilot Playboy. The project, from 20th TV, Imagine TV and writer-executive producer Chad Hodge, is set at the Playboy Club in Chicago in 1963. Hephner went through rigorous auditioning process, beating a number of better known actors for the role, the last major part in the pilot to get cast. And he certainly has the right last name for it that sounds exactly like the moniker of the king of the Playboy empire, Hugh Hefner.

Playboy centers on Nick Dalton (Hephner), described as "the ultimate playboy." He is an attorney in Chicago and a Keyholder at the glamorous, exclusive Playboy Club. A fixer who knows how to make problems disappear, he has mysterious ties to the mob. The pilot, directed by Alan Taylor, co-stars Laura Benanti, Amber Heard, Naturi Naughton, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Leah Renee, David Krumholtz and Wes Ramsey. Hephner, repped by Paradigm and the Group Entertainment, is recurring on CW's Hellcats and has also done arcs on NBC's Mercy and Fox's The O.C.

Richard Dower

This is f*cked up!!!...poor Jeff!

http://www.tvline.com/2011/03/pilot-scoop-eddie-cibrian-scores-playboy-lead/

Cibrian is a scumbag and adulterer.

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/popwrap/jeff_hephner_cr1bzKaUzTSCLm0OsDQdCJ

JP Liz V1

Promo Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-dnE5NtJDs

DeWitt

Amber Heard, YAY!

Richard Dower

This is one of my fave pilots, i'll 100% be checking this out....and tbf, Cibrian was perfect for the role truth be told.

ciarak7511

That playboy show looks terrible

JP Liz V1

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/06/13/nbc-playboy-club/

Salt Lake City wants to put a black wrapper on NBC’s new drama series The Playboy Club.
The NBC affiliate in Utah announced on its Web site that it won’t air the new drama series this fall. The decision “is based on the station’s long-term policy to screen programming for material which significant portions of our audience may find objectionable.”
The station’s president and CEO Mark Willes said Playboy is not a match for the station’s brand. “The Playboy brand is known internationally. Everyone is clear what it stands for,” he said in a statement. “We want to be sure everyone is clear what the KSL brand stands for, which is completely inconsistent with the Playboy brand.”
NBC insiders point out that the station is in a unique situation since its parent company Bonneville International is owned by the Church of The Latter-day Saints. The station’s executive said he’ll work with NBC to find ways for the show to be seen in Salt Lake City “on another channel.”
“Our intent is not to tell people what they can and cannot watch, but rather to share programming with our audience in accordance with our mission,” added KSL programming director Michelle Torsak.
The Playboy Club, which will air Mondays at 10 p.m. this fall, is a Mad Men-style drama set in the 1960s at a Playboy-branded Chicago nightclub. One station refusing to run the show is a problematic sign, as it could prompt others to bow out too.

Richard Dower

http://www.tvline.com/2011/07/fall-tv-playboy-club-first-impression/

I'll watch it, see how it goes...but Cibrian and Heard put me off, don't like either of them.

pickarooney

Cirbrian was perfect for the role but he put you off?

don ramo

this is gonna have to be one epic show if they want it to work on network tv, im gonna say theyll get 4-5 eps aired before cancelation,

Biggins

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Promo Trailer

Inserted Video

That video is private.
Here is another version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9_9nBAOizo

Richard Dower

Pilot be retooled/reshot: NBC apparently is not so happy with the quality of The Playboy Club after finding the pilot to be very slow paced. NBC is retooling The Playboy Club and reshooting about a third of the pilot. If the reshot pilot is not satisfactory NBC might give the Monday 10 PM slot to Grimm which was delayed to October incase it needed to fill-in for a failed Fall show.

^ Deadline.

Richard Dower

Woot!...Cassidy Freeman (Smallville) gets recurring role on TPC: http://www.tvline.com/2011/08/nbc-playboy-club-casting-cassidy-freeman/

JP Liz V1

Richard Dower

Kicks off tonight on NBC, very interested in the show...morseo the ratings.

iMax

This & Pan Am have my attention for this season. Never got into Mad Men & now it's a bit late, so I'm looking forward to these.

Richard Dower

Very soft opening numbers, a 1.6 demo and 5 million viewers.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/20/tv-ratings-opening-monday-two-and-a-half-men-soars-cbs-wins-playboy-club-gloomy-castle-hawaii-five-0-and-more/104221/

I've not seen the pilot yet, get to it when i can.

DeWitt

Just finished watching it you guys, and I really liked it. A lot more than I thought I would(even Eddie Cibrian somehow managed to win me over). Infact I'd probably go so far as to say it has been my favourite pilot this fall thus far.

titan18

DeWitt wrote: »

Just finished watching it you guys, and I really liked it. A lot more than I thought I would(even Eddie Cibrian somehow managed to win me over). Infact I'd probably go so far as to say it has been my favourite pilot this fall thus far.

Aye,same. I quite liked Cibrian as the lead, he seemed to be made for the role tbh. Hot girls is always a plus too

iMax

Really enjoyed it. Hope it lasts. Last night's figures were up against 2.5 men (I think) it was madness scheduling it then.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Really liked that - could NBC finally be on to a hit?

Kiwi_knock

Very good pilot, I have high hopes for this now.

DeWitt

Love the boardsies hopping on this. Spread the love. Also, Amber Heard *drool*

expectationlost

ok, the narration is terrible, but amber heard!

pickarooney

Might as well give this a shot. There's nothing else worth watching this season as far as I can tell.

Richard Dower

Watched it twice last night, superb stuff!...looks amazing, production values are extremely high. CGI looked top notch. Have a more full review later but imo this was the best pilot i've seen besides Revenge. I wanna address my concerns first....my main issue is this, i think the show is TOO good for network tv!, it's on bloody NBC fgs!, the problem is this....the show has SOOO much potential but it's being held back because it can't do swearing/nudity/violence and sex!

I mean, it's the Playboy Club!, Chicago gangsters, it's the 60's...sexual revolution, it's been wasted on network because i can't be all it could be, and it could be The Sopranos meets Mad Men!, it looks amazing from sets, costumes, production design etc. - all accurate 60's period. The club is supposed to be a repliace of the original Playboy Club in Chicago, Heff and Playboy gave the producers lots of stuff for the show.

The girls are super hot, Amber Heard ftw!...a big positive for me....smoking, lots of it...accurate, as opposed to Pan Am which apparently won't feature any, how is that accurate?, Cibrian was made for this role....he was great!, i was pissed that Jeff Hepner got shafted but imo Hepner could never have properly pulled off this role, he dosen't have that playboy look Cibrian does.....so i'm giving props to the casting change.

Very interesting plotline was the homosexual movement....didn't expect that to be part of the show!, great move. While the pilot story of mob boss being killed by Playboy bunny was a bit cliche i think the gangster angle is great, you've also got infighting and stuff with all the girls, plus you learn about those early bunny days and what the job entailed etc.

It looks and feels like a premium cable show minus and the adult stuff you expect with that, i think it's superb but sadly the ratings were very soft on Monday, i fear axing after 13 eps.

Richard Dower

RIP brutal numbers....http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/27/monday-broadcast-final-ratings-terra-nova-2-5-men-castle-himym-hart-of-dixie-broke-girls-adjusted-up-gossip-girl-mike-molly-adjusted-down/105020/

3.970 million and a 1.3 demo....no way it'll get past 13 eps. with those numbers, considering TPC is one of the most expensive new shows for NBC i wouldn't be surprised if they pulled the plug on production even quicker to save some cash.

I wouldn't mind but the general consensus is ep. 2 was stronger (not seen it myself yet): http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/the-playboy-club-season-1-episode-2/

expectationlost

how many have they shot?

Richard Dower

expectationlost wrote: »

how many have they shot?

Generally network shoot about 4/5 eps. in advance of broadcast, so ep. 1 airs and they are shooting ep. 5 - but that's not to say post production is completed on ep. 2-5 as yet, they need lead-time to finish in post.

Example, CW's Beautiful Life axed after ep. 2 and they had been 5 days into filming ep. 6, they shut down production. Ep. 6 was never finished but YouTube did show ep. 3/4/5 per Ashton Kutcher....yup, he was the brains behind that mess :rolleyes:



http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/27/nbc-poor-bunnies-the-playboy-club-stumbles-towards-the-cancellation-bear/104937/

-->

^

DeWitt

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
Beeping Americans! I love this show, it's Lone Star all over again.

Richard Dower

DeWitt wrote: »

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
Beeping Americans! I love this show, it's Lone Star all over again.

Have to agree, i think it's great...top notch stuff all round. Just there finished watching ep. 2 - stronger then the pilot and it still looks great!, production values still high. I am liking the political angle they are going with + the dead mobster story and then the internal politics of the club with the girls, the fight fir Nick Dalton's heart etc.

I liked how Maureen spun a very convincing story to Carol Lynn about the bloody outfit and she added extra spin to also get Nick out of the doghouse
The other plot of the homosexual couple living as married people is interesting, the Negro bunny story, the married bunny running from her abusive husband.

Add to which a corupt Mayor, so yeah there are plenty of plotlines going on to keep things interesting, i think TPC is one if not the best show of the season, but sadly stupid Americans love crap! :rolleyes:

Yup....headed for cancellationville if things don't pick up soon, dunno...i'm baffled WHY it hasen't caught on?, they'll embrace turds like Charlie's Angels but shun this???????????????? :eek:

FouxDaFaFa

I really really hope this doesn't get cancelled, I think it's the best show of the new season. I thought the Americans would watch it because it got so much press for being "controversial". It also has the benefit of having a brand already set up, everyone knows Playboy, Heff, etc.

Richard Dower

Looks like the PTC are at it again!....will it help the ratings?....it didn't work for MTV's Skins! [US]

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/09/28/ptc-calls-for-immediate-cancellation-of-nbc%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cplayboy-club%E2%80%9D-will-they-take-credit-when-its-ratings-kill-it/105260/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Tvbythenumbers+%28TVbytheNumbers%29

Independent cancellation prediction article: http://patrickmunn.suite101.com/ratings-analysis-is-nbcs-the-playboy-club-facing-cancellation-a390789

expectationlost

why the hell she keep the key, if wants it for the shoot im sure she can get another one

Also Starring LeVar Burton

It's a huge shame that this is so likely for cancellation, because so far its the best new series of the season...
Would've done so much better on the likes of HBO or Showtime.

DeWitt

Any chance another network will pick it up if NBC do pull the plug?

And the sad thing is **** like 'The Ringer' will probably live on because it happens to be on the CW

Richard Dower

NBC head honcho says he's not ready ti axe the show, yet: http://m.deadline.com/2011/09/nbcs-bob-greenblatt-not-rushing-to-wield-cancellation-axe/

Richard Dower

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks very likely it will be axed soon, it's been pulled from the schedule:

http://www.spoilertv.com/2011/10/playboy-club-pulled-from-air-on-31st.html

Ep. 3 ratings were in the toilet, dropped to a 1.2 demo and 3.390m viewers.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/10/04/tv-ratings-monday-terra-nova-holds-up-house-ok-without-cuddy-two-and-a-half-men-drops-but-cbs-easily-wins-playboy-club-down-again/105895/comment-page-10/#comments


CANCELLED.....OMG!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.tvline.com/2011/10/falls-first-cancellation-nbc-axes-playboy-club/

Basq

** deletes three episodes from media drive and moves on **

Ah well!

titan18

Was really enjoying this, so that's a shame. Was probably my favourite new show.

FouxDaFaFa

I'm actually so annoyed at this!!Will this third episode be the last to air?I wish another network would pick it up and get it the hell away from this slot as it's obviously not working.

iMax

Bugger.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Seriously? First new drama series on one of the big 5 networks that i've actually really liked since Chuck premiered 5 years ago. For f*ck sake.

JP Liz V1

Oh well no need to bother catching up on this so

pickarooney

Is there any chance US networks will begin to move towards a UK style 6-episode season (or 3 episodes as seems to be more common now) for some of their dramas in the near future? Would people be inclined to watch a series that would only last a month or two per year?

J-blk

pickarooney wrote: »

Is there any chance US networks will begin to move towards a UK style 6-episode season (or 3 episodes as seems to be more common now) for some of their dramas in the near future? Would people be inclined to watch a series that would only last a month or two per year?

I doubt it'll happen TBH - if anything, US shows seem to be getting longer seasons even beyond the 22 episodes most have if they are successful. As expected, this leads to a ton of filler in each season...

The only exceptions to this rule are the cable channels like HBO or Showtime which usually have 12 episode seasons and in some cases (like with "Game of Thrones" on HBO) the seasons are in fact getting smaller (10 episodes) but you usually get much better quality throughout.

What makes no sense to me is that networks all premiere a bazillion shows against eachother in late September/early October instead of keeping more for midseason and perhaps having shows run for the 12 episode length rather than trying for the full 22 and airing them all at once with half of them ending up canceled anyway...

Richard Dower

Seen ep. 3 - i actually thought it was the strongest of the three...yeah, we'll only see three!, they were filming ep. 7 when production was halted, they definately have ep.4 prepared but i'm told post work on ep. 5/6 was not completed...as such to save money it'll never be finished.

What i dislike is they should air whatever they filmed, even if it's on their website or inTunes, i really liked TPC....it was just something different, twas like a watered down cable show. It had great potential but sadly people never gave it a chance.

Ah well, one less show for Monday, i suspect Pan Am will be axed also....i honesttly think now Grimm/Awake and Once Upon A Time will suffer a similar fate.

Basq

Richard Dower wrote: »

i suspect Pan Am will be axed also....i honesttly think now Grimm/Awake and Once Upon A Time will suffer a similar fate.

Jaysus.. you're the voice of optimism, ain't you?!

Richard Dower

Basq wrote: »

Jaysus.. you're the voice of optimism, ain't you?!

You sorta get the gist of how things are going, ratings/reviews/forums etc. - i don't want the shows mentioned axed, i'm looking forward to seeing them....but i know how it'll go sadly