"Playmakers" (2003) TV series

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Directors:

John Bell
Scott Brazil

Writers:

Peter Egan (staff writer)
John Eisendrath (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

26 August 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

If all you see is the athlete, open your eyes.

Plot:

The series is a gritty ensemble drama about the off-field lives of a group of players on a pro football team and how they deal with the pressure of being on the professional level.

Plot Keywords:

Closeted Homosexual | Gay Athlete | American Football | Gay Interest | Interracial Relationship

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Omar Gooding	...	Demetrius Harris (12 episodes, 2003-2006)
Marcello Thedford	...	Kelvin 'Buffalo' James (12 episodes, 2003-2006)
Christopher Wiehl	...	Derek McConnell (12 episodes, 2003-2006)
Jason Matthew Smith	...	Eric Olczyk (12 episodes, 2003-2006)
Russell Hornsby	...	Leon Taylor (12 episodes, 2003-2006)
Anthony John Denison	...	Coach George (12 episodes, 2003-2006)
Stephen Bogaert	...	Phil Chambers (11 episodes, 2003)
Bruce Gray	...	Gene Wilbanks (11 episodes, 2003)
Phillip Jarrett	...	Coach Rudman (9 episodes, 2003)
Karen LeBlanc	...	Robin Taylor (8 episodes, 2003)
Thea Andrews	...	Samantha Lovett (7 episodes, 2003)
Dan Petronijevic	...	Thad Guerwitcz (7 episodes, 2003)
Kevin Jubinville	...	Dr. Gatewood (6 episodes, 2003)
Sasha Roiz	...	Stephen Lyles (6 episodes, 2003)
Gabriel Hogan	...	Guard Dog Fredericks (5 episodes, 2003)
Tacquira LaTouche	...	Herself (5 episodes, 2003)

Runtime:

USA:491 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

ESPN Original Entertainment

Trivia:

In some of the first eight episodes, Jason Matthew Smith wears jerseys (both home and away) with his character's name misspelled as "Olcyzk".

Quotes:

Luther Hawkins: I like a man who brings his game face to the strip club.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Collateral (2004)

Entertaining, in a trashy, prime-time soap kind of way

While watching "Playmakers", I couldn't help but compare this show with the prime-time soaps of the 70s and 80s (e.g.: "Dallas", "Dynasty", "Knots Landing", etc.) and see why some people find those shows entertaining. The story lines were very melodramatic, the good guys were good but sometimes stale and boring, the bad guys were bad but strangely charismatic. Also, the show's production values were generally more slick and stylish than most other shows.

If I'm looking for a movie or TV show that captures what it's like to be a pro football player, "Playmakers" would not be on the top of my list. In my humble opinion, the movie North Dallas Forty was the closest to capturing what it's like to be a football player on and off the football field. If I'm looking for reality, I'd prefer watching an actual football game and viewing magazine programs like ESPN's "Outside The Lines" or HBO's "Real Sports".

Also, because of what any show can capture in less than an hour, I don't believe a TV series can ever capture the essence of what it's like being an athlete. Interestingly enough, a very small number of shows dealing with professional sports have ever been successful (one possible exception: HBO's "1st and Ten" lasted 6 seasons and that was a 30 minute comedy).

Having said all of this, even with some glaring flaws, I'm becoming very addicted to "Playmakers". As of this writing, ESPN won't be airing a new episode in 2 weeks and I'm already wondering about these characters and the continuing story lines just like a trashy, prime-time soap opera and I don't think that's a bad thing at all.

Update (April 2006): Despite better than average ratings, ESPN canceled "Playmakers" after one season. I suspect that the NFL was not very happy with the program since the league also has a long-term contract with ESPN. Rather than having a continuing conflict, ESPN elected not to pick up a second season of "Playmakers". What a shame.