My expectations for "The Playboy Club" have been low, due to its overt attempt to clone the far superior "Mad Men". In spite of that, the show has kept me interested enough to watch both of the shows that have aired, and I will continue to watch for a few more episodes to see if it ever hooks me. Part of the brilliance of "Mad Men" is that it dives headlong into cliché and usually surprises the viewer with an unexpected angle on that cliché. In "The Playboy Club", the makers follow firmly in the footsteps of "Mad Men", but forget to include the surprises. It is awash in cliché, saved only by the high quality of the art direction and acting. Even the musical performances fall short. The songs may be top-notch and sung well, but the direction cripples them with a "Glee"-like artificiality and a lack of imagination. In episode two, for example, the arrangement of "In the Mood" -- a song from the thirties -- is a virtual duplicate of Bette Midler's version from 1973. How is that choice appropriate for a show set in the sixties, particularly when the production designers are so careful about visual authenticity? Why not duplicate an arrangement from the sixties, or maybe even create something new?
Review of The Playboy Club
