Playmakers 

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.

Creator:

John Eisendrath

Stars:

Tony Denison, Omar Gooding, Russell Hornsby

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Tony Denison	...	Coach George 11 episodes, 2003
Omar Gooding	...	Demetrius Harris 11 episodes, 2003
Russell Hornsby	...	Leon Taylor 11 episodes, 2003
Jason Matthew Smith	...	Eric Olczyk 11 episodes, 2003
Marcello Thedford	...	Kelvin 'Buffalo' James 11 episodes, 2003
Christopher Wiehl	...	Derek McConnell 11 episodes, 2003
Bruce Gray	...	Gene Wilbanks 11 episodes, 2003
Stephen Bogaert	...	Phil Chambers 11 episodes, 2003
Phillip Jarrett	...	Coach Rudman 9 episodes, 2003
Karen LeBlanc	...	Robin Taylor 8 episodes, 2003
Dan Petronijevic	...	Thad Guerwitcz 9 episodes, 2003
Thea Andrews	...	Samantha Lovett 7 episodes, 2003
Sasha Roiz	...	Stephen Lyles 6 episodes, 2003
Orlando Bowen		6 episodes, 2003
Andrew Martin		6 episodes, 2003
Kevin Jubinville	...	Dr. Gatewood 6 episodes, 2003
Gabriel Hogan	...	Guard Dog Fredericks 5 episodes, 2003
Michael Miller		5 episodes, 2003
Joseph Pierre		5 episodes, 2003
Tacquira LaTouche	...	Herself 5 episodes, 2003

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

quarterback | football practice | locker room | football coach | gay interest | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 August 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

A pálya királyai

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

ESPN Original Entertainment, Franchise Productions, Imagine Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

491 min (11 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 2004, ESPN cancelled the show following pressure applied by their television partner the National Football League. The show focused on the trials and tribulations of a professional football team.

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Connections

Referenced in Collateral (2004)

User Reviews

Puts Professional Football Players in A Different Light. I Find This Show Very Enjoyable.

Playmakers is about the lives of a few of the higher profiled players on an NFL team. Very little of what happens on the field is shown, as it highlights the ups and downs of what happens before and after the game as well as through the rest of the week. Each episode might contain about one key play and how it plays off to each of the leading characters all week. To be honest, it did take me about 3 episodes before I was able to fully appreciate the series, but I never thought of it as boring or uninteresting. It is a good way to spend about 45 minutes (on DVD).

Eric Olczyk (Jason Matthew Smith) seems to be the man this series put in the brightest spotlight, at least at first. Eric is a veteran of the team who, from the pilot on, deals with the fact that he delivered a pretty hard hit to a quarterback on another team which left him paralyzed. He feels incredibly guilty and is seeing a psychiatrist as well as visits the man regularly, despite the guy and his family being pretty upset with him, to say the least.

Demetrius Harris (Omar Gooding) is the young hot shot running back on the team. He has taken the place of an older guy, Leon Taylor (Russell Hornsby), who believes he should still be the one playing. Demetrius, or D.H., as he likes to be called, will remind you of a Terrell Owens with his brash touchdown displays and overall attitude on and off the field (not trying to imply that Owens has a drug habit. I don't know). Anyhow, D.H. faces problems due to his constant need for drugs, passing the tests, etc. Leon Taylor is struggling with trying to prove he can still go, getting traded to someplace where they would still play him, etc., all while still trying to keep his family life together at home.

I find it amazing how they can create a whole episode out of what is, essentially, one play in a football game. If the writing was kept fresh, there was seemingly endless material. I have left out many of the major players in this TV show. There are too many to talk about but, I assure you, there are many stories to tell. I am reminded of CSI or Las Vegas (my favorite show still on), only this is a drama surrounding a football team (the fictional Cougars). I also find it interesting that ESPN has canceled this show due to pressure from the NFL. Maybe it was more realistic than we thought? 8/10