User Reviews

Best show ever to be cancelled

Arguably the best show to ever be cancelled. Can understand why ESPEN pulled the plug on the show as it was highlighting the negative side of American football which the NFL would rather keep out of the public eye and i believe the NFL put major pressure on ESPEN to pull the show. Cant believe another station hasn't picked the show up.

Have never seen Omar Gooding in anything prior or since playmakers but like his brother Cuba Gooding Jr he is an incredibly underrated actor who deserves much more acknowledgment than hes getting.

Bring it Back!!!!

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.

A true surprise from ESPN. Playmakers may not have portrayed the image ESPN's partner the National Football League (NFL) wants to market but, for the first time since North Dallas Forty, we have a glimpse of players life from something other than the carefully crafted image the League markets. The players, we as fans religiously follow, are more than just Gladiators, they are people. They are people who have real lives off the field and real issues to deal with. They aren't just lures to get us to watch commercials, they are human beings. Just like the rest of us, some are better than others. This show was and is definitely worth watching. That wasn't why it was cancelled. It was cancelled because the NFL found the series to be more realistic than it cares to admit. In an age of trash and copy cat redundancies, Playmakers offered it's viewers an original, smartly written, quality drama based on the trials and tribulations of an imaginary football team. In only eleven episodes before being cancelled the show won an award for the American Film Institute Top 10 TV Programs of the Year. In an age where the critics and the populous rarely agree on what is good TV. Here we had a show that had good ratings and was critically acclaimed yet, it was cancelled. Was this a case of art imitating life too closely for the comfort of the NFL big wigs? If not, you explain why this show is no longer on the air. Here's a theory, the NFL needs to stop practicing censorship and concentrate on producing a quality product where the term, 'Any given Sunday' continues to apply. And allow its broadcast partners to be broadcasters and create quality programming.

This is one of the best shows on television in a long time. My wife got me the DVD set for my birthday and I was thrilled. It's a shame the NFL, and Ray Lewis, couldn't take the heat. I watched the pilot last night and forgot how good it was. Ray "I want shows that my kids can watch" Lewis. If one of the episodes wasn't about him, I wonder if he'd watch it. Cracked out first round draft picks. Gay full backs. Shows got it all. Love it Love it Love it Posting this comment was more a pain than it was worth. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Please block my account because filling this with ten lines is stupid. Whoever thought of this is a goof.

I remember when Playmakers aired; for me, it was must see programming. Every episode was riveting; I found myself wanting each episode to continue. The stories were so believable-in fact, I'm sure some were based on actual events. I was mad when the series was abruptly cancelled.

Rumor has it the NFL put pressure on ESPN to drop the show because it put a bad light on the league. As ESPN wanted to broadcast NFL games, it seems they may have caved to said pressure. Yet, I submit that since so many of the stories actually closely resembled known events in the NFL, ESPN did nothing more that put a mirror up to the league. I've always thought it was a weak move by the league, & it robbed us of great entertainment..

The short-lived (but critically-acclaimed) TV show "Playmakers" was a well-acted series, with a lot of unknown and relatively-known actors in lead roles (which I always enjoy seeing). The show's subject was the lives of professional football players from a variety of perspectives: the headline issues, the playing fields/locker rooms, and their private lives. Gritty sports drama (with good humor mixed in throughout); had a slick soap opera feel to it.....sort of like an NFL Network/Lifetime Movie Network collaboration. :o)

If you ever wanted to take a look behind some of those NFL stories that get covered on SportsCenter, "Playmakers" is an enjoyable way to do it (now on DVD). Remember, though--it's *fiction*, not a documentary. It's supposed to sensationalize the pro football scene by adding more drama to each situation than might actually be present in real life. That having been said, the stories are *straight* from the sports headlines.....

And needless to say, if you love NFL football (like I do), it's worth checking out. The show does stand on it's own as a drama, however, and it's a good enough show that you don't have to be a hardened fan of the League to get into it.

The only caution from me would concern the implied violence, sex, drug use, etc. This show's not for the kids, the delicate, or the easily offended. I wonder which category the NFL corporate leadership falls into? It's not surprising, though, that they squeezed ESPN into dropping the show.

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

I can't believe this show was canceled. I watched it faithfully every Sunday and was waiting for it to restart. It's too bad that another network could not have picked this up, it would have been huge! Great story lines, amazing plots, and even better characters! ESPN and the NFL need to get a grip...just a little too close to home eh boys? Sad...It was a really great show! And to think, why even attempt to make a show about pro football if you weren't prepared to deal with some questions about the reality of the show and how much it had to do with actual pro ball. People aren't that stupid...ESPN and the NFL should know, that a good percentage of athletes have matters such as the ones discussed in the shows, and we tune into their stupid networks just to hear the scores! It would have been nice for people to see what's possible in the life of an athlete...not just a fantasy life on the field only...

If you get a chance to see this show, please do so. the first show just aired last night and was nothing short of powerful. The show is shot in wide screen format and looks and sounds great. If you are a football this is the show for you. even if your not a fan you will be of this show. Can't wait the next show. this has hit written all over it. Check it out on ESPN Tuesday nights at 8:00pm.

So far this show looks very promising. I really dig the way the show is shot and edited. even if you are not a football fan you still might get something out of this orginal series. the acting is great and so are the depth of each character shown so far on the show. If you have seen it tell others. No one will be let down by this gem of a show.

Playmakers I thought was a good show, but I can't be believed why they cancelled this show when I heard that it had some good ratings. But I guess the NFL (National Football League) decided to cancel this show. This show was about a bunch of football players on a football team who have some of these players that get into trouble or dealing with other serious issues in this dramatic series that came on ESPN! I think this show deserved more than one season and eleven episodes. Put the only thing I can't believe is that why did they cancel this show when it won an award for the American Film Institute Top 10 TV Programs of the Year. Why did they do it? I don't know! One thing about this show is that some of the episodes keeping changing the story of the episode every minute.

User Rating: 6/10

BOTTOM LINE: I THINK THIS SHOW SHOULD OF LASTED MORE THAN ONE SEASON!

It was a lot better then I thought, it was interesting, and it definately has a good plot. The characters are good, a bit overboard, but maybe the depiction of a pro football team is a lot more real then we think. Good entertainment, 4 out of 5 stars

ESPN definitely has a hit on their hands with the releasing of Playmakers. Whether you're a football fan or not, Playmakers will definitely have you hooked. The casting of Omar Gooding was genius. The characters are believable and mesh well together. With each passing week you find yourself drawn in and wanting more. I hope the series makes it. If it doesn't, maybe they'll put it on DVD. This is must a must see drama.

Network: ESPN; Genre: Drama; Content Rating: TV-MA (for strong language, nudity, brief simulated sex and drug use); Available: DVD; Perspective: Contemporary (star range: 1 - 4);

Seasons Reviewed: Complete Series (1 season)

"Playmakers" focuses on the off-the-field lives of the players of the fictitious New York Cougars football team. Everyone has a secret and the game is just a game, but your entire livelihood hinges on your performance in that game. The team includes the coach (John Denison, looking the part), the slimy manager Wilbanks (Bruce Gray, in a full-on hiss-the-villain role), nice guy Olczyk (Jason Matthew Smith) haunted by memories of paralyzing an opponent, the womanizing quarterback McConnell (Christopher Weihl) and a rivalry between the veteran (now over-the-hill at 30) running back Leon Taylor (Russell Hornsby), and the young, punk, endorsement flavor-of-the-month Harris (Omar Gooding) with Harris' crony with a conscience "Buffalo" (Marcello Thedford) in tow. It is worth mentioning that Gooding does a turn so memorably vicious here it washes away any association with his Disney Channel days.

It is no surprise that "Playmakers" was originally made for FX. It has the same visceral shaky-cam style and flawed anti-heroes you'd see on "The Shield" with many of the same directors and crew. Thanks to shows like "The Shield", the primetime drama is so big now even ESPN has gotten in on the action. "Playmakers" is their first attempt at creating an intelligent dramatic series around sports on a network that is watched by people who couldn't care less about this type of stuff and just want to see a game. All football action is limited to quick flashbacks and training sessions.

As created by John Eisendrath ("Alias") "Playmakers" pulls the veil off the football industry. Instead of being the noble sport played by modern day gladiators that the media celebrate, "Playmakers" depicts football as a sport that trades in pain. The players are so loyal to it, so enticed at the possibility of getting a 4 million dollar contract and being sat for life before age 30, that they risk and often loose their physical health. Torn ACLs, stress induced illness, diabetes, amputation, and thousands of yards of broken bones are part of a regular battle for these guys to keep their bodies from breaking down long enough to get out and win the game. They may not actually be at war but their lifespan is not much longer than a soldier in the military. They have violent tendencies that can bleed over into their personal life.

The show's constant focus on the painful reality of the game and what it does to players is no doubt what caused the NFL to pressure ESPN to pull the show. It was an act of cowardess to preserve the mysticism of a sport that so transfixes the nation. Forget religion and civil rights, "Playmakers" had the nerve to deliver pointed commentary on one of America's greatest unspoken sacred cows - football.

It is ironic because the show saves its biggest barbs for the media, which are shown like mindless, slobbering animals screaming over each other thinking their questions can be heard. Most of what Wilbanks does is supposedly a preemptive response to how the press will spin a rumor.

That's not to say that the show was great. But first the good stuff. It is almost a visceral thing of beauty. Kinetic images are stitched together with the pumping of primal beats and techno music. Not only that but, get out your history book, "Playmakers" marks a first: narration delivered from multiple characters each episode – in the 2nd person.

The show's locker-room centered concept also presents it with some innovative storytelling opportunities. One episode takes place entirely during a halftime break, another through flashbacks on the field of a playoff game. The episodes are a mixed bag, but the best ones pull a clever diversion job on us, withholding a single piece of information and then springing it on us in the final twist. "The P*** Man" (featuring an outrageous way to beat a urine test) and "Distance & Direction" (where Olczyk faces off with a frighteningly good opponent) are two incredibly well written and entertaining pieces of TV.

But "Playmakers" can't go the distance. Eisendrath quickly reverts back to subjects that have become cliché in the "edgy melodrama series" in order to fill out the season. Domestic violence, abortion, child custody fights, cancer battles and night club shootings. As if ripped from the headlines. Just when you think you've seen everything you've seen before, the show trots out the old "gay-man-in-the-closet" storyline. The show doesn't give us a new perspective on these subjects; it just applies them to football players. Those who thought there was an unbelievable amount of controversy for a single school in "Boston Public" should go into fits trying to swallow the multitude of crisis' that befalls this one team.

The hyper-stylized nature of "Playmakers" is one that becomes a mess in the wrong hands and a few episodes appear to be in those hands as a director sends the flashbacks and quick cuts on overdrive. It has a nasty pension for showing us things we just saw seconds ago.

Working wisely with a cast of virtual unknowns to make the show feel all the more real, "Playmakers" is at its best when we are just hanging out with the guys in the locker room or looking at the world through a football metaphor. It is when it gets out of the stadium and on the streets or into their homes (Leon's obnoxious wife, Robin, is a drain on the series) that things grind to a halt. It's a shame when a show with this much style and innovation built in winds up being so predictable. Still, if you are already watching it, "Playmakers" is worth hanging on to all the way until it's clever downbeat ending.

* * ½ / 4

It certainly is edgy, but cliches' and contrived story lines tend to make it go over the top. Football fans will watch it because it is about football. Non football fans may watch it because it gives plenty of bad that keeps humans interest(See reality TV), much like a train wreck. The show is not that bad.......Just not that outstanding.....

I'll admit that I've never played in the NFL or even been in an NFL locker room before. But I surely doubt that any NFL team is like the Cougars in this show. Apparently, the NFL agreed and forced ESPN to cancel this show.

You have a star running back who can't go ten minutes without drugs and even buys them at halftime. You have an overly sensitive defensive player who can't go ten minutes without punching someone out. You have a moody backup running back who always seems like he is mad at the world. You have a gay player who is trying to hide his sexuality (How original). Do I need to go on?

No team in the history of sports is as colorful as this one. Not even the Yankees of the 1970s which included such volatile personalities like Billy Martin, George Steinbrenner, Reggie Jackson, and Thurman Munson. Or even the Cowboys of the 1990s who matched their impressive on-field success with an impressive string of arrests off the field.

Even the football scenes don't look very believable. The quarterback doesn't look like he could even throw the ball more than ten yards. The running scenes look rehearsed.

The dialog and interactions came off as very corny. Sometimes I wasn't sure if this was a serious show or a "Naked Gun"-like spoof of professional football.

Aside from not being very realistic and very corny, the show is pretty entertaining. However, it seems like the writers try way too hard to make it entertaining even if it means creating players who make Michael Irvin and Ray Lewis look like choir boys. As a matter of fact, they even went as far as having an episode which basically re-enacted the whole Ray Lewis night club debacle. What's next? A recreation of the Kobe Bryant trial.

If you want to watch a football series which is well-acted, well-written, and realistic, please check out "Friday Night Lights".

This series is very cheesy and full of cliches. I have predicted everything that has happened thus far by simply being a sports fan and having seen The Program and Any Given Sunday (also very cheesy). It would be a lot better if they came up with original ideas instead of simply ripping them off from somewhere else and real life (i.e. involvement in nightclub shooting--Ray Lewis, and substituting clean p**s--The Program). Seen all of this before. How long until someone hires a hit man to kill a pregnant girlfriend (i.e. Rae Carruth)?