Customer Reviews

Playmakers - The Complete Series

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fascinating, engaging, television show. A show of true quality that does not talk down to its viewers. That is probably why ESPN cancelled it, and that's a damn shame. The NFL should be brutally ashamed of itself for thinking that its public image would be effected by what is clearly a work of *fiction.* Why does the NFL think its public image is that high anyway? Don't get me wrong I love football, but I hardly consider the game, or its players & coaches to be paragons of virtue. Does anyone? ESPN should be ashamed (though not as much) for caving to the pressure. Hopefully, another network will pick up this fine, fine show so that we can be treated to another season. At the very least, the producers should be allowed to give the show a decent finale instead of leaving it unfinished.

"Playmakers," ESPN's pro football drama, lasted only a single season and only eleven episodes at that. It became well known that the National Football League (read the Commissioner's office) hated the series because it provided an unrealistic (read realistic) picture of professional football. As one columnist pointed out, "Playmakers" would have had trouble putting together a second season of shows simply because it had already used pretty much every real-world NFL scandal from the past decade. But this week Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis was sentenced to four months in prison for using a cell phone to try and set up a drug deal, Terrell Owen has declared that he will be playing in the Super Bowl despite not being cleared to play by his doctor, and the Philadelphia Eagles signed veteran tight end Jeff Thomason to take a vacation from his construction job to play in the Super Bowl to replace the injured Chad Lewis on the roster. So, yes, I think that "Playmakers" could have found more things to write about.

For me the biggest adjustment with watching "Playmakers" was getting used to virtually all of the action being off the field. We were more likely to see the Cougars involved in practice than on game day, and while we recognize that staging football scenes is time consuming (and involves elements of risk for the actors), it does require viewers to make some allowances of the stories. This is because while most of the drama happens off the playing field the resolution of many of the issues can only take place during the game. But by the time you get through the first couple of episodes you understand the rules by which the series is playing and it becomes clear "Playmakers" is character driven.

The central character is #33 Leon Taylor (Russell Hornsby), a running back out of USC in his ninth season. In addition to being old by running back standards, Taylor is just back rehabilitating an injury and dealing with whether or not the team is going to give him a contract for the next season. Adding insult to injury is that the team is more than willing to give Taylor's starting position to rookie running back #39 Demetrius Harris (Omar Gooding). This eternal conflict between the veteran and the rookie is at the heart of the series, and the biggest problem I have with Harris is not that he is always breaking the speed limit or doing drugs, but that he is portrayed as one of the most cocky and arrogant rookies in the history of football. I kept waiting for middle linebacker #54 Eric Olczyk (Jason Matthew Smith) to just lay out the rookie flat during practice. But the kid's behavior is indulged, even though it seems decidedly out of place on a team that is 2-3 when he pick up the season.

While Taylor is doing steroids to get back from rehab, Olczyk is doing drugs of a different sort, anti-depressants, because the vicious hit he gave that paralyzed another player was actually a cheap shot. The team's quarterback, #11 Derek McConnell (Christopher Wiehl) is rather boring in comparison, because he is just a swinging playboy. The team's gopher and its gay defensive back are both much more interesting, as is offensive tackle #60 Kevin "The Buffalo" James (Marcello Thedford), who becomes DH's loyal sidekick, especially since we are talking about a loyalty that is abused. Head Coach Mike George (Tony Denison) is also in his 9th season, with a winning record below .500, but it is his lack of control over his team rather than his win-loss record that suggests the Cougars get somebody new.

Although "Playmakers" ends with the show's soap opera elements such as Olczyk's girl friend problems and Taylor's sportscaster try out threatening to overwhelm the ironic climax to the Cougar's season, you had to admit that ultimate the series WAS a soap opera. What mattered was that the ESPN series fleshed out the stories ripped from the headlines about spousal abuse, players bulking up beyond what is good for them, drug detox, and quarterbacks who are really great runners. Not only did we get the entire story, but also each story was told about much fuller characters than we get to know through watching the NFL (on ESPN or elsewhere). I also liked the way the characters changed over the course of the season, forcing us to reassess them. My initial sympathy for Taylor certainly waned, as did my feelings for most of the characters. In the end, maybe what was so interesting about "Playmakers" was that the characters were three-dimensional, which is certainly more than you can say for the "real" playmakers in the NFL.

I can't believe I never watched this when it was on the air. I picked up the DVD yesterday after overhearing a few people talk about it, and WOW!, I watched all 11 hours of it already!

I am so spoiled with HBO that I hardly watch original series on "regular TV" anymore, but Playmakers is outstanding. I'm not even a huge football fan, but I was totally engrossed in this series. There is so much crap out there but great shows like this get canned. It doesn't make any sense. The NFL is stupid for forcing ESPN to cancel this show. They had it all backwards: The show actually made me WANT to watch football. And I don't even like football.

The only bad thing anyone could say about this show is that it's not "realistic". Well, of course all this stuff wouldn't happen to such a small group of people. But, you can say that about ANY show. The point is that this team represents all teams. At one point in time the stuff on this show has happened to some team out there, and Playmakers takes you into the lives of these players in a way that hasn't been done before.

I give this show my highest recommendation for anybody that likes HBO-quality dramas. Playmakers is top shelf TV. Definitely check it out.

What an opportunity ESPN lost when they succumbed to Paul Tagliabue's "take it off the air" threat. Playmakers is nothing short of remarkable television sports drama about a fictional NFL team "The Cougars." From the get-go, things are not what they seem and we watch as owners, management, players, media and fans try to make the world of football the scrubbed up product we watch in our homes every week. What is swept up under the carpet though is the real world, which includes drug addiction, a world of crime, cancer, homophobia, sexuality, aging, rage, racial discrimination, injury and fear. Sadly that's all the NFL seemed to see in this series. What they blinded themselves to was the show was also filled with hope, compassion, loyalty, friendship, and the bond that sports can bring between human beings.

A uniquely powerful show that should hold appeal for every football fan, but also to those with little interest in professional sports.

Now, if only another network could bravely take on a second season!

I thought this was the best series of 2003. This was the only series that my husband and I made sure not to miss each week. You can go so far as to call us "Playmaker Junkies." We were so looking forward to season 2. Now that there is not going to be one, there is nothing to get excited about for 2004. We don't have HBO, but if HBO picked up this series we would subscribe tomorrow.

To the reviewer that said he did not like the show (but he tuned in for every episode) - this was a football "drama" who would have tuned in if there were no conflicts. If you want real information about the NFL watch the sports news and talkshows. This was intended to be a sports soap opera and in that respect the writers did an awesome job.

I was not interested in watching this show at first, but after the first episode, I was a "playmakers" fiend. The show was right on target. It tackled modern day issues that not only affect athletes but also non-athletes. The show addressed drug-abuse, domestic violence, homosexuality, infidelity, health & fitness...all issues that affect everyday people. The main characters had their own private drama, but all of it was dealt with in the locker room, bar room, and on the football field. The team truly functioned as a team and offered support whenever possible (well, they didn't care much for the whole homosexualtiy issue). I was pissed when I heard that the NFL complained about the show, thus forcing ESPN to cancel the series....whiners and wimps!! It would be great if another channel, like HBO or Showtime would pick up the series; these channels are definitely not afraid to air/produce shows that touch on gritty, but real life topics.

This was and is a great show; I couldn't believe it was coming
from ESPN and not HBO. The writing and acting were excellent, the
filming (in HD widescreen ) and soundtrack (Dolby digital as I recall)
made it all that much better.

But I was extremely disappointed, but not surprised, to learn
that ESPN/"Disney" management decided to cancel it after one
stunning season because it depicted "negative images" of the NFL.
Keep in mind that these Disney people are the same people that
attempted to stop distribution of Michael Moore's movie
(which I haven't seen and have no opinion of, for or against).
Actually, I didn't see the "negative images" as a focus of the
show at all. Although each episode was sprinkled with numerous
situations that players were involved with, overall it was still
tamer than the bad press several NFL players received in 2003
over similar circumstances. This is probably the reason for the
"pull," that 2003 left so many tarnished images of "NFL players
in trouble" that some overly-cautious "suits" decided to kill
any program that may remind us of it.

[Potential spoiler] As a final word, I think the crew already
knew their show was over when they filmed the last scene of the
final episode, where the coach looks at the TV and says "turn it
off" and the screen clicks to black. It seemed more final than
something heading for a second season. I remember being very
touched by the ending and the feeling that even though there
was plenty of room left in the plot and the cast,
they would not be allowed to return.

When this series was on ESPN last football season, I was mesmerized by it. If I was surfing channels and landed on this show, even if it was an episode I saw several times before, I could not take my eyes off the screen. Every episode is jam-packed with drama, intrigue, and amazing characters. The series is about a fictional pro football team the Cougars and its wild season struggling to make the playoffs. Every ugly, controversial stereotype is played for all it's worth. If you have not seen this series yet and want to be surprised, do not read on. The following is a brief summary of some of the issues this series tackles:

One player pushes his wife down a few stairs in a heated argument and, although he and his wife know it was an accident, word gets out and he is soon arrested for spousal battery. Another player goes to all kinds of lengths (including proposing to a woman) to keep the fact that he is a homosexual from getting out to the public and his teammates. One running back (played expertly by Omar Gooding) has an ego surpassing those of Terrell Owens, Keyshawn Johnson, and Jeremy Shockey all rolled into one. He is also a drug addict who gets involved in a murder investigation (his brother is played by Snoop Dogg). The owner of the team is given a Darth Vader persona, caring more about money and image than his players' lives. Another player paralyzes an opponent with what he thinks might be a dirty hit. He also has to contend with the memory of his father, a dictatorial high school football coach who worked his other son (and that player's brother) to death from heat stroke. The quarterback has the equipment manager find women for him in the stands. He's also had his share of abortion bills. The coach is suffering from prostate cancer but cannot leave for fear he will lose his job to a hated rival. Another player is coerced into keeping on the bulk even though his health is in jeopardy. In one episode, the team's running back controversy is even discussed by Max Kellerman and the "Around the Horn" guys. I think I remember Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon from Pardon the Interruption in a clip as well. All this is just a taste of what this series goes into. Every episode is amazing and the acting is superb.

The extras include "On the set with Snoop Dogg," a Behind-the-scenes featurette, and commentary on the pilot by executive producer John Eisendrath. I'm not even that interested in the extras as the show itself is so good. The NFL whined about Playmakers which played a big part in its cancellation after one smoldering season. The topics obviously hit too close to home. I do not know how they could have improved in a second season or what they would cover, as just about every controversial topic was jammed into the first season. We will probably never know.

I had never heard about Playmakers until my wife bought it for me on DVD. I didnt know what to expect when I read about what this series was about but after the first episode I was hooked! I could not stop watching the series until I got to the final episode. The playmakers is a series that will draw you back for more after each episode and this is one of the best things I liked about this series. After one episode I had to know what was gonna happen in the next. This is what happens behind closed doors, in the looker rooms and in the real world. People dont know about these things because we are not suppose to know but this is what people want to know about and what people want to see, what really goes on. I hope that someone decides to make another season of playmakers. I will continue to hope and continue to wait and see if another season will come out.

A must-have boxed set for anyone that considers themselves a fan of the NFL. The coach is a little typical and the conflicts are over-dramatized, but I haven't been this entertained by a sports production since "The Program". So hot, it caught the attention of the NFL and they virtually demanded this show 'cease and desist' if it wanted to renew its television deal with ESPN/ABC. It's too bad that this show will never see a season 2, but not all that surprising. Your girlfriend might even like it, since it has more to do with sex/drugs/violence than sport itself. Filmed entirely in Toronto, Canadians will recognize alot of mini landmarks.