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''The Playboy Club'' is an American
historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
television series that aired on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
from September 19 to October 3, 2011. Set in 1961, the series centers on the employees (known as
Bunnies Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit specie ...
) of the original
Playboy Club The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club R ...
operating in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. ''The Playboy Club'' stars
Eddie Cibrian Edward Carl Cibrian ( ; born June 16, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Cole Deschanel on the television series '' Sunset Beach'' and Jimmy Doherty on ''Third Watch''. His other notable television roles include Mat ...
,
Laura Benanti Laura Ilene Benanti (née Vidnovic; born July 13, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Over the course of her Broadway career, she has received five Tony Award nominations. She played Louise in the 2008 Broadway revival of '' Gypsy'', winni ...
,
Amber Heard Amber Laura Heard (born April 22, 1986) is an American actress. She had her first leading role in the horror film ''All the Boys Love Mandy Lane'' (2006), and went on to star in films such as '' The Ward'' (2010) and ''Drive Angry'' (2011). Sh ...
, Jenna Dewan Tatum,
Naturi Naughton Naturi Cora Maria Naughton (born May 20, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Naughton is best known as one-third of the Contemporary R&B, R&B group 3LW and for her acting roles in the films ''Fame (2009 film), Fame'' and ''Notor ...
, Leah Renee,
Wes Ramsey Wesley Albert Ramsey (born October 6, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for his performance in the romantic drama film ''Latter Days'', and for playing Sam Spencer on the CBS daytime soap opera ''Guiding Light'' and for his recurring rol ...
,
Jenifer Lewis Jenifer Jeanette Lewis (born January 25, 1957) is an American actress. She began her career appearing in Broadway musicals and worked as a back-up singer for Bette Midler before appearing in films ''Beaches'' (1988) and ''Sister Act'' (1992). Le ...
, and
David Krumholtz David Krumholtz (born May 15, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He played Mr. Universe in '' Serenity'', Charlie Eppes in the CBS drama series ''Numb3rs'', and starred in the ''Harold & Kumar'' and ''The Santa Clause'' film franchises. Ear ...
. ''The Playboy Club'' was canceled on October 4, 2011, after three episodes aired, due to its low ratings. It was the first cancellation of the 2011–12 television season. NBC continued to film the series until October 10, 2011, hoping to sell the series to another network. When production wrapped on October 10, 2011,
Chad Hodge Chad Hodge (born 1977) is an American writer and producer who created drama series '' Runaway'' (2006), '' The Playboy Club'' (2011), '' Wayward Pines'' (2015), and '' Good Behavior'' (2016). He wrote the Broadway stage adaptation of Irving Berlin ...
(the show's creator and executive producer) and Benanti both tweeted that they had finished seven episodes, including the pilot. Benanti further stated that the seventh episode has two endings, one of which is more final to the series.


Cast and characters


Main

*
Eddie Cibrian Edward Carl Cibrian ( ; born June 16, 1973) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Cole Deschanel on the television series '' Sunset Beach'' and Jimmy Doherty on ''Third Watch''. His other notable television roles include Mat ...
as Nick Dalton, a smooth high-powered attorney and Playboy Club key-holder who plans to run for state's attorney, but also harbors secret connections to organized crime.
Jeff Hephner Jeffrey Lane Hephner (born June 22, 1975) is an American actor, best known for the role of Jeff Clarke, first on the NBC television series '' Chicago Fire'' and then on its sister show, ''Chicago Med''. More recently, he co-starred with Jennifer ...
was originally cast in the role after performing well in test auditions, but the actor had no experience playing a television lead before, and the producers decided to let him go after the full cast table. Cibrian, who was cast just a few days before filming began, commuted from his
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
home to the set in Chicago for filming. *
Laura Benanti Laura Ilene Benanti (née Vidnovic; born July 13, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Over the course of her Broadway career, she has received five Tony Award nominations. She played Louise in the 2008 Broadway revival of '' Gypsy'', winni ...
as Bunny Mother Carol-Lynne.''The Playboy Club'' official site
/ref> The original Playboy Bunny, Carol-Lynne is romantically involved with Nick. *
Amber Heard Amber Laura Heard (born April 22, 1986) is an American actress. She had her first leading role in the horror film ''All the Boys Love Mandy Lane'' (2006), and went on to star in films such as '' The Ward'' (2010) and ''Drive Angry'' (2011). Sh ...
as Bunny Maureen, a recently hired Playboy Bunny who is innocent and naive to the ways of the city, yet is running from mysterious and unexplained things in her dark past. Although the series premiere started with Nick helping Maureen out of a difficult situation, Heard said of the character, "Don't underestimate that character and her intelligence, and the journey that she's going to take to really rise above that. ... I think Maureen allows herself to be helped when she needs it, and by no means relies on any character, male or female, in this story, and never has." * Jenna Dewan Tatum as Bunny Janie, a very provocative Bunny who is dating Max the bartender. She loves Max but cannot marry him because she is already married, although separated from her husband. *
Naturi Naughton Naturi Cora Maria Naughton (born May 20, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Naughton is best known as one-third of the Contemporary R&B, R&B group 3LW and for her acting roles in the films ''Fame (2009 film), Fame'' and ''Notor ...
as Bunny Brenda, who is seeking to be the first African American
Playboy Playmate A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...
. Naughton auditioned four times for the role before getting cast, singing the
Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...
song "
When I Fall in Love "When I Fall in Love" is a popular song, written by Victor Young (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics). It was introduced in the film '' One Minute to Zero'' as the instrumental titled "Theme from One Minute to Zero". Jeri Southern sang on the fir ...
" during one of the auditions. In researching the role, Naughton consulted the black former Playboy Bunny Pat Lacey, watched the documentary film ''The Bunny Years'' (1999) and read the book ''50 Years of the Playboy Bunny''. Naughton had previously played a Playboy Bunny in "
Hands and Knees "Hands and Knees" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American television drama series ''Mad Men'', and the 49th overall episode of the series. It aired on the AMC channel in the United States on September 26, 2010. John Slattery sub ...
", a fourth season episode of ''
Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its fict ...
'', an
AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** AM ...
period drama also set in the 1960s. * Leah Renee as Bunny Alice, a Bunny who is secretly
lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
and in a
marriage of convenience A marriage of convenience is a marriage contracted for reasons other than that of love and commitment. Instead, such a marriage is entered into for personal gain, or some other sort of strategic purpose, such as a political marriage. There are ...
with a gay man. Both are members of the
homophile Terms used to describe homosexuality have gone through many changes since the emergence of the first terms in the mid-19th century. In English, some terms in widespread use have been sodomite, Achillean, Sapphic, Uranian, homophile, lesbian, g ...
group the
Mattachine Society The Mattachine Society (), founded in 1950, was an early national gay rights organization in the United States, perhaps preceded only by Chicago's Society for Human Rights. Communist and labor activist Harry Hay formed the group with a collection ...
. *
Wes Ramsey Wesley Albert Ramsey (born October 6, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for his performance in the romantic drama film ''Latter Days'', and for playing Sam Spencer on the CBS daytime soap opera ''Guiding Light'' and for his recurring rol ...
as Max, a bartender at the Playboy Club. *
David Krumholtz David Krumholtz (born May 15, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He played Mr. Universe in '' Serenity'', Charlie Eppes in the CBS drama series ''Numb3rs'', and starred in the ''Harold & Kumar'' and ''The Santa Clause'' film franchises. Ear ...
as Billy Rosen, manager of the Playboy Club. Krumholtz said he was drawn to the character and wished to play a role different from
Charlie Eppes Charles Edward Eppes, Ph.D., is a fictional character and one of the protagonists of the CBS crime drama ''Numb3rs''. He is portrayed by David Krumholtz. Eppes is portrayed as a young mathematical genius and professor of applied mathematics at t ...
, the character he played for six seasons on the crime drama ''
Numbers A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The original examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers can ...
''. *
Jenifer Lewis Jenifer Jeanette Lewis (born January 25, 1957) is an American actress. She began her career appearing in Broadway musicals and worked as a back-up singer for Bette Midler before appearing in films ''Beaches'' (1988) and ''Sister Act'' (1992). Le ...
as Pearl, the warm and well-loved Playboy Club seamstress who sews the outfits for the Playboy Bunnies, many of whom confide their secrets to her. Lewis, who described her character as the mother hen of the club, did not have to audition for the role, which is unusual in a dramatic television series. Lewis was a Broadway singer who performed with co-star Naturi Naughton on the musical ''
Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...
'', and the Pearl character was expected to sing in an upcoming episode when a scheduled entertainer fell through. Pearl was based on a real-life Playboy Club seamstress named Betty. The contracts for Cibrian, Heard, Dewan and Renee all included clauses authorizing nudity, an unprecedented stipulation for a network series. Under the agreement, the actors could not be forced to perform nude scenes, but if nudity were required for a particular scene, they would have to review the script and then be given the opportunity to agree or decline. Nude scenes were not planned for the NBC broadcast version of the show; rather, the clauses were intended to allow possible R-rated versions of the show to be filmed for the DVD release and for domestic and foreign cable syndication. However, shortly before the series debuted, executive producer Chad Hodge told ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' that no nude scenes had been filmed for alternate versions of the show nor did he expect any such scenes to be filmed.


Guest

*
Sean Maher Sean Maher (born April 16, 1975) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Simon Tam in the science fiction television series ''Firefly'' and follow-up movie ''Serenity''. Early life Maher was born in Pleasantville, New York to Jos ...
as Sean Beasley, a closeted gay man in a
sham marriage A sham marriage or fake marriage is a marriage of convenience entered into without intending to create a real marital relationship. This is usually for the purpose of gaining an advantage from the marriage. Definitions of sham marriage vary by ...
with Alice. A secret member of the Mattachine Society, Sean is also a political campaigner who was to serve as Nick's campaign manager during a state's attorney run in later episodes. Maher was
closeted ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other (LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and human ...
before taking the role and he publicly came out as the show aired because he felt the series was a good platform to openly discuss his sexuality and encourage public discourse about the issue. *
Troy Garity Troy Garity (born July 7, 1973) is an American film actor. He is primarily known for his role as Isaac in the ''Barbershop'' film series and as Barry Winchell in the television movie ''Soldier's Girl'' (2003), where he was nominated for a Golden ...
as John Bianchi, the son of Bruno Bianchi, a mob figure who is killed by Maureen in self-defense. *
Cassidy Freeman Cassidy Freeman (born April 22, 1982) is an American actress and musician. She is known for her roles as Tess Mercer in The CW's superhero drama ''Smallville'', Amber Gemstone in the HBO series ''The Righteous Gemstones'', and Cady Longmire in ...
as Frances Dunhill, a Chicago socialite who stands in as Nick Dalton's date as he makes a run for public office. The relationship with Nick is only for show, to please her father while concealing her lesbianism.


Production


Development

20th Century Fox Television 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American television production company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of The Walt Disney Compa ...
and
Imagine Television Imagine may refer to: * Imagination Music Albums * ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008 * ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002 * ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012 * ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971 ** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
had previously attempted to produce the concept of the series during the 2010–11 television season but the project never came to fruition. After that initial attempt, the companies approached screenwriter Chad Hodge, who became the show's creator and an executive producer. Imagine co-founder
Brian Grazer Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer and writer. He founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. The films they produced have grossed over $15 billion. Grazer was personally nominated fo ...
and president Francie Calfo also served as executive producers, as did Richard Rosenzweig, a longtime executive and consultant with
Playboy Enterprises PLBY Group, Inc. is an American global media and lifestyle company founded by Hugh Hefner as Playboy Enterprises, Inc. to oversee the ''Playboy'' magazine and related assets. Its headquarters are in Los Angeles, California. The company is focus ...
.
Alta Loma Entertainment PLBY Group, Inc. is an American global media and lifestyle company founded by Hugh Hefner as Playboy Enterprises, Inc. to oversee the ''Playboy'' magazine and related assets. Its headquarters are in Los Angeles, California. The company is focu ...
, Playboy's entertainment production arm, received copies of all the story outlines and scripts for review but, according to Hodge, took a very hands-off approach and did not get heavily involved in the creative process. Likewise, Playboy Enterprises founder
Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...
reviewed each of the scripts personally, but did not provide much direct input or request major changes. The original title of the series was ''Bunny Tales'', then ''Playboy'', before the final title ''The Playboy Club'' was chosen. The show's pilot script was the first new drama series ordered by
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
for the 2011–12 television season.


Writing

Chad Hodge said of writing the series, "When I set out to create this show, the first word out of my mouth was 'entertaining, and cited as influences such films as '' All That Jazz'' (1979), ''
Moulin Rouge! ''Moulin Rouge!'' (, ) is a 2001 jukebox musical romantic drama film directed, co-produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. It follows a young English poet, Christian, who falls in love with the star of the Moulin Rouge, cabaret actress and cour ...
'' (2001) and ''
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
'' (2002), and the
comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series ''
Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American comedy-drama soap opera television series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Marc Cherry, Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from Octobe ...
''. The characters and setting of ''The Playboy Club'' served as an exploration of the changing political and moral attitudes of the 1960s, particularly with the approach of the
sexual revolution The sexual revolution, also known as the sexual liberation, was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the United States and the developed world from the 1 ...
that began in that decade. Members of the ''Playboy Club'' cast and crew have stated they believe the series, and the concept of the Playboy Bunny in general, is empowering to women. One of the show's taglines spoke to this theme: "The men have the keys, but the women hold all of the power." During a
Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian television critics, journalists and columnists who cover television programming for newspapers, magazines and web publications. The TCA accepts app ...
press tour, Amber Heard discussed past Bunnies who had gone on to successful careers and did not regret their past experience working at Playboy clubs, including
Lauren Hutton Lauren Hutton (born Mary Laurence Hutton; November 17, 1943) is an American model and actress. Born and raised in the southern United States, Hutton relocated to New York City in her early adulthood to begin a modeling career. Though she was ini ...
,
Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble; July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1981. Born in ...
,
Kimba Wood Kimba Maureen Wood (born January 21, 1944) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Wood has presided over many high-profile cases involving such figures as "Junk Bond Kin ...
and
Polly Matzinger Polly Celine Eveline Matzinger (born July 21, 1947, in La Seyne, France) is a French-born Immunology, immunologist who proposed the danger model theory of how the immune system works. Early years Polly Matzinger was born on July 21, 1947, in Fra ...
. Heard said she believed the female characters in ''The Playboy Club'' were making free choices about their sexuality, and thus they were not being exploited, adding, "I think it's just as chauvinistic to deny a woman her sexuality." Naturi Naughton said she believed the women who worked as Playboy Bunnies were intelligent, self-reliant women who went to school, bought homes and accomplished things other women during their time could not. Likewise, Chad Hodge said he did not believe there was anything wrong with a woman using her sexuality to get what she wants if she so chooses, adding: "There are different brands of feminism and I don't think it should be boxed into any one version." Hodge later stressed, however, that despite his comments about the empowerment of women, he did not believe ''The Playboy Club'' conveyed any strong political convictions or intellectual ambitions, but rather was meant to be entertaining. The subplot involving the Mattachine Society focuses specifically on the growing
gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 3 ...
movement in the United States in the 1960s and what it was like to be gay or a lesbian during a time period that was still repressive of that culture. ''The Playboy Club'' also touched upon changing thoughts with regard to racial diversity during the 1960s. One of the supporting characters, Brenda, seeks to become the first African American Playboy Bunny. Her role in the series illustrates Hugh Hefner's decision to integrate his clubs, both by hiring black women and allowing black key-holders and performers, which was considered unusual at the time. Brenda was loosely based on the model Jennifer Jackson, the actual first
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
Playmate of the Month, although neither Naughton nor the ''Playboy Club'' producers contacted Jackson in preparing the role.


Filming

''The Playboy Club'' was shot in Chicago, the same city where the story was set. Filming on the pilot episode began on March 15, 2011, with most scenes filmed on a set at Cinespace Studios on West 16th Street. Some scenes were also shot at the former
Meigs Field Merrill C. Meigs Field Airport (pronounced , formerly ) was a single-runway airport in Chicago that was in operation from December 1948 until March 2003 on Northerly Island, an artificial peninsula on Lake Michigan. The airport sat adjacent to ...
on
Northerly Island Northerly Island is a man-made peninsula along Chicago's Lake Michigan lakefront. The site of the Adler Planetarium, Northerly Island connects to the mainland through a narrow isthmus along Solidarity Drive. This street is dominated by Neoclassi ...
. The Chicago Film Office estimated the production would add jobs to the city and pump an estimated $2 million into the local economy per episode. Each episode was shot in about nine days, and filming lasted for 12 hours at a time on certain days. The first episode was directed by Alan Taylor, who had also directed four episodes of ''
Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its fict ...
'', including the pilot. The costumes in ''The Playboy Club'' were designed by Isis Mussenden. She was not able to find any original Playboy Bunny uniforms, so she created her designs based on photos and consultations with Hugh Hefner. Each of the five female leads received two suits, each of which cost $3,000 and took about 10 hours to make. Each suit included a built-in bra, French
cuff A cuff is a layer of fabric at the lower edge of the sleeve of a garment (shirt, coat, jacket, etc.) at the wrist, or at the ankle end of a trouser leg. The function of turned-back cuffs is to protect the cloth of the garment from fraying, an ...
s with Playboy cuff links, satin ears and 3-inch heels. After the costumes were designed, Hefner had claimed they were not cut high enough on the leg, but Mussenden assured him the height was correct based on photos of Hefner with real-life bunnies. Naturi Naughton said the costumes were very tight and difficult to wear for several hours at a time during shoots. While on the ''Playboy Club'' set, Amber Heard's sister used her iPhone to take a photo of Heard in her Playboy Bunny costume and Heard posted it on her
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
page. The image was widely disseminated on the Internet and featured in the magazine ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
''. 20th Century Fox Television banned any unauthorized photography on the set as a result of the incident. Hugh Hefner performed a voice-over narration during the pilot episode, but no such narration was recorded for the other episodes. A young version of Hefner was featured as a character in the show, but was only ever seen from behind. Hodge said this was the result of a conscious decision to feature Hefner in the series but not give him a regular role, of which the real-life Hefner approved because, according to Hodge, "He didn't want to make it his story." On October 4, 2011, Eddie Cibrian injured himself on set after getting his right heel caught underneath a 200-pound steel door, resulting in a deep gash that required stitches.


Music

Several songs popular during the 1960s were featured in ''The Playboy Club''.
Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, ...
, the record label owned by
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
, formed a partnership with 20th Century Fox Television and the
Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company b ...
company
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
to make those song versions available for download on the
iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
. 20th Century Fox Television chairmen Gary Newman and
Dana Walden Dana Walden (born 1964) is an American businesswoman and the Chairman of Disney General Entertainment Content. Early life and education Dana Freedman was born to a Jewish family in Los Angeles in 1964. Her father was in the travel industry and ...
cited the success of similar track sales on the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
musical series ''
Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'' as a reason for the venture with ''The Playboy Club'', as they felt it would expose the series to a wider audience. The individual tracks were being produced by
The Transcenders Transcenders is an American full service music production company established in 2002 by Brian Lapin, Terence Yoshiaki and Mike Fratantuno. History Starting in 1995, Fratantuno, Yoshiaki, and Lapin collaborated as founding members of the music gro ...
, a Los Angeles music production team that included the producers Mike Fratantuno, Terrance Graves and Brian Lapin. The cast vocals were recorded in Chicago by vocal producer
Richard Marx Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963) is an American adult contemporary music, adult contemporary and pop rock singer-songwriter. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Marx's Richard Marx (album), self-titled debut album went tri ...
. Geoff Bywater, the vice president of music for 20th Century Fox Television, said a
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...
for the series was also under consideration. ''The Playboy Club'' was to feature several guest performances by singers portraying real-life musicians from the 1960s period. Cast member Laura Benanti performed a version of
Fred Fisher Fred Fisher (born Alfred Breitenbach, September 30, 1875 – January 14, 1942) was a German-born American songwriter and Tin Pan Alley music publisher. Biography Fisher was born in Cologne, Germany. His parents were Max and Theodora Breitenba ...
's "
Chicago (That Toddlin' Town) "Chicago" is a popular song written by Fred Fisher and published in 1922. The original sheet music variously spelled the title "Todd'ling" or "Toddling." The song has been recorded by many artists, but the best-known versions are by Frank Sinat ...
" during a scene from the pilot. Also in that episode, actress Karen LeBlanc portrayed
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
, appearing with others portraying singer
Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and 1 ...
and the backing vocalists
The Ikettes The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had hits such as ...
. She sang "
Shake a Tail Feather "Shake a Tail Feather" is a song written by Otha Hayes, Verlie Rice, and Andre Williams and originally recorded in 1963 by the Chicago-based group the Five Du-Tones. The original recording reached #28 on ''Billboard''s Hot R&B Singles chart and ...
" and "Tina's Wish". Those songs were immediately made available on iTunes. Cast members Leah Renee and Naturi Naughton were also to sing in future episodes. Pop singer and songwriter
Colbie Caillat Colbie Marie Caillat (; born May 28, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter. She rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number one unsigned artist of her genre. After signing with Universal Republic R ...
appeared in the third episode as
Lesley Gore Lesley Sue Goldstein (May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015), known professionally as Lesley Gore, was an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. At the age of 16, she recorded the pop music, pop hit "It's My Party (Lesley Gore song), I ...
and sang her hit song " It's My Party".
Javier Colon Javier Colon (stylized as Colón; born April 29, 1978) is an American acoustic singer-songwriter. He has referred to his style of music as being "acoustic soul." He was a member of EmcQ and The Derek Trucks Band, and worked with many musicians ...
, the first season winner of the NBC reality talent series ''
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'', was slated to portray soul musician
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
in ''The Playboy Club'', singing the song " Let the Good Times Roll". Singer and songwriter
Raphael Saadiq Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! In addition to his solo and group ...
was booked to portray
Sam Cooke Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred ...
, and sing "Having a Party" in the 4th episode. Other singers were planned to be featured in the series but never cast, including
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
,
Sammy Davis, Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...
,
Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop music, p ...
,
Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...
and
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
. Other songs featured on ''The Playboy Club'', and later featured on iTunes, included " Walk Like a Man" by
Terry Dexter Terry Dexter is an Americans, American contemporary R&B singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. Early life Dexter was born in Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. She has a twin sister, and she describes her ethnicity simply as miscege ...
, and "
In the Mood "In the Mood" is a popular big band-era jazz standard recorded by American bandleader Glenn Miller. "In the Mood" is based on the composition "Tar Paper Stomp" by Wingy Manone. The first recording under the name "In the Mood" was released by E ...
" by Laura Benanti. Even though the series was set in 1961, a number of songs performed on the show were not released until several years after that.


Cancellation

NBC canceled the show on October 4, 2011, after just three episodes, making it the first network television series of the 2011–2012 United States network television season to be canceled. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' writer
James Hibberd James Hibberd (born 19 April 1981 in Southampton, Hampshire) was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and bowled medium-fast. Hibberd made his debut for the Hampshire Cricket Board in the 38-County Cup during the 2000 season, p ...
said the cancellation came as no surprise not only due to low ratings, but also because, "the industry had low expectations for the 1960s set drama, which attempted to replicate a retro ''Mad Men'' vibe but for a wide audience and on a network with plenty of content restrictions". NBC did not plan to broadcast the remaining episodes that were already filmed. ''The Playboy Club''s NBC timeslot was briefly replaced by repeat episodes of the new police drama series ''
Prime Suspect ''Prime Suspect'' is a British police procedural television drama series devised by Lynda La Plante. It stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, who ...
'', until October 31, when the new
Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American retired journalist and television news anchor. He was a reporter for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in 2004. ...
news program ''
Rock Center with Brian Williams ''Rock Center with Brian Williams'' was an American weekly television newsmagazine that was broadcast on NBC from October 31, 2011 to June 21, 2013 and hosted by former ''NBC Nightly News'' anchor Brian Williams. It aired on Mondays until January ...
'' took its place. Filming for additional episodes of ''The Playboy Club'' continued until October 10, as the show's production company hoped to eventually sell the series to another network. Both Hefner and Hodge expressed hope that the series would be picked up by
Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels *Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...
. Hefner expressed disappointment that the series did not find an audience and, via his
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account, said he believed the show should have appeared on cable and targeted a more "adult audience". Actress Laura Benanti said via Twitter shortly after the cancellation, "Wow. Tough day. Best cast, best crew, we deserved more." She later said in an interview: "I just feel there are times people will want to jump on a show and kill it." Likewise, David Krumholtz wrote via Twitter, "Insulated minds make bad decisions," and Naturi Naughton released a Twitter message that read simply, "RIDICULOUS". In response to the cancellation, the
Parents Television Council The Parents Television and Media Council (PTMC), formerly the Parents Television Council (PTC), is an American media advocacy group founded by conservative Christian activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995, which advocates for what it considers t ...
(PTC) released a statement: "We're pleased that NBC will no longer be airing a program so inherently linked to a pornographic brand that denigrates and sexualizes women...we hope other broadcasters heed the important lessons of this programming debacle." James Hibberd wrote that the show's chance of survival "wasn't helped" by the PTC protests, but that it was ultimately the ratings that led to its cancellation. Likewise, Robert Seidman of TV by the Numbers said it was ratings rather than the PTC's efforts had anything to do with the network's decision, and Tim Goodman of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' blamed the bad quality of the show itself: "This cancellation wasn't about boycotts. It was about owning up to the obvious." The Chicago Film Office estimated another $16 million would have gone toward Chicago if ''The Playboy Club'' had not been canceled and production continued until the end of the year.


Episodes


Broadcast

''The Playboy Club'' aired in the United States on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
from September 19 to October 3, 2011. The series also aired in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
on the
Citytv Citytv is a Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The licence of the original Citytv station, granted the callsign of CITY-TV by the CRTC on November 25, 1971 to Cable Television Ass ...
network, airing on the same night as the NBC telecast, but the scheduling varied as the Citytv outlets in
Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
and
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
aired it at 8 p.m., while
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
and
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
followed NBC's 10 p.m. pattern, simsubbing with NBC in many areas. The season premiere broadcast on Citytv was seen by 485,000 viewers.


Marketing

''The Playboy Club'' was heavily advertised on NBC and elsewhere in the weeks leading up to the series premiere. Laura Benanti appeared on a
retro style Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...
cover of ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...
'' magazine released on September 16, 2011. The magazine had a 1961 theme, which included an old-fashioned visual style, photos of 1960s Playboy Bunnies and clubs, and the same 60 cent price as that time period. Benanti wore a black Bunny costume and held a tray with drinks on the cover photo. NBC also entered into a cross-promotional deal with the
Bloomingdale's Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain; it was founded in New York City by Joseph B. Bloomingdale, Joseph B. and Lyman G. Bloomingdale in 1861. A third brother, Emanuel Watson Bloomingdale, was also involved in the bus ...
department store. The Walton Street store in Chicago included display windows inspired by the series, which were unveiled in September 2011 by ''The Playboy Club'' stars Benanti, Naturi Naughton and Wes Ramsey. Chosen for the storefronts due to its close proximity to the original Playboy Club, the Walton Street store allowed visitors to take virtual photos with the show's stars, view photos of the real-life clubs and the show's set, and enter into a contest to win such prizes as a walk-on role on the show and a $5,000 Bloomingdale's shopping spree.


Reception


Protests

The conservative advocacy group
Parents Television Council The Parents Television and Media Council (PTMC), formerly the Parents Television Council (PTC), is an American media advocacy group founded by conservative Christian activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995, which advocates for what it considers t ...
(PTC) began protesting ''The Playboy Club'' and calling for boycotts against it immediately after NBC picked it up, long before the series debuted. They called it a "blatant attempt to obliterate any remaining standards of broadcast decency", and criticized the idea of a series with ''Playboy'' in the title at all. The group claimed the show objectified and degraded women, advanced an anti-family agenda and helped mainstream the pornography industry through its support of the Playboy brand. They criticized
Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...
, owner of
NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. NBCUniversal is primari ...
, claiming their decision to carry ''The Playboy Club'' violated an agreement it made with
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
(FCC) regulators during the purchase of NBCUniversal not to broadcast pornographic material over public airwaves. The PTC expressed particular concern about the nudity clauses included in some cast members' contracts, which led PTC President Tim Winter to accuse the series of distributing pornography. The group claimed ''The Playboy Club'' underscored the need for
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
and the
United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
to fight for the reinstitution of the
Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 (S.193.ENR,) is an enrolled bill, passed by both Houses of the 109th United States Congress, to increase the fines and penalties for violating the prohibitions against the broadcast of obscene, indecent ...
. The PTC sent letters to every NBC affiliate asking them not to air ''The Playboy Club'', warning that if they did, the group would urge members to file complaints with the FCC if any inappropriate material were broadcast. Several other groups and individuals spoke out against ''The Playboy Club''.
Gloria Steinem Gloria Marie Steinem (; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism Second-wave feminism was a period of feminist activity that began in ...
, a
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
activist who once disguised herself as a Playboy Bunny to write an article about the conditions inside the Playboy Clubs, also encouraged a boycott of the series. She claimed the premise normalized the concepts of male dominance and prostitution, and said, "Clearly ''The Playboy Club'' is not going to be accurate. It was the tackiest place on earth. It was not glamorous at all." The anti-pornography organization
Morality in Media The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), formerly known as Morality in Media, is an American conservative non-profit known for its anti-pornography advocacy. The group has also campaigned against sex trafficking, same-sex marriage, sex ...
established an online petition urging NBC to end the show, calling for advertisers to boycott it and asking supporters to promise not to watch the series. The group's president, Patrick Trueman, said the show would encourage the acceptance of pornography and contribute to exploitation of women. Morality in Media started a website called CloseTheClubOnNBC.com, where visitors could click a link to send a protest e-mail message to NBC affiliates. The Pink Cross Foundation, an anti-pornography organization started by former adult actress
Shelley Lubben Shelley Lubben (May 18, 1968 – February 9, 2019) was an Americans, American author, singer, motivational speaker, and pornographic actress. As a performer in the adult film industry, she was stage name, known professionally as Roxy. After she le ...
, also started an online petition calling for ''The Playboy Club'''s cancellation. Lubben said of the series, "NBC is breaking the law with this show. They’re not meeting FCC standards." The
Florida Family Association The Florida Family Association (FFA) is an American non-profit organization founded by David Caton and based in Tampa, Florida. It campaigns against homosexuality and Islamic-American relations. The organization is classified as a hate group by th ...
, a one-man
fundamentalist Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishing ...
organization "on the
Christian right The Christian right, or the religious right, are Christian political factions characterized by their strong support of socially conservative and traditionalist policies. Christian conservatives seek to influence politics and public policy with t ...
" that says it's 'defending American values,'" announced it would document all companies that advertise with ''The Playboy Club'' and publicize their names online and in e-mail messages to supporters. Chad Hodge said most of the protests and calls for boycotts were coming from people and organizations who admitted they had not watched the show itself. Hodge claimed they were drawing false conclusions based on their perceptions of ''Playboy'' magazine. Stars Amber Heard and Leah Renee defended the series at a 2011
Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian television critics, journalists and columnists who cover television programming for newspapers, magazines and web publications. The TCA accepts app ...
panel. Heard said, "This is about choice. Ultimately it's a different generation with different opportunities and different expectations for women." "The way we look at things, if it involves sexuality, somehow a woman must be compromised," Renee said. "And I think it's just as chauvinistic to deny a woman her sexuality," Heard said. "It's about the time. It comes down to choices. If they are making the choice, they are not being exploited." In mid-June 2011, representatives from
KSL-TV KSL-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is the flagship television property of locally based Bonneville International, the for-profit broadcasting arm of the Church of Jesus Chr ...
, the NBC affiliate in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
, announced they would not broadcast ''The Playboy Club'' due to concerns about objectionable content and its association with the Playboy name. Station President Mark Willes said of this: "The Playboy brand is known internationally. Everyone is clear what it stands for. We want to be sure everyone is clear what the KSL brand stands for, which is completely inconsistent with the Playboy brand." The station did not carry the sketch comedy series ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' (though mostly for scheduling reasons more than content), and felt screening ''The Playboy Club'', would conflict with their participation in the "Out in the Light" public affairs campaign, which educates people on the social effects of pornography, NBC Entertainment Chairman
Robert Greenblatt Robert Greenblatt (born 1959/1960) is an American television executive, former Chairman of NBC Entertainment and former Chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment. He has since launched his production company, The Green Room Early life and educatio ...
rebuffed Willes' claims, stating he would not broadcast the show if he believed it was inappropriate. and Hodge said, "I'm sure they're going to beg to air it soon. I think once they see the show and where future episodes can go, there's really nothing to be concerned about."
KMYU KMYU (channel 12) is a television station licensed to St. George, Utah, United States, serving as the MyNetworkTV affiliate for the state of Utah. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Salt Lake City–based CBS affiliate KUTV (chann ...
, a
MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (unofficially abbreviated MyTV, MyNet, MNT or MNTV, and sometimes referred to as My Network) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its ...
affiliate, broadcast the show in its original timeslot in Salt Lake City in place of KSL. In August 2011, the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women issued a non-binding resolution stating ''The Playboy Club'' represented "a major step backward for women who have struggled to earn an equal place in the workplace, in the community and at home," and urged NBC to replace it with a show that "depicts women's substantive achievements". They unsuccessfully petitioned the
San Francisco Board of Supervisors The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the legislative body within the government of the City and County of San Francisco. Government and politics The City and County of San Francisco is a consolidated city-county, being simultaneously a c ...
to release a similar resolution. Once episodes of ''The Playboy Club'' began to broadcast, the PTC asked its members to contact the show's advertisers and encourage them to end their sponsorships with the series. By the end of the first episode, several advertisers did end their working relationship with the series, including the
Campbell Soup Company Campbell Soup Company, trade name, doing business as Campbell's, is an American processed food and snack company. The company is most closely associated with its flagship canned soup products; however, through mergers and acquisitions, it has gro ...
,
Lenovo Lenovo Group Limited, often shortened to Lenovo ( , ), is a Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational technology company specializing in designing, manufacturing, and marketing consumer electronics, Personal computer, personal computers, ...
,
Kraft Foods The second incarnation of Kraft Foods is an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz in 2015. A merger with Heinz, arra ...
,
P. F. Chang's China Bistro P. F. Chang's China Bistro is an American-based, casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1993 by Paul Fleming and Philip Chiang that serves Asian fusion cuisine. Centerbridge Partners owned and operated Chang's until acquired by the private e ...
,
Spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...
,
Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Interconti ...
and
The UPS Store The UPS Store (formerly Mail Boxes Etc.) is a subsidiary of United Parcel Service which provides, according to its website, shipping, shredding, printing, fax, passport photos, personal and business mailboxes, and notary services. Histor ...
. Citing the show's low ratings as evidence that television viewers agreed with the PTC's concerns, the group encouraged other advertisers to withdraw, including
Capital One Capital One Financial Corporation is an American bank holding company specializing in credit cards, auto loans, banking, and savings accounts, headquartered in McLean, Virginia with operations primarily in the United States. It is on the list o ...
,
Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
and
Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...
. Those groups ultimately kept their sponsorships with the series intact, a move Chrysler defended by announcing they were seeking to deliver information about their products to as broad and diverse an audience as possible.


Critical response

''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' called ''The Playboy Club'' one of the 12 most anticipated television shows of the season. In a review of the pilot episode,
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
writer
Linda Holmes Linda Holmes (born March 16, 1959) is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 42nd District since January 2007. The 42nd district includes all or parts of Aurora, Boulder Hill, Montgomery, Naperville, North Aurora and O ...
challenged the show's assertions of female empowerment. Finding the episode itself "silly and full of bad dialogue ... cheesy more than offensive", Holmes questioned how a series about women whose conduct and appearance were micromanaged could simultaneously claim that those regimented women were uniformly empowered by the experience. "You can shake a Bunny tail and be empowered, no argument. It depends on what's going on in the rest of your life. But shaking a Bunny tail isn't enough to demonstrate empowerment if you have to go to Eddie Cibrian or Hugh Hefner for help every time you have a problem, and having the right not to be slapped on the behind when you deliver a cocktail isn't exactly a societal advance on the order of universal suffrage." The series, she concluded, might have been better served had those involved positioned it as a camp
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
and not tried to make a feminist statement. In contrast to those upset with the show's association with the ''Playboy'' brand, some television critics were disappointed in the lack of sexual content. Alan Pergament, former critic for ''
The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...
'', said of the show: "The truth is ''Playboy'' should have been a pay-cable series because without the sex it is pretty boring and tame." ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' writer Margaret Lyons accused the show of "shamelessly cribbing ''Mad Men'''s style", calling Eddie Cibrian's performance an imitation of
Jon Hamm Jonathan Daniel Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Don Draper in the period drama television series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Televisi ...
's
Don Draper Donald Francis Draper, born Richard “Dick” Whitman, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the AMC television series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015), portrayed by Jon Hamm. Up to the Season 3 finale, Draper was creative director of ficti ...
and even citing specific shots and camera angles similar to those in ''Mad Men''. Lyons wrote, "''Playboy'' can't copy the lyricism or narrative potency that make ''Mad Men'' what it is, which is more than a collection of artfully arranged period hairdos and moody pairs of people in front of rectangle-patterned backgrounds. utit's sure trying!" Tim Goodman of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' said the Playboy brand and the lifestyle portrayed in the series was dated and uninteresting: "It was bad show, period. The writing was weak, the acting spotty and the sexism too ridiculous and obvious to comment on more than once."
TV Line ''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs. History In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving ''EW'' after nearly two years in their employ to est ...
writer Matt Webb Mitovich praised Benanti's performance and said the series evoked the 1960s era well, but not as well as ''Pan Am'' and ''Mad Men''. He felt the Playboy Club setting itself was too claustrophobic and that Cibrian was not strong enough for his part. In an article for the LGBT website AfterElton.com, writer Lesley Goldberg said the Mattachine Society subplot was a "surprising and welcome twist, and indicates ''Playboy'' has more on its mind than just women in skimpy outfits". Marilyn Miller, who spent six years working in as a Playboy Bunny in real-life clubs, told '' Vanity Fair'' that the series was unrealistic, particularly in its portrayal of the Bunnies dancing with and dating the customers. Miller said, "I thought it was cheap, it was degrading, it was demoralizing.... Not one Bunny I know liked the show. Everyone is hoping it gets canceled." In contrast, former Playboy Bunny Jennifer Jackson said she enjoyed the show, particularly the storyline, the casting and the set design.


Ratings

The series premiere of ''The Playboy Club'' drew an estimated 5.02 million household viewers in its original American broadcast on September 19, 2011, according to
Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
. That was the lowest viewership among the major networks in the 10 p.m. timeslot, with the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
police comedy drama ''
Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
'' drawing 13.28 million households and the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
police drama ''
Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an Ame ...
'' drawing 12.19 million households. The episode gradually shed viewers from the first half to the next, with an average of 5.36 million households tuning in for the initial half hour and an average of 4.69 million households for the second. The debut earned a 1.6 rating/4 share among viewers between ages 18 and 48, which was considered a disappointing result for a coveted demographic. Speculation began immediately that the series could be canceled, but NBC officials told ''
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, with ...
'' that such a decision would not be rushed because NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt wanted to send a message that NBC was willing to give all their new shows the necessary time to find an audience and succeed. The ratings dropped about 19 percent for the September 26 broadcast of the second episode, which drew an estimated 3.97 million households and a 1.3 rating/3 share among ages 18 to 49. ''The Playboy Club'' was once again defeated in its timeslot by ''Castle'' and ''Hawaii Five-0'', which had viewership numbers of 11.67 million and 11.26 million, respectively. In writing about these ratings, Bill Gorman of the website
TV by the Numbers TV by the Numbers was a website devoted to collecting and analyzing television ratings data in the United States that operated from 2007 to 2020. It was a part of Nexstar Media Group's Zap2it television news/listings site. History An Internet ...
wrote, "''The Playboy Club'' smaking a move to be the first show canceled of the new season." The third and last episode aired, broadcast on October 3, dropped another eight percent in the Nielsen ratings, drawing 3.47 million household viewers and a 1.2 rating/3 share.


References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Playboy Club, The 2011 American television series debuts 2011 American television series endings 2010s American crime drama television series 2010s American LGBT-related drama television series English-language television shows Gay-related television shows Lesbian-related television shows NBC original programming Playboy Television series set in the 1960s Television series by Alta Loma Entertainment Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Television series by Playboy Enterprises Television shows set in Chicago Television series about organized crime Works about the sex industry Television series by Imagine Entertainment