The Playboy Club

I'm about to be cynical and dismissive, but since the producers of this show have been lurking in those same waters then I feel no compunctions about returning the favor.

The main character is a total Don Draper analog, and many of the social issues woven into the fabric of the ongoing serial plot are identical to the social issues exploited on "Mad Men": women's lib, race integration, closeting of homosexuals, commoditization of sex, and on and on. And that was just on the first episode!

Yes, this is all, daring, cutting edge stuff for a network drama...or at least it would have been if this show came out before "Mad Men." Let's leave out the cynically gross amount of product placement inherent by Playboy Enterprises, up to and including the very title of the show itself. (Gee, I hope "Pan Am", another show picking through the "Mad Men" gold mine this season, is a little better.)

I have to place most of the blame on the producers and the network for greelighting this. The actors are just trying to do a job, same with the writers. This thing is just flawed from the ground up. I appreciate the try, but it just comes across as a pale shadow of a successful TV drama. Hey, I know that's how the entertainment industry works: success breeds copycatism. That doesn't mean I have to like it.

When I started watching The Playboy Club I wasn't very hopeful... I was expecting a dodgy half baked drama with girls running around topless... I found the pilot plot Interesting, maybe a tad cliché, but it is a pilot after all! You can't expect miracles.

Admittedly the dialogue was a little rough and amateurish but it feels like it's heading in some interesting directions and will get better over time. Strangely the secondary story line between Alice and her husband seems far more interesting to me.

As for the comparisons to Mad Men I don't think they are in any way fair. It's like comparing apples and oranges.

Personally, I think it's much more interesting than half of the television shows some channels are pumping out.

Definitely worth watching for the first few episodes to see where it goes.

I watched the premiere out of curiosity, and I was surprised to find a show that is both interesting and done in a very tasteful manner. I was worried about the depiction of female characters (for obvious reasons), but they are not depicted as simple sexual objects. On the contrary, these characters are shown as intelligent, independent, and resourceful.

Only two episodes aired to this day, but the potential for character development is there. The show manages to have some social and political themes, plus there is a bit of mystery, music, and humour.

The various actresses and actors (all people I didn't know) do a good job. I especially like Amber Heard, as Maureen (the main female character), Leah Renee Cudmore, and guest star Sean Maher.

Conclusion: it is a pretty decent show (and it changes from all the procedurals who stick to their unmovable, predictable, recipe).

When I saw the trailer a couple of weeks before the premiere, I didn't really know what to expect, the first thing that came to my mind was "Oh, girls in bunny costumes, and they're all HOT.. I got to watch this!"

After I saw the first three episodes, I was like WOW, the story is AWESOME, nice drama with great music. I love it.

I think that this is a great TV show that portrays the 60's in a very nice way, true or not, it's very nice. If you compare the two TV shows this season that Talk about the 60's - Pan Am and The Playboy Club - they are both perfect, different point of views, but very interesting to watch.

And hey, what's better then beautiful girls in bunny costumes!!

I have only watched the pilot to date- I am going to watch the second episode tonight. I give this show a 10 out of 10 for it's production value. However, the story is admittedly less than masterful, led by a mix of characters that so far feel relatively underdeveloped. However, it's only the pilot episode! It took me at least 4-6 episodes to fully become a loyal fan of "Mad Men." Furthermore, this show is first and foremost supposed to be a fluffy good time. I applaud this show for having as much sex appeal as it does on broadcast TV. Because, s show is this sexy does not mean people should be extra critical of it. The pilot offers some fine moments. I was intrigued at the dorm-like community of the playboy mansion. One can only hope this show introduces new tidbits down the road. One priceless scene involves Amber Heard joining a group of the bunnies dancing in the club. The joy on their faces and their moves filled me with some joy.

Bottom line: if you dig sex appeal, if you appreciate cinematic production values, if you like the vicarious venture into a dramatized Playboy Club (the closest to the real thing most people will get), and like the vicarious company of the bunnies and/or the playboys themselves- this show is for you!