Playmakers is about the lives of a few of the higher profiled players on an NFL team. Very little of what happens on the field is shown, as it highlights the ups and downs of what happens before and after the game as well as through the rest of the week. Each episode might contain about one key play and how it plays off to each of the leading characters all week. To be honest, it did take me about 3 episodes before I was able to fully appreciate the series, but I never thought of it as boring or uninteresting. It is a good way to spend about 45 minutes (on DVD).
Eric Olczyk (Jason Matthew Smith) seems to be the man this series put in the brightest spotlight, at least at first. Eric is a veteran of the team who, from the pilot on, deals with the fact that he delivered a pretty hard hit to a quarterback on another team which left him paralyzed. He feels incredibly guilty and is seeing a psychiatrist as well as visits the man regularly, despite the guy and his family being pretty upset with him, to say the least.
Demetrius Harris (Omar Gooding) is the young hot shot running back on the team. He has taken the place of an older guy, Leon Taylor (Russell Hornsby), who believes he should still be the one playing. Demetrius, or D.H., as he likes to be called, will remind you of a Terrell Owens with his brash touchdown displays and overall attitude on and off the field (not trying to imply that Owens has a drug habit. I don't know). Anyhow, D.H. faces problems due to his constant need for drugs, passing the tests, etc. Leon Taylor is struggling with trying to prove he can still go, getting traded to someplace where they would still play him, etc., all while still trying to keep his family life together at home.
I find it amazing how they can create a whole episode out of what is, essentially, one play in a football game. If the writing was kept fresh, there was seemingly endless material. I have left out many of the major players in this TV show. There are too many to talk about but, I assure you, there are many stories to tell. I am reminded of CSI or Las Vegas (my favorite show still on), only this is a drama surrounding a football team (the fictional Cougars). I also find it interesting that ESPN has canceled this show due to pressure from the NFL. Maybe it was more realistic than we thought? 8/10
