Playmakers

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

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

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

User Rating: 6/10

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

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

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

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