Playmakers

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Playmakers was a TV series on ESPN that depicted the lives of the players on a fictional professional football team. The show starred Omar Gooding, Marcello Thedford, Christopher Wiehl, Jason Matthew Smith, Russell Hornsby and Tony Denison. The show, which ran eleven episodes from August 26, 2003 to November 11, 2003, was the first original drama series created by ESPN. Though it had a critically acclaimed cast, it was criticized for predictable and often sensationalist storylines, while simultaneously praised by publications such as TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. The show dealt with topics including drug abuse, steroids, domestic abuse, and homosexuality. The NFL was unhappy with the way the show portrayed professional football players, (despite several players speaking out about the accuracy of the lifestyles portrayed) which prompted ESPN (a sister network of then Monday Night Football broadcaster ABC), to cancel the show.

Contents

[edit] Style

The show follows the lives of various members of an ensemble cast who portray the players and personnel on a fictional football team, the Cougars, in a fictional league (referred to in the series as "The League") during the regular season. Many of these segments are prefaced by an internal monologue in the format of a character talking to himself.

[edit] Episodes

[edit] Episode One | GameDay

The Cougars are 2-3 and it's six hours to kick-off. Leon Taylor, back from injured reserve, plans to retake the running back throne from Demetrius Harris. "D.H." will not slow down for anyone. Eric Olczyk can't get over his hit that paralyzed a player and Coach George is depending on a psychiatrist to get Olczyk's head back in the game. Fresh from a night of partying, DH and his teammate Kelvin are late heading to the stadium. At game time, it's unclear who will take the field.


[edit] Episode Two | The Pissman

The league drug-testing official visits the Cougars in the second episode of Playmakers, and DH gets tipped off that he's on the list. Guard Dog tempts Leon with a way to get his mojo back. Olczyk continues to struggle with the ramifications of the devastating hit he made. Speaking of pain, quarterback Derek McConnell sucks down anti-inflammatories like candy. The team doctor is concerned about McConnell's health. It's all part of the effort to keep personal problems from interfering with the game.


[edit] Episode Three | The Choice (Part 1 of 2)

Two of the Cougars are tackling some big decisions. A man is shot outside a club, forcing DH to decide where his loyalties lie—with the team or with his posse. Meanwhile, Leon gets a chance to be traded to another team, but his wife Robin isn't sold on the idea of uprooting their lives. Their marriage begins to suffer. What's it going to be?


[edit] Episode Four | The Choice (Part 2 of 2)

The Cougars' team owner Wilbanks pressures the young, star running back DH to change his statement about the shooting at the nightclub after new evidence surfaces. Meanwhile, linebacker Olczyk meets and pursues a romantic relationship with Beth who has surprise news about his father. Also, the rift grows between veteran running back Leon and his wife, Robin, after he refuses to get counseling.


[edit] Episode Five | Halftime

The Cougars have been ravaged in the first half. Coach George and the medical staff must patch up the pieces for the second half. Leon faces a potentially career-ending knee injury and has a rift with Olczyk, who knows what Leon did to Robin. The brash, young running back DH can't make it to the next half without getting high and McConnell needs relief from the pain.


[edit] Episode Six | Man In Motion

Coach George lectures the team about selling "the fake"; football is all about deception. Speaking of deception, DH's drug abuse comes to a head while viewers learn Guerwitcz's closely guarded secret. Samantha returns to dig up dirt about a domestic abuse rumor involving Leon. McConnell arranges a night out for the boys. And Olczyk's romantic interest in Beth resurfaces.


[edit] Episode Seven | TalkRadio

Leon and Robin's decision to go public with their domestic abuse incident leads to legal problems for Leon and a possible suspension. Guerwitcz struggles to maintain a double life. DH must make a charity appearance to cheer up a terminally ill young boy. Coach George finally sees a doctor. McConnell treads on dangerous ground with Wilbanks' daughter.


[edit] Episode Eight | Down And Distance

Olczyk prepares to face his nemesis, the league's star quarterback who routinely scrambles his way past linebackers to rushing touchdowns. Leon tries to resolve his legal issues to continue playing on the team. Coach George gets his test results while McConnell's romantic interlude comes back to haunt him. Guerwitcz struggles with whether to tell his teammates he is gay.


[edit] Episode Nine | The Outing

Guerwitcz makes an attempt to dodge a rumor that one of the players is gay by asking August to marry him. But his partner David has had enough and outs him to the team, putting Guerwitcz's future with the Cougars in question. Meanwhile, tensions build between Olczyk and Leon over Olczyk's in-season contract negotiations.


[edit] Episode Ten | Tenth Of A Second

Leon learns that Wilbanks is not renewing his contract, so he puts himself through a combination of athletic drills to prove to Coach George that he's still got it. DH's reunion with his older brother, Big E (rapper Snoop Dogg), leads to trouble when Big E learns the truth about Cal's crime.


[edit] Episode Eleven | Week 17

Leon plans for retirement by auditioning for a sportscaster job. Buffalo's weight issues affect his chances of playing. Now that DH is back on top, how far can he flaunt his playmaker ways? After Olczyk invites Beth to move in, he must decide how to handle the surprise of Jenna's pregnancy.

[edit] Trivia

  • The show was filmed in Toronto. The SkyDome stood in as the home of the Cougars and most game footage was shot there.
  • In one episode, Demetrius "D.H." Harris mentions that, given the choice between listening to Q-Tip or 50 Cent, he would choose Snoop Dogg. Snoop Dogg later guest starred in an episode as Harris' brother.
  • Before the show's cancellation, espn.com posted profiles of the fictional players, including statistics and names of actual universities the players "attended". Linebacker Eric Olczyk went to Penn State, running back Leon Taylor went to USC, lineman Buffalo James attended Oklahoma State, running back Demetrius Harris went to Colorado, and quarterback Derek McConnell attended the University of Louisville. [1]

[edit] International

  • In Canada, the show is broadcast on the Showcase network.
  • In the UK, the show was originally aired on FX.
  • In Denmark, the show is broadcast on the TV2 ZULU who owns the license to NFL in Denmark.
  • In Australia, the show is televised on ESPN.
  • In Poland, the show is broadcast on AXN.
  • In Italy, the show is broadcast on FX.
  • In Israel, the show was broadcasted on 'yesWeekend' and syndicated on 'yesSTARS'.
  • In Romania, the show is broadcast on AXN.

[edit] External links

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