The Playboy Club: Season 1
  • Network: NBC
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 19, 2011
  • Season #: 1
User Score
5.8 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 33
  3. Negative: 6 out of 33

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  1. Canisrah
    Dec 30, 2011
    3
    I tried to like this show - I was hoping for something engaging and entertaining but after persisting with it I have given it the flick. The reason? The constant glorification and sanctification of Hef. The man made lots of money off **** and ass... fine, I can accept that - but please, stop the revisionist butt-kissing which paints the man as some sort of social champion, changing the world, curing it's ills, empowering women and supporting special interest groups. The whole thing comes off reeking of a self-serving propaganda piece as opposed to the entertaining show it could have been.… Collapse
  2. rowlin
    Nov 5, 2011
    9
    I really liked this show, certainly was better than most of the other new shows out there. I can't believe they pulled it after 3 weeks. Thought it was well made and had some good drama going on, not to mention some good eye candy. Hopefully the rest of the series will be out on DVD
  3. Kadeemluvmusic
    Oct 4, 2011
    3
    I know how hard these new shows starting to keep struggling and struggling because of the Nelson ratings. Just like NBC, these shows have a lot on their minds thinking: who's getting the axe this fall" and I'm playing a new game called "The Watch or Die" game. The first one who got their bees stunged was "The Playboy Club." I agree with the PTC and that's why NBC made their fate into execution. The criticism, the controversies they had over the past summmer or spring including a Utah NBC affiliate banning the show for puting its weight over "pornographic material," and the reason why the show's cancelled is the ratings. I read Playboy Magazine, watch Playboy TV, and having their own primetime show is inappropriate. I thought this was going to be a TV-MA type of show, but NBC is the only network who got the slowest amount of shows. So "The Playboy Club" is one of the worst shows of 2011, but Hef is still the man!… Expand
  4. Jaitls
    Oct 2, 2011
    7
    Compelling storyline with just enough potential to keep you wanting more. Reminds me of AMC's Mad Men series. Great cast and screenplay. Let's hope the writers can keep our attention.
  5. acquiredtastes
    Sep 30, 2011
    9
    Maybe this won't be the best series of the year. However, it is not as bad as some critics paint it. People are affronted by The Playboy Club-give it a rest you crazy prudes. It is focussed on the 1960's era and as a result is a la Mad Men in values. Should it be changed for our era which is far raunchier? Amber Heard is eye worthy and the storyline is worth following. Give it a go!
  6. islandplanet
    Sep 24, 2011
    6
    I read some negative reviews on this one, so I almost didn't check it out. I'm glad I did though, there was a lot to like here. Eddie Cibrian proved that he's way too hot for Leanne Rimes, and some of the hot chicks could act. Drawbacks here include allowing Hugh Hefner to narrate even with his loose dentures (gag) and not casting a hot young actor as Heff. In the pilot he's only shown from behind at the end. Fix that and I'll watch again.… Expand
  7. martinex
    Sep 24, 2011
    5
    Not as bad as I pictured it. Of course I've always viewed the entire Playboy empire as a bit of a farce. Hefner (or the Heff-like narrator) tries to sell himself as a pioneer of civil and women's rights while he has women prancing around with bunny ears and cotton tails sticking out of their bums. I wonder how many times the phrase "like Madmen" was tossed around during the writers meetings?

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
45 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 28
  3. Negative: 8 out of 28
  1. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Nancy Franklin
    Sep 26, 2011
    30
    I said that The Playboy Club might be promising. Guess what? I lied.
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  2. Salon
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Sep 20, 2011
    30
    They want to be both fun and edifying and end up being neither, and style-wise, they feel too much like Wikipedia entries with actors. The series might have managed to overcome these problems (partly, at least) if it had a a strong point-of-view, however conflicted, toward what it's showing us. But it doesn't.
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  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Tim Goodman
    Sep 20, 2011
    40
    The whole thing quickly becomes hokey and a grind. Blame goes consistently to the writing.
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