PLAYBOY's Hugh Hefner To Narrate "Playboy Club" Pilot and do Occasional Appearances - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 04-04-2011, 01:17 PM

NBC's "Playboy" Under Fire From PTC Over Nudity
4/1/2011
by Sofia M. Fernandez

The TV watchdog group says the Comcast/NBC merger is to blame for attempts to "obliterate any remaining standards of broadcast decency" because the media company "either cannot distinguish between Showtime and broadcast television, or they are choosing to ignore those differences."

"During last year's public comment period for the Comcast/NBC merger, the PTC called on the FCC to ‘force Comcast to stipulate that it absolutely will not use the public airwaves to distribute pornographic material … the public interest demands no less.’

NBC now says it will air a pilot with Playboy in its name and the production company is requiring performers to sign a nudity clause -- something virtually unheard of for broadcast TV," said PTC president Tim Winter.

Nudity clauses are added to contracts if actors are expected to disrobe on a series. Though NBC has not picked up "Playboy" to series -- it has only ordered a pilot -- is not currently slated to air on television, nudity clauses are extremely rare.

"Playboy" stars Eddie Cibrian as a Chicago attorney who is also a Keyholder at the glamorous, exclusive Playboy Club. Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Leah Renee and Wes Ramsey are also cast members of the 20th Century Fox TV and Imagine TV project.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...at-nbcs-174033

browneyes106 · 04-08-2011, 09:35 AM

If PTC protests this show they are only helping the show get attention.

Regulus · 04-08-2011, 11:04 PM

PTC is a JOKE. I tried contacting every one of the PTC Reps in the state of Florida. E-Mails have gone unanswered, Phone Calls have either resulted in my calls diverted into "Phone Mail Jail" (Never responded) or the "Tri-Tone" "This number has been disconnected". I like their ideas, but if all they want is my Money (I sure have gotten those kinds of responses) so STUFF EM!

TV Knowledge Fan · 04-09-2011, 01:41 AM

...in this proposed "PLAYBOY" pilot I'm concerned about. I'm worried that there won't be enough of a plot or "sparkling dialogue" to fill that episode. These days, most TV series are being created and produced by "twentysomething" writers and producers who don't know HOW to write stories, or funny, amusing dialogue, understand character development, conflicts, et. al. If this "PLAYBOY" pilot has to depend on the visual imagery and titilation of Playboy Bunnies to spark the entire half-hour...that's not a series; that belongs on a cable network, like FX (and that's where 20th Century-Fox would probably place it, if NBC passes on it).

Of course, I could be wrong......

Retro4Life · 04-09-2011, 09:37 AM

I guess I have not been following network television closely enough for a while. I was unaware that there WAS any nudity on the major networks; in fact, I thought that there was some law or clause preventing it. There was NYPD Blue which had VERY discreet and brief nudity but that was on later in the night and honestly, in the 7 or 8 years I watched that show I think I might have seen perhaps a dozen instances of it. Nothing gratuitous, that's for sure.

I'm no prude. I don't really have any objection to anything that anyone wants to watch. If you like pornography, go for it. But I don't think that network television, in general, needs nudity. I'm not offended by it, but normally it comes off like a cheap gimmick. The old chestnut of "well, it was necessary to the scene" is generally B.S. Has anyone ever watched an old black and white movie and come away saying "You know, that movie would have been PERFECT if only I'd have gotten a glimpse of Humphrey Bogart's butt?" Doubtful, at best.

Again, as far as cable and pay per view and DVD rentals, go for it. That's stuff that adults can seek out on their own and enjoy privately, hopefully having the good sense to screen from their kids in the process (though these days, I wouldn't bet on it). But broadcast networks are accessible by everyone, including kids, even at the later hours (I rarely went to bed before 9 PM Central Time, and once I hit about ten years old I stayed up till 10 PM) and I don't think it would kill the networks to consider that.

Mr. Television · 04-09-2011, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

I guess I have not been following network television closely enough for a while. I was unaware that there WAS any nudity on the major networks; in fact, I thought that there was some law or clause preventing it. There was NYPD Blue which had VERY discreet and brief nudity but that was on later in the night and honestly, in the 7 or 8 years I watched that show I think I might have seen perhaps a dozen instances of it. Nothing gratuitous, that's for sure.

I'm no prude. I don't really have any objection to anything that anyone wants to watch. If you like pornography, go for it. But I don't think that network television, in general, needs nudity. I'm not offended by it, but normally it comes off like a cheap gimmick. The old chestnut of "well, it was necessary to the scene" is generally B.S. Has anyone ever watched an old black and white movie and come away saying "You know, that movie would have been PERFECT if only I'd have gotten a glimpse of Humphrey Bogart's butt?" Doubtful, at best.

Again, as far as cable and pay per view and DVD rentals, go for it. That's stuff that adults can seek out on their own and enjoy privately, hopefully having the good sense to screen from their kids in the process (though these days, I wouldn't bet on it). But broadcast networks are accessible by everyone, including kids, even at the later hours (I rarely went to bed before 9 PM Central Time, and once I hit about ten years old I stayed up till 10 PM) and I don't think it would kill the networks to consider that.

That's pretty much how I feel. I read where this nudity clause was more for the home video market or if the show is syndicated to a cable network. I doubt NBC would air nudity. It hasn't really been done since NYPD Blue. I watched that show too. Really the only objectable things I saw on there was when Theo saw Charlotte Ross naked. I think that went over the line since he was a kid. Also early on in the series when Dennis Franz was naked. I didn't need to see that. lol Really NYPD Blue was a great show and it didn't really need the nudity at all.

James28 · 04-10-2011, 09:21 PM

If NBC puts this "Playboy" show on the fall schedule, we have got ourselves another candidate for cancellation after a half-season...

Retro4Life · 04-10-2011, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

That's pretty much how I feel. I read where this nudity clause was more for the home video market or if the show is syndicated to a cable network. I doubt NBC would air nudity. It hasn't really been done since NYPD Blue. I watched that show too. Really the only objectable things I saw on there was when Theo saw Charlotte Ross naked. I think that went over the line since he was a kid. Also early on in the series when Dennis Franz was naked. I didn't need to see that. lol Really NYPD Blue was a great show and it didn't really need the nudity at all.

I didn't start watch NYPD Blue till the second season, so I missed the Sipowicz nude scenes. Don't really feel cheated, though, lol.

JamesG · 06-13-2011, 04:41 PM

NBC Affiliate Refuses to Air "The Playboy Club"
by Chris Harnick
posted Jun 13th 2011

An NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City is refusing to air the network's new fall series "The Playboy Club" on the grounds that it conflicts with the moral standards of the station.

According to a statement on the KSL website, the decision was based on a "long-term policy to screen programming for material which significant portions of our audience may find objectionable."

Mark Willes, KSL President and CEO, said in a statement:

"The Playboy brand is known internationally. Everyone is clear what it stands for. We want to be sure everyone is clear what the KSL brand stands for, which is completely inconsistent with the Playboy brand."

Michelle Torsak, KSL Programming Director, said:

"Our intent is not to tell people what they can and cannot watch, but rather to share programming with our audience in accordance with our mission."

KSL, which is a sponsor of anti-pornography group Out in the Light, said it's working with the network to find a way to show the program on another channel in the Salt Lake City market.

"The Playboy Club" is set in 1960s Chicago and tells the tales of the Playboy Bunnies and clientele that frequent the original Playboy Club.

Amber Heard, Laura Benanti and Eddie Cibrian star.

http://www.aoltv.com/2011/06/13/the-playboy-club-ksl/

TV Knowledge Fan · 06-16-2011, 01:35 AM

....that Omega might be willing to become one of the advertisers on "THE PLAYBOY CLUB", 'nmghsvt'? If not, this is a very odd place to insert what's obviously a "paid advertisement"....

TV Knowledge Fan · 06-17-2011, 02:59 AM

...as for "THE PLAYBOY CLUB", it seems to me that it might become another of NBC's "one season wonders" (as they've featured in recent years). It's also quite obvious they want this series to become their equivalent of AMC's "MAD MEN"...without realizing that gets about two million or so viewers- tops- every week it's scheduled. It's only because it reaches a "special audience" that "premium" advertisers want to reach, that AMC has been keeping the series going in 13 week cycles. NBC might not be so patient...

JamesG · 06-28-2011, 07:59 PM

Exclusive: "The Playboy Club" Lands New Home in Salt Lake City
Jun 28, 2011
by Michael Schneider

NBC has found a new home for "The Playboy Club" in Salt Lake City.

KMYU, the Utah capital's My Network TV affiliate, has agreed to pick up the drama and air it in its regular Monday nighttime slot this fall.

KMYU grabbed the keys to "The Playboy Club" after Salt Lake City's NBC affiliate, KSL, told the network that it refused to air the show.

"We respect the position of KSL and are pleased that KMYU can provide a home for 'The Playboy Club'," says KMYU vice president and general manager Steve Carlston.

"This highly anticipated crime drama will now have the opportunity to be seen by the viewers throughout the Salt Lake City market."

KSL is owned by Bonneville, which is operated by the Church of Latter-day Saints. And the station's brass wasn't comfortable with airing a show that included "Playboy" in the title.

KSL also doesn't run "SNL" because of similar content concerns; that sketch series instead airs on Salt Lake City's CW affiliate. KSL had earlier promised to help NBC find a new home for the show in Salt Lake City.

"While we are disappointed with KSL's decision, we are confident that the show will find another home in the Salt Lake City market," NBC said at the time. No other NBC affiliate has announced plans to pre-empt the show.

As part of the deal with KYMU, "The Playboy Club" will air Mondays at 9 p.m. MT — when the show would have aired anyway on KSL. NBC declined comment on the news.

KMYU is a digital subchannel of Salt Lake City's CBS affiliate, KUTV, and has been a My Network TV affiliate (branded as "My Utah TV") since last September.

Nexstar Broadcasting, which is based in Irving, Texas, owns the station.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Exclusiv...b-1034690.aspx

JamesG · 07-26-2011, 05:42 PM

PTC Targets "Playboy Club", Urges NBC Affiliates to Drop the Show
by Chris Harnick
posted Jul 26th 2011

The Parents Television Council has a new target in its sights: NBC's "The Playboy Club".

It was only a matter of time before the conservative watchdog group targeted the new fall series, which is set in Chicago's Playboy club in the 1960s.

According to Broadcasting & Cable, the PTC sent letters to all NBC affiliates, urging them not to air the new crime drama.

In the letter, PTC president Tim Winter told stations the show was attempting to put a layer of class on the porn industry. If the stations did air the show, Winter warned the PTC would urge its members to file complaints with the FCC.

KSL, NBC's Salt Lake City's already announced it is refusing to air the new series because of its content. Instead, the Salt Lake City affiliate for MyNetworkTV will air it this fall.

The PTC previously targeted MTV's "Skins", calling it "the most dangerous show for teens."

http://www.aoltv.com/2011/07/26/ptc-...yboy-club-nbc/

McGillicuddy · 07-26-2011, 10:08 PM

Why doesn't this group of prudes focus on something really immoral out in Utah like Warren Jeffs and his polygamy sect?

JamesG · 08-01-2011, 01:14 PM

Exclusive: Hugh Hefner Won't Be Narrating NBC's "The Playboy Club"
Aug 1, 2011
by Michael Schneider

You won't be hearing much from Hugh Hefner on NBC's "The Playboy Club" this fall. Hefner narrates the new series' pilot episode, but won't do the same in future episodes.

That's because the producers behind "The Playboy Club" are leaning toward eliminating the show's narration device all together, according to show insiders.

(In the pilot, Hefner sets the stage for the show via voiceover at the open and close of the show.)

But that doesn't mean "The Playboy Club" will be completely scrubbed of its legendary founder.

The character of 1960s-era Hugh Hefner will make an appearance from time to time on the show, although it's unclear how much we'll see of him, or if he'll involved he'll be in the show's storylines.

Hefner himself may occasionally pop-up, but it's also unclear as to how he's going to be involved.

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Playboy-...r-1035887.aspx

04-04-2011, 01:17 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,032	PLAYBOY's Hugh Hefner To Narrate "Playboy Club" Pilot and do Occasional Appearances *NBC's "Playboy" Under Fire From PTC Over Nudity* 4/1/2011 by Sofia M. Fernandez The TV watchdog group says the Comcast/NBC merger is to blame for attempts to "obliterate any remaining standards of broadcast decency" because the media company "either cannot distinguish between Showtime and broadcast television, or they are choosing to ignore those differences." "During last year's public comment period for the Comcast/NBC merger, the PTC called on the FCC to ‘force Comcast to stipulate that it absolutely will not use the public airwaves to distribute pornographic material … the public interest demands no less.’ NBC now says it will air a pilot with Playboy in its name and the production company is requiring performers to sign a nudity clause -- something virtually unheard of for broadcast TV," said PTC president Tim Winter. Nudity clauses are added to contracts if actors are expected to disrobe on a series. Though NBC has not picked up "Playboy" to series -- it has only ordered a pilot -- is not currently slated to air on television, nudity clauses are extremely rare. "Playboy" stars Eddie Cibrian as a Chicago attorney who is also a Keyholder at the glamorous, exclusive Playboy Club. Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Leah Renee and Wes Ramsey are also cast members of the 20th Century Fox TV and Imagine TV project. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...at-nbcs-174033 Attached Images
	Last edited by JamesG; 08-01-2011 at 01:11 PM.

04-08-2011, 11:04 PM	#3
Regulus Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 07, 2011 Location: Port Orange, Florida Avatar - Poiuyt Posts: 3,374	PTC is a JOKE. I tried contacting every one of the PTC Reps in the state of Florida. E-Mails have gone unanswered, Phone Calls have either resulted in my calls diverted into "Phone Mail Jail" (Never responded) or the "Tri-Tone" "This number has been disconnected". I like their ideas, but if all they want is my Money (I sure have gotten those kinds of responses) so STUFF EM!
	__________________ Grail Shows: *Doc Elliot, Owen Marshall-Counselor of Law, Here's Boomer, Three for the Road, Holmes and YoYo* Bucket List Shows: *Hot Wheels, Skyhawks, Run Joe Run, Westwood*

04-09-2011, 01:41 AM	#4
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	It isn't the so-called "nudity" {if ANY}... ...in this proposed "PLAYBOY" pilot I'm concerned about. I'm worried that there won't be enough of a plot or "sparkling dialogue" to fill that episode. These days, most TV series are being created and produced by "twentysomething" writers and producers who don't know HOW to write stories, or funny, amusing dialogue, understand character development, conflicts, et. al. If this "PLAYBOY" pilot has to depend on the visual imagery and titilation of Playboy Bunnies to spark the entire half-hour...that's not a series; that belongs on a cable network, like FX (and that's where 20th Century-Fox would probably place it, if NBC passes on it). Of course, I could be wrong......

04-09-2011, 09:37 AM	#5
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	I guess I have not been following network television closely enough for a while. I was unaware that there WAS any nudity on the major networks; in fact, I thought that there was some law or clause preventing it. There was NYPD Blue which had VERY discreet and brief nudity but that was on later in the night and honestly, in the 7 or 8 years I watched that show I think I might have seen perhaps a dozen instances of it. Nothing gratuitous, that's for sure. I'm no prude. I don't really have any objection to anything that anyone wants to watch. If you like pornography, go for it. But I don't think that network television, in general, needs nudity. I'm not offended by it, but normally it comes off like a cheap gimmick. The old chestnut of "well, it was necessary to the scene" is generally B.S. Has anyone ever watched an old black and white movie and come away saying "You know, that movie would have been PERFECT if only I'd have gotten a glimpse of Humphrey Bogart's butt?" Doubtful, at best. Again, as far as cable and pay per view and DVD rentals, go for it. That's stuff that adults can seek out on their own and enjoy privately, hopefully having the good sense to screen from their kids in the process (though these days, I wouldn't bet on it). But broadcast networks are accessible by everyone, including kids, even at the later hours (I rarely went to bed before 9 PM Central Time, and once I hit about ten years old I stayed up till 10 PM) and I don't think it would kill the networks to consider that.
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

04-10-2011, 09:21 PM	#7
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,976	If NBC puts this "Playboy" show on the fall schedule, we have got ourselves another candidate for cancellation after a half-season...
	__________________ "When the run of a network TV show has ended, some go out with a bang, some with a whimper, but all are...Future Endeavored." "Stay Safe"? More like "Stay Sad". #2020Hurts

04-08-2011, 09:35 AM	#2
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,097	If PTC protests this show they are only helping the show get attention.

06-13-2011, 04:41 PM	#9
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,032	*NBC Affiliate Refuses to Air "The Playboy Club"* by Chris Harnick posted Jun 13th 2011 An NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City is refusing to air the network's new fall series "The Playboy Club" on the grounds that it conflicts with the moral standards of the station. According to a statement on the KSL website, the decision was based on a "long-term policy to screen programming for material which significant portions of our audience may find objectionable." Mark Willes, KSL President and CEO, said in a statement: "The Playboy brand is known internationally. Everyone is clear what it stands for. We want to be sure everyone is clear what the KSL brand stands for, which is completely inconsistent with the Playboy brand." Michelle Torsak, KSL Programming Director, said: "Our intent is not to tell people what they can and cannot watch, but rather to share programming with our audience in accordance with our mission." KSL, which is a sponsor of anti-pornography group Out in the Light, said it's working with the network to find a way to show the program on another channel in the Salt Lake City market. "The Playboy Club" is set in 1960s Chicago and tells the tales of the Playboy Bunnies and clientele that frequent the original Playboy Club. Amber Heard, Laura Benanti and Eddie Cibrian star. http://www.aoltv.com/2011/06/13/the-playboy-club-ksl/ Attached Images

06-16-2011, 01:35 AM	#10
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	Does this mean... ....that Omega might be willing to become one of the advertisers on "THE PLAYBOY CLUB", 'nmghsvt'? If not, this is a very odd place to insert what's obviously a "paid advertisement"....

06-17-2011, 02:59 AM	#11
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	Well, so much for "Omega"... ...as for "THE PLAYBOY CLUB", it seems to me that it might become another of NBC's "one season wonders" (as they've featured in recent years). It's also quite obvious they want this series to become their equivalent of AMC's "MAD MEN"...without realizing that gets about two million or so viewers- tops- every week it's scheduled. It's only because it reaches a "special audience" that "premium" advertisers want to reach, that AMC has been keeping the series going in 13 week cycles. NBC might not be so patient...

06-28-2011, 07:59 PM	#12
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,032	*Exclusive: "The Playboy Club" Lands New Home in Salt Lake City* Jun 28, 2011 by Michael Schneider NBC has found a new home for "The Playboy Club" in Salt Lake City. KMYU, the Utah capital's My Network TV affiliate, has agreed to pick up the drama and air it in its regular Monday nighttime slot this fall. KMYU grabbed the keys to "The Playboy Club" after Salt Lake City's NBC affiliate, KSL, told the network that it refused to air the show. "We respect the position of KSL and are pleased that KMYU can provide a home for 'The Playboy Club'," says KMYU vice president and general manager Steve Carlston. "This highly anticipated crime drama will now have the opportunity to be seen by the viewers throughout the Salt Lake City market." KSL is owned by Bonneville, which is operated by the Church of Latter-day Saints. And the station's brass wasn't comfortable with airing a show that included "Playboy" in the title. KSL also doesn't run "SNL" because of similar content concerns; that sketch series instead airs on Salt Lake City's CW affiliate. KSL had earlier promised to help NBC find a new home for the show in Salt Lake City. "While we are disappointed with KSL's decision, we are confident that the show will find another home in the Salt Lake City market," NBC said at the time. No other NBC affiliate has announced plans to pre-empt the show. As part of the deal with KYMU, "The Playboy Club" will air Mondays at 9 p.m. MT — when the show would have aired anyway on KSL. NBC declined comment on the news. KMYU is a digital subchannel of Salt Lake City's CBS affiliate, KUTV, and has been a My Network TV affiliate (branded as "My Utah TV") since last September. Nexstar Broadcasting, which is based in Irving, Texas, owns the station. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Exclusiv...b-1034690.aspx

07-26-2011, 05:42 PM	#13
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,032	*PTC Targets "Playboy Club", Urges NBC Affiliates to Drop the Show* by Chris Harnick posted Jul 26th 2011 The Parents Television Council has a new target in its sights: NBC's "The Playboy Club". It was only a matter of time before the conservative watchdog group targeted the new fall series, which is set in Chicago's Playboy club in the 1960s. According to Broadcasting & Cable, the PTC sent letters to all NBC affiliates, urging them not to air the new crime drama. In the letter, PTC president Tim Winter told stations the show was attempting to put a layer of class on the porn industry. If the stations did air the show, Winter warned the PTC would urge its members to file complaints with the FCC. KSL, NBC's Salt Lake City's already announced it is refusing to air the new series because of its content. Instead, the Salt Lake City affiliate for MyNetworkTV will air it this fall. The PTC previously targeted MTV's "Skins", calling it "the most dangerous show for teens." http://www.aoltv.com/2011/07/26/ptc-...yboy-club-nbc/ Attached Images

07-26-2011, 10:08 PM	#14
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	Why doesn't this group of prudes focus on something really immoral out in Utah like Warren Jeffs and his polygamy sect?

08-01-2011, 01:14 PM	#15
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,032	*Exclusive: Hugh Hefner Won't Be Narrating NBC's "The Playboy Club"* Aug 1, 2011 by Michael Schneider You won't be hearing much from Hugh Hefner on NBC's "The Playboy Club" this fall. Hefner narrates the new series' pilot episode, but won't do the same in future episodes. That's because the producers behind "The Playboy Club" are leaning toward eliminating the show's narration device all together, according to show insiders. (In the pilot, Hefner sets the stage for the show via voiceover at the open and close of the show.) But that doesn't mean "The Playboy Club" will be completely scrubbed of its legendary founder. The character of 1960s-era Hugh Hefner will make an appearance from time to time on the show, although it's unclear how much we'll see of him, or if he'll involved he'll be in the show's storylines. Hefner himself may occasionally pop-up, but it's also unclear as to how he's going to be involved. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Playboy-...r-1035887.aspx Attached Images