Playmakers
Encyclopedia
Playmakers is an American
television series
that aired on ESPN
from August 26, 2003 to November 11, 2003. It depicted the lives of the Cougars, a fictional professional
football
team in an unidentified city. The show starred Omar Gooding
, Marcello Thedford
, Christopher Wiehl
, Jason Matthew Smith, Russell Hornsby
, and Tony Denison
. The show, which ran eleven episodes, was the first original drama
series created by ESPN.
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 narrating in his head.
) gives Harris his Saint Christopher medal in an attempt to help him begin leaving his habit behind, and recites the Lord's Prayer
before the team returns to the field.
) 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.
The fact that they all have a hidden past is universal, but Playmakers tries to focus on who they have become after all of it. Olcyzk has problems with his father and the death of his brother, DH grew up in a life of crime and lost both his parents, Guerrwitz is secretly homosexual and has to find ways to hide it, and Buffalo and McConnel both have kids out of wedlock whom they view as "arrangements".
Friendship: Many of the protagonists share close bonds, including Taylor and Olcyzk, as well as DH and Buffalo.
Strength: Being a show about football, strength is something very important to these characters. Not only physical strength, but moral strength, and emotional strength. Each character has something on their shoulders that they have to fight with. Olcyzk paralyzed Corey in a dirty hit and is having real problems communicating with his father, McConnel has to constantly pop pills and get special treatment for all the damage his body is taking, Leon must overcome his own past and problems with Robyn and the team, DH struggles to fight "the grip" and decide if he should be loyal to his gangster friends, Guerrwitz must find a way to lie to his girlfriend to hide the fact he's gay and then show moral strength when shown the video tape of when he was buying drugs for DH, Coach dealing with his cancer, as well many other scenarios.
by ESPN Home Video in 2004
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
that aired on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
from August 26, 2003 to November 11, 2003. It depicted the lives of the Cougars, a fictional professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team in an unidentified city. The show starred Omar Gooding
Omar Gooding
Omar M. Gooding is an American actor. He is the younger brother of veteran actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. and the son of singer Cuba Gooding, Sr....
, Marcello Thedford
Marcello Thedford
Marcello Thedford is an American film and television actor. His most noteworthy roles have been as Kelvin "Buffalo" James on the ESPN dramatic series Playmakers, Semi in Employee of the Month, and in eight episodes of ER as Leon, Dr. Greg Pratt's mentally challenged brother.Thedford's acting career...
, Christopher Wiehl
Christopher Wiehl
-Life and career:Wiehl was born in Yakima, Washington. He graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in dramatic arts. He is the brother of legal analyst Lis Wiehl....
, Jason Matthew Smith, Russell Hornsby
Russell Hornsby
Russell Hornsby is an American theater, television, and film actor. He is perhaps best known for portraying police officer Eddie Sutton on the ABC Family television drama series Lincoln Heights, and Luke on the HBO series In Treatment.-Early life and education:Hornsby was a football player at St....
, and Tony Denison
Anthony Denison
Anthony John Sarrero , also known by his stage name Anthony Denison, is an American actor. The eldest of three, he was born and raised in New York City's Harlem. Before acting he worked for John Hancock Insurance as a life insurance agent in Poughkeepsie, New York...
. The show, which ran eleven episodes, was the first original drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
series created by ESPN.
Style
The show followed the lives of various members of an ensemble cast who portray the players and personnel on a fictional American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
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 narrating in his head.
Episode 1: Game Day
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 "Buffalo" James are late heading to the stadium. At game time, it's unclear who will take the field.Episode 2: Piss Man
The league drug-testing official visits the Cougars in the second episode of Playmakers, and DH gets pissed 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. Guard Dog gets caught and DH goes through a terrible procedure, involving injecting clean urine into his own bladder, to not get caught.Episode 3: Choice: Part 1
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.Episode 4: Choice: Part 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.Episode 5: Halftime
The Cougars have been ravaged in the first half. They are plagued with injuries. Coach George and the medical staff must patch up the pieces for the second half. Leon faces a potentially career-ending knee injury in which a player missed a block and resulting in Leon's injury. As Leon is awaiting the results from the x-ray on his knee he realizes that Robin spent the night at Eric's place. The argument escalates into Leon punching Eric in the face several times. Leon and Eric make amends after clarifying their earlier discussion. Guerwitcz (Dan PetronijevicDan Petronijevic
Daniel Petronijevic is a Canadian actor, who performed the role Thad Guerwitcz on ESPN's football series Playmakers and is also the voice actor of Geoff in Total Drama Island, Total Drama Action, and Total Drama World Tour, a role which he had to sing for, and even got an entire solo song. He...
) gives Harris his Saint Christopher medal in an attempt to help him begin leaving his habit behind, and recites the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
before the team returns to the field.
Episode 6: 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 when Wilbanks sends him to detox. 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.Episode 7: Talk Radio
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.Episode 8: Down & 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.Episode 9: 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 (Frank ChiesurinFrank Chiesurin
François Chiesurin is a Canadian film and television actor. Best known for his recurring role as the partner of a closeted gay football player in the drama series Playmakers, he has also had roles in a variety of American and Canadian productions, including the films Resident Evil: Apocalypse,...
) 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.
Episode 10: 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.Episode 11: 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.Cast
- Omar GoodingOmar GoodingOmar M. Gooding is an American actor. He is the younger brother of veteran actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. and the son of singer Cuba Gooding, Sr....
- Demetrius Harris - Marcello ThedfordMarcello ThedfordMarcello Thedford is an American film and television actor. His most noteworthy roles have been as Kelvin "Buffalo" James on the ESPN dramatic series Playmakers, Semi in Employee of the Month, and in eight episodes of ER as Leon, Dr. Greg Pratt's mentally challenged brother.Thedford's acting career...
- Kelvin 'Buffalo' James - Christopher WiehlChristopher Wiehl-Life and career:Wiehl was born in Yakima, Washington. He graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in dramatic arts. He is the brother of legal analyst Lis Wiehl....
- Derek McConnell - Jason Matthew Smith - Eric Olczyk
- Russell HornsbyRussell HornsbyRussell Hornsby is an American theater, television, and film actor. He is perhaps best known for portraying police officer Eddie Sutton on the ABC Family television drama series Lincoln Heights, and Luke on the HBO series In Treatment.-Early life and education:Hornsby was a football player at St....
- Leon Taylor - Anthony John Denison - Coach George
- Stephen Bogaert - Phil Chambers
- Bruce GrayBruce GrayBruce Gray is a Puerto Rican-born Canadian actor.-Early years:Gray was born Robert Bruce Gray in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Canadian parents...
- Gene Wilbanks - Phillip Jarrett - Coach Rudman
- Karen LeBlanc - Robin Taylor
- Thea AndrewsThea AndrewsThea Andrews is a Canadian actress and TV personality best known for her stint at ESPN where from October 2003 to November 2006 she served as co-host on several ESPN shows such as Cold Pizza , Breakast at Churchill Downs , Breakfast at Pimlico , The ESPY Red Carpet Show , ESPN Hollywood and Sports...
- Samantha Lovett - Dan PetronijevicDan PetronijevicDaniel Petronijevic is a Canadian actor, who performed the role Thad Guerwitcz on ESPN's football series Playmakers and is also the voice actor of Geoff in Total Drama Island, Total Drama Action, and Total Drama World Tour, a role which he had to sing for, and even got an entire solo song. He...
- Thad Guerwitcz - Kevin JubinvilleKevin JubinvilleKevin Jubinville is a Canadian actor, best known for playing The Shep in Degrassi: The Next Generation and Bob Venton in Rabbit Fall.- Filmography :- External links :...
- Dr. Gatewood - Sasha RoizSasha RoizSasha Roiz is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Sam Adama in the science fiction television series Caprica. In addition to a recurring role in the Science fantasy series Warehouse 13, in 2011 he began a regular role in the TV series Grimm.-Early life:Roiz was born in Tel...
- Stephen Lyles - Gabriel HoganGabriel HoganGabriel Hogan is a Canadian actor.Hogan is best known for his continuing roles on Canadian hit dramas Traders and The Associates.- Background :...
- Guard Dog Fredericks - Tacquira LaTouche - Herself
- Frank ChiesurinFrank ChiesurinFrançois Chiesurin is a Canadian film and television actor. Best known for his recurring role as the partner of a closeted gay football player in the drama series Playmakers, he has also had roles in a variety of American and Canadian productions, including the films Resident Evil: Apocalypse,...
- David - Laura JordanLaura Jordan (actress)Laura Jordan is an Canadian actress. She played Kayla in Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead.-Biography:Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Jordan lived in France for three years where she studied French at the University of Paris...
- August - K.C. Collins - Ron Martin
Themes
Hidden Pasts: Each character has some skeletons in his closet. For instance, throughout the show Leon Taylor is portrayed as a veteran and likeable protagonist, getting the audience to sympathize with him, while at the same time they portray DH in an antagonistic light. This is interesting because both have some major problems in their past, yet Leon's seem to almost overshadow DH's. As a teenager Leon beat up his step father so bad in retaliation the stepfather beating his mother that the man had cranial bleeding and had to go to the hospital. It's also revealed Leon has a daughter that Robyn doesn't know about, and throughout the show we see how Leon gets physical not only with Robyn when he pushes her, but with the Coach as he slams him up against the wall, DH when he punches him, and Olcyzk when he punches him too.The fact that they all have a hidden past is universal, but Playmakers tries to focus on who they have become after all of it. Olcyzk has problems with his father and the death of his brother, DH grew up in a life of crime and lost both his parents, Guerrwitz is secretly homosexual and has to find ways to hide it, and Buffalo and McConnel both have kids out of wedlock whom they view as "arrangements".
Friendship: Many of the protagonists share close bonds, including Taylor and Olcyzk, as well as DH and Buffalo.
Strength: Being a show about football, strength is something very important to these characters. Not only physical strength, but moral strength, and emotional strength. Each character has something on their shoulders that they have to fight with. Olcyzk paralyzed Corey in a dirty hit and is having real problems communicating with his father, McConnel has to constantly pop pills and get special treatment for all the damage his body is taking, Leon must overcome his own past and problems with Robyn and the team, DH struggles to fight "the grip" and decide if he should be loyal to his gangster friends, Guerrwitz must find a way to lie to his girlfriend to hide the fact he's gay and then show moral strength when shown the video tape of when he was buying drugs for DH, Coach dealing with his cancer, as well many other scenarios.
International
- In CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the show is broadcast on the ShowcaseShowcase TelevisionShowcase is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Shaw Media. Showcase is a predominantly fiction-based service centred around scripted television series and films....
network. - In PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, the show is broadcast on Geo TVGeo TVGeo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
. - In the UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the show was originally aired on FXFX (UK)FX is a television channel in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, owned by Fox, launched in 12 January 2004. It was originally branded as FX289 in reference to its Sky EPG number. It was rebranded to FX in May 2005 as the channel moved in the Sky EPG.FX targets a demographic between 25...
. - In DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the show was broadcast on the TV2 ZULU who owned the license to NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
in DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
at the time. - In AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the show is televised on ESPN. - In PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the show is broadcast on AXNAXNAXN is a Pay television, cable and satellite television channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on May 22, 1997. The network is now spread across several regions in the world, including Japan, Europe, other parts of Asia and Latin America...
. - In ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the show is broadcast on FXFX (Italy)FX was an Italian TV channel, which launched on May 21, 2006 in Italy on Sky Italia.Broadcasted Italian and US movies and TV series. It also aired a selection of mystery-related documentaries after their passage on the National Geographic Channel, as well as some documentaries produced by the...
. - In IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the show was broadcasted on 'yesWeekend' and syndicated on 'yesSTARS'. - In RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, the show is broadcast on AXNAXNAXN is a Pay television, cable and satellite television channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on May 22, 1997. The network is now spread across several regions in the world, including Japan, Europe, other parts of Asia and Latin America...
. - In BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, the show was broadcast on FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... - In MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the show is broadcast on FXFX Latin AmericaFX Latin America is a cable television channel and is the Latin American version of the popular American television network FX. The channel does not share the same logo as its American counterpart. FX Latin America is intended as a counterpart to Fox Life, the first being produced for the male...
. - In PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, the show is broadcasted by FXFX (Portugal)FX is a Portuguese cable television channel. that broadcasts series and talk-shows targeted to a young adult audience, owned by News Corporation.-Television series:*The Goode Family*Californication*Sons of Anarchy*Miami Vice*X-Files*King of the Hill...
Awards
- Won AFIAmerican Film InstituteThe American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
TV Award, Top TV Series (2003) - Won GLAAD Media Award, Outstanding Drama Series (2004)
- Nominated CSC Award, Best Cinematography in TV Series (2004)
- Nominated DGC Craft Award, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Television Series (2004)
DVD
The only season of Playmakers was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by ESPN Home Video in 2004
2004 in television
The year 2004 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2004.For the American TV schedule, see: 2004–05 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
.