NBC’s ‘The Player’: A timeslot upgrade
Network has struggled to find a show to pair with 'Blacklist'
August 24, 2015
One in a series of Media Life previews of the new shows debuting this fall.
Show
NBC’s “The Player”
Timeslot
Thursdays at 10 p.m., starting Sept. 24
Plot summary
In Las Vegas, most people gamble at the slots or the card tables.
But for a group of rich and highly powerful individuals, there’s another game that’s got higher stakes and more intrigue, and a former military operative named Alex (Philip Winchester) has been recruited to be at the center of it.
These people bet on whether Philip, under the guidance of pit boss Mr. Johnson (Wesley Snipes) and dealer Cassandra (Charity Wakefield), can succeed in stopping major crimes each week.
There’s also a subplot involving the death of Alex’s wife that plays out over the season.
The show’s executive producers include John Davis and John Fox, both from “The Blacklist.”
Outlook
“The Player” appears to have been designed with the sole purpose of appealing to the audience of its lead-in, “Blacklist.”
Like that show, it’s fast-paced and slick and has a big name attached to it (Snipes). And while there may not be much substance to “Player,” it looks fun and should be a much more suitable companion to “Blacklist” than the other programs that have aired after the show since it moved to Thursdays last February.
“The Slap” and “Allegiance” were high-concept shows that felt a bit too weighty after the spy drama “Blacklist.” And both those programs flopped.
“Player” may not be good enough to be a hit but at least it should hold onto a greater portion of “Blacklist’s” audience and help NBC stabilize on a night where it has struggled.
The network needs to find reliable programs to surround “Blacklist” with if it’s going to rebuild on a night where it once dominated.
“Player” fits that description.
What media people are saying
Buyers say “Player” should draw better ratings than recent 10 p.m. Thursday shows.
They like the drama’s energy and the addition of Snipes to NBC’s roster of stars.
And they say “Player” could attract young men on a night where football generally rules on CBS.
“‘Player’ is a much better fit than NBC had behind ‘Blacklist’ last year,” one buyer tells Media Life.
“I think it could do okay against football and ABC’s lineup, which skews female on Thursday.”
What our readers say
In a Media Life survey on the upcoming fall season, buyers voted “The Player” NBC’s fourth-most-promising new fall show, behind “Blindspot,” “Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris” and “Heroes Reborn.”
Tags: nbc, previews, the blacklist, the coming fall season, the player, the player preview, tv previews
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