Residents of Utah, who look to KSL-TV to get their NBC programming will be without the upcoming new drama series The Playboy Club. The station announced today that they will not be airing the show, stating that the Playboy brand is “completely inconsistent” with what they stand for.
Set to join NBC’s fall line-up later this year, The Playboy Club takes place in the ‘60’s and centers on the legendary Playboy Club. It's probably fair to assume it'll be one of the racier themed drama series debuting on network TV this fall. (More information on the series here). Deadline posted the story, including the video (below) which contains the announcement. "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," KSL President and CEO Mark Willes said.
If Willes and KSL really think The Playboy Club will upset viewers, it’s their call whether or not to air the show, however it seems like they’ve made this decision based on “the Playboy brand” as opposed to the actual content of the series, which makes their reaction a bit knee-jerky if you ask me. In the video below, the anchor mentions the station’s “long-term policy to screen programming for material which significant portions of our audience might find objectionable,” so perhaps it is due to content and not just the brand.
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
Deadline notes that KLS also refused to air NBC’s Coupling and the animated comedy God, The Devil and Bob. While it’s likely the station refused to air the shows due to potentially offensive content, neither show lasted more than a season, so maybe KSL-TV was on to something by sparing their viewers from unfunny shows. I don't remember God, The Devil and Bob, however if memory serves, the U.S. adaptation of Coupling was cringe-worthy.
In all seriousness, I’d understand it if there were a lot of people in Utah up in arms over this censorship, however, we’re not living in an age where people are reliant on local stations for their TV shows. In all likelihood, those who really want to watch The Playboy Club will find a way, whether it be through NBC’s website, some other streaming site or later if/when it’s made available on DVD.
The Playboy Club is set to premiere on NBC Fall 2011.
