Bunnies + Mobsters = Good TV (AKA: NBC's "The Playboy Club"

by Awl Sponsors

This post is sponsored by NBC’s “The Playboy Club”.

As we reach the close of T.V.’s summer dry spell, we see a (red) light: Brian Grazer and Chad Hodge’s The Playboy Club, premiering Monday, September 19 on NBC.

Certainly there’ll be lots to see right up front every Monday at 10/9c, thanks to the tight-fitting, bosom-enhancing bunny costumes. But prudes shouldn’t judge the entire series based on costume design alone. Set in the legendary 1960s Chicago club against a backdrop of the sexual revolution, civil rights, women’s lib and some of the biggest names in mobster history, the TV drama offers more than meets the eye (candy), although show stars Amber Heard and Eddie Cibrian are certainly sweet.

Dark secrets. Dubious pasts. Grandiose ambitions. Murder, sex, power, and scandal: viewers will get all of this and more, as the provocative new show pushes boundaries like the iconic establishment for which it’s named. You might even find yourself identifying with the bunnies on a deep human level, understanding their motivations as more than just the superficial stashing of cash or the snagging of a rich boyfriend, husband or playmate.

The American cultural landscape was forever changed by Hugh Hefner’s empire, and the show gives us just a glimpse (though a totally satisfying one, to be sure) into an era when the sexy bunny outfit didn’t represent smut — when it was the most sought-after status symbol of its time.

Grab a sneak peak of The Playboy Club trailer at http://www.nbc.com/the-playboy-club/.

“The Playboy Club” premieres Monday September 19 at 10/9c on NBC.