NBC Cancels 'Playboy Club'

'Rock Center' to debut in timeslot Oct. 31

By Andrea Morabito -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/4/2011 12:55:21 PM

NBC has canceled the low-rated drama The Playboy Club, to be replaced by the network's new primetime newsmagazine Rock Center With Brian Williams, which will premiere Monday, Oct. 31 at 10 p.m.

The news makes Playboy Club the first cancelation of the fall season. Starting Monday, NBC will run encore episodes of freshman drama Prime Suspect in the 10 p.m. slot until Rock Center debuts. 

After premiering to a weak 1.6 rating with adults 18-49 and about 5 million viewers, Playboy Club sunk to a series-low 1.2 rating with adults 18-49 and 3.4 million viewers in its third episode Monday night, fueling suspicion that the series would be moved from the 10 p.m. timeslot, which leads into local affiliates' newscasts.

NBC also announced full-season pick-ups for freshman comedies Whitney and Up All Night Tuesday. The network has yet to make a decision on the fate of low-rated Wednesday sitcom Free Agents, which sunk to a 1.0 last week.