When the producers of Playground on Hulu were cooking up their delicious reality TV show, they lined up all the right ingredients: the backdrop of Los Angeles, celebrity cameos (Megan Thee Stallion is an EP and appears, as does Tinashe, briefly), and a built-in playground (pun intended) at the Playground dance studio on Melrose where a cute yet cut-throat cast of ambitious dancers all have a slutdrop ready to go at the drop of a, well, slut.
Except you know when you're baking and the recipe calls for a tablespoon of salt, and somehow you've dumped an entire cup into the bowl? Well, Playground producers went a little overboard when it comes to the "structured" part of a structured reality program.
I watched Playground over the summer, and even though it's a great "put on and zone out" show, I've thought about it a lot since. It's almost as if Netflix's Popstar Academy and Bravo's Vanderpump Rules had a reality show baby, but stripped away the behind-the-scenes work and wild "hot people in their 20s overreacting" qualities that viewers crave.
The show is led by showbiz veterans and Playground co-founders, Boston bro trapped in a dancer's body Kenny Wormald (who real ones will remember from the 2007 MTV reality show Dancelife and the 2011 remake of Footloose) and boss bitch Robin Antin (creator of the Pussycat Dolls, bow down!), who also serve as show producers and the "mom and dad" of the series. They teach classes, they try to mentor the youth, but mostly they bicker with each other about how to run the business, who deserves to teach classes, and how to remodel a storage area into a lounge/merch store — but in a fun way, because it's hard to take sides when you've had a massive crush on one of them, and the other gave us "Buttons." So you just keep watching and hope (or secretly, not so much) that they can get along.
The same can't quite be said for the cast of characters that spend their time at the dance studio shaking their butts, starting fights, and sometimes even teaching classes. There's Deanna, who lets you know seconds into the show's trailer, "I'm a psycho," which really means she has a hard exterior, sensitive inside, and could really just use a hug. There's babyfaced Madison, who you'll just want to save from the world or at least the LA dating scene. The good news is that she seems cool and sweet and like she's having an amazing time currently dancing her butt off on Justin Timberlake's world tour (and showing off her impressive hair and makeup skills in TikTok videos). The bad news is, she's fallen for Roman, a man who has graduated with honors from the Jax Taylor School for Douchebags. He spouts lines like, "A lot of people probably have my name in their mouth because it tastes fucking amazing," which, fine, we can all admit is pretty good. But nearly everything he says sounds like it came from a sassy-quote Instagram account, and because he's not technically a dancer involved with the studio, but just a man who seems to be involved with every woman who's ever stepped a high-heeled foot inside of it, it starts to get old and beyond cringe.
To balance it all out, we have Dexter, the big brother of the group; Alexis, dubbed "the princess"; and Zonta, who mostly seems to be a nice, reasonable, and hardworking lady. It's not that we get less drama from them, but they give what feels like a more worthwhile —and even at times, authentic — drama.
Because that's where Playground missteps. It feels as though the entire season was outlined and then filled in with drama arcs and bits throughout, leaving only space for reactions. However, it's those reactions that shine, that are genuine, and that prove this show has the right cast — it just needs to let them be! They are drama-prone enough as it is. They don't need set-up scenarios. Oh, but do stay until the moment when the studio manager Brad sees a video on social media that he brings to Robin who immediately classified it as a sign of disloyalty. I'm sure I was watching closer than anyone should be, but the video is saved on his phone — it's not even from a social media site. And with all due to Brad, he just doesn't seem like the screen recording type. Ultimately, the moment is served as a ridiculous vehicle to set drama in motion, when this bunch are walking right into it anytime they show up at the studio anyway.
While many people know the Playground studio for their eye-catching social videos, I do wish there was more dancing featured in the show. The moments when they are competing for slots to teach dance classes, or dance, star and choreograph for music videos and tours are really captivating. And Megan's appearance is a true highlight of the nine-episode season. Oh, and also that time there was drama over a pair of sneakers.
While it's unlikely the show will be renewed for another season (considering this is probably the first you've even heard of its existence) I really wish it would. It's a dynamic group of not just dancers, but humans. Watching them navigate sexuality, race, rivalries, business, relationships, family, work opportunities and losses, and of course, chasing their dreams — there are moments that feel special because they don't feel scripted. But even the polished moments like the cool dance interstitials look great. In fact, it is visually very pretty and bright, even when we get to see inside their shitty normal apartments.
I hope some popular social media meme account discovers this show, because one grid post could certainly pique some interest. It's clearly not perfect, and I don't need the pre-planned parts, but it is pretty and it's petty in all the right ways. If the show leaned into its authenticity, there'd absolutely be a case for it to continue. I'm hooked now and I want updates on all these people! After watching them fight over men, apologize, make peace, start side hustles, deal with the pressures of performing, get dressed up for parties, and see the way they reacted to it all, it's clear these people weren't just made for the background. They're stars, with no scripts necessary. Plus, Playground does have a London location as well, so all of this plus accents? Let's play.
