Mired in last place among the major television networks, NBC is so eager to get out of its slump that, come next month, it rolls the dice with a prime time soap opera inspired by Hugh Hefner’s Chicago nightclub venture of the early 1960s.

You’ve probably already heard about “The Playboy Club,” a controversial entry in the fall programming sweepstakes that trades on a renowned sexy brand.

The NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City refuses to air the new series. And it probably won’t get much traction in the Amish country of western Pennsylvania.

Gloria Steinem and Gloria Allred are not expected viewers for “The Playboy Club,” though the feminist writer Steinem once went undercover as a bunny for an expose.

Out of prurient interest and a measure of curiosity, adult men may tune in to watch, but are likely to slip away once they realize the drama should be titled “Desperate Bunnies.”

Like the new drama “Pan Am” on ABC, “The Playboy Club” hopes to cash in on the popularity of “Mad Men,” if only because of the swinging early Sixties vibe. The NBC show even has a main character that looks vaguely like Don Draper.

This is the time of the year for the summer edition of the biannual TV critics press tour, where lowly scribes get the lowdown on the new fall season.

Unlike last January, this time around NBC trotted out its newest Chairman of Entertainment, Bob Greenblatt, who told the assembled critics that he’s “very excited and bullish” about the fall season.

What else can you expect him to say? A network executive is like a politician trying to reassure doubtful constituents that he can deliver on a wide range of goals difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

But then, for the sake of having something decent to watch on a dateless Friday night, you hope that Mr. Greenblatt’s optimism is well-founded.

During the question and answer period, of course, critics asked about “The Playboy Club” and whether the network was trying to tap into the “Mad Men” craze, even though in reality the hit cable show doesn’t draw the kind of big audience a network needs.

Greenblatt described “The Playboy Club” as a “much more energized soap opera,” a genre that works well on network TV. Additionally, he claimed this show would not “feel like ‘Mad Men’ when you ultimately see it.”

Since Hugh Hefner is not going to send me a club membership any time soon, let’s focus on to the rest of the fall schedule, which includes two additional new dramas and three new comedies.

Moving on to the next drama, “Grimm” is inspired by the classic Grimm Fairy Tales, a Friday night entry for shut-ins and members of the lonely hearts club.

Portland homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) discovers he is descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as “Grimms,” charged with keeping balance between humanity and the mythological creatures of the world.

As he tries to hide the dangers of his newfound calling from his fiancée (Bitsie Tulloch) and his partner (Russell Hornsby), Detective Burkhardt becomes ever more entrenched in the ancient rivalries and alliances of the Grimm world.

“Prime Suspect” is a fitting title for a crime drama that takes a probing look inside a New York City homicide department.

The series stars Maria Bello as tough-as-nails NYPD homicide Detective Jane Timoney, an outsider who has just transferred to a new squad where her new colleagues already dislike her.

Though confident and focused, Jane is also rude, abrupt and occasionally reckless. She has her vices and rumors of a questionable past follow her everywhere.

At the end of the day, Jane is an instinctively brilliant cop who can’t be distracted from the only important thing: the prime suspect.

In the Thursday night comedy rotation, NBC adds “Whitney,” a look at modern love in a comedy series about Whitney (Whitney Cummings) and Alex (Chris D’Elia), a happily unmarried couple.

Together for three years, the duo is no rush to get hitched, but attending one too many weddings and listening to their opinionated friends causes the couple to grapple with relationship issues.

NBC also seems to be carving out a comedy block on Wednesday nights, adding to two new comedies to precede “Harry’s Law.”

“Up All Night,” which is up first, has an impressive creative team with links to “30 Rock,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Saturday Night Live.”

Christina Applegate takes another turn at comedy in the role of Reagan Brinkley, a loving wife, successful career woman, life of the party and, most recently, mom.

Determined not to compromise her career or cool reputation to the clichés of motherhood, Reagan adjusts to life with a baby and returns to work with the support of her stay-at-home husband, Chris (Will Arnett).

Dealing with sleep deprivation may be the reason for the show’s title, but Reagan has bigger problems in handling the endless needs of her ambitious boss (Maya Rudolph).

The second mid-week comedy show is “Free Agents,” a romantic comedy that explores the trials and tribulations of finding love and companionship the second time around.

Hank Azaria’s Alex is newly divorced, missing his kids and trying to keep himself together. His co-worker Helen (Kathryn Hahn) thinks she has it together but drinks too much in order to cope with her fiancé's untimely death.

When these two overworked public relations executives share an ill-fated night of passion, they are forced to cope with the awkward aftermath.

Meanwhile, NBC Chairman Greenblatt must be hoping that his passion for his fall lineup is not ill-fated.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.