The Player Keeps Getting Better and Better! #RenewThePlayer

We are scratching our heads why the network gave up on The Player.  It keeps getting better and better.

The 'Halloween' episode last Thursday was a sickly fright.  It gave Wesley Snipes even more time to shine and show off the skills that fans love so much...his combat skills.

It also showed a very emotional and tender side to Philip's character Alex.

From @Verpa

This week, Alex's niece runs away and winds up with him.  All the while, a monstrous, serial killer/norse sacrificer is on the loose.  How does Alex and the serial killer meet?  You have to watch.

It is touch and go between the killer and Alex, with his niece, actually his ex-wife's niece, in the middle of it all.

But the scene that made the scene was Wesley's entrance and his introduction to the norseman:

And boy did he tidy up.  Just enough to add to the fright of Halloween.  You don't want to watch this by yourself, alone in the dark (although, the author did.)

We have three more wonderful episodes that we are just watering in the mouth for. 

And read a few reasons why The Player needs to be renewed:

From our favorite critic, @TVBrittanyF  7 Reasons The Player Must Live On
A new favorite, @Mikesfilmtalk The Player Gets Constantine-d by NBC, WTF?

And lastly, a lovely blog letter from a fellow actor Bryan Edwards: Dear NBC, Renew The Player.
It is a wonderful tribute to the inspiration that Philip has shared in his work.


Don't forget to tweet #RenewThePlayer.  Check out our pinned posted at @FansofPhilip on Twitter.  Retweet please!  Even Philip retweeted it:

 .Alright @NBCThePlayer fans...let's get this MOVING across Twitter! And let NBC know how much we LOVE this show! #RenewThePlayer #theplayer

Thursday nights, whether you have access to watch or not, join us on Twitter as we join the cast and crew for the broadcast of The Player.

Until next week or see you all at FB and Twitter.

:) #RenewThePlayer

Sigh,

We didn't blog for two weeks, not because there wasn't anything to write about, but because we were super busy in life.

A lot has happened.

First, the bad news.

Unfortunately, The Player has been cancelled.  The network stopped production on the last episode that was being filmed.  Fans only get 9 episodes.  It wasn't faring well against the top TV show of the season and Thursday night football.

Another sigh...

We're all extremely gutted.  Gutted-the word of the week.

We loved Thursday nights with the cast and crew, all the guest stars and new friends on Twitter.

The show was too good for network TV.

Hope of hopes that another network or online company takes it, but it does not seem to be, so far.  If we hear anything, we'll let you know.

Here are some pictures from the last episode filming:

From Instagram: shawnwrites

Pictures from Charity Wakefield instagram: Shawnwrites, and @PaulLacovera @RosieBMassett ‪

If this show does not get renewed, we hope for the best for all cast and crew.  Thank you for letting us take the ride with you.  It was AWESOME!

With this pending cancellation, this does open new avenues for Philip.

We still think he'd be the best James Bond. They should have the cast and crew create the new James Bond film.  They know action really well.  Who cares about plot when you are on the edge of your seat?!

This also opens the possibility of Philip showing up on Blindspot for a Strike Back reunion with Sullivan Stapleton.

This also opens more of a possibility of the Strike Back film.

And more possibilities for other possibilities that no one has offered yet.

Maybe we should work on our screenplay and see where it will go.  Yeah?

While Philip was promoting The Player, here is one of the the interviews:

http://ktla.com/2015/10/21/philip-winchester-is-not-corrupted-by-hollywood-and-talks-about-working-with-wesley-snipes/

Also, there was just posted a petition to save The Player.  If you believe that your signature and a petition will have an affect, sign and let everyone you know sign!  Let's get this show back!

 https://www.change.org/p/netflix-amazon-hulu-cable-usa-network-save-the-player-05a48d92-97f2-479a-b641-4b4ec7aa3b15

The best thing we can do is to still watch the show for the last four shows and then watch on DVR or apps to show the network that we love the show.  Only numbers can prove that the show is worth saving.

So make sure you watch The Player for the last 4 episodes with your friends, family, and everyone you know!

If you are on Twitter, go to our page @FansofPhilip and retweet our pinned post:

 .Alright @NBCThePlayer fans...let's get this MOVING across Twitter! And let NBC know how much we LOVE this show! #RenewThePlayer #theplayer

Until next week or see you all at FB and Twitter.

Written 10/ 25/15

Countdown to the Finale of Strike Back, The Player Gives High-Flying a New Meaning

Welcome Philip fans!

It is starting to be bittersweet for fans.  The end is near (again) for Strike Back as the last episode for the 4/5 season is broadcasting next week for the fans in the west.  All the while, the two new shows Blindspot and The Player are moving along.

Just as western fans were going to start their mourning, a surprising news flash proved to be a sign of hope, per Entertainment Weekly:

Strike Back could be coming, well, back — and bigger than ever. 
Left Bank Pictures is developing a feature film based on the cult hit Cinemax action series, EW has learned exclusively.
While still very much at an early stage, the London-based production company has a deal to develop the film with European pay TV giant Sky. 
We’re hearing stars Sullivan Stapleton and Philip Winchester would likely reprise their roles if the film is greenlit.  

The amazing thing about this is that fans wanted a movie and the show itself was filmed like a movie.  What wonderful news to hear and even better news-there is a good possibility that Philip and Sully will be available to make this film!

As fans of the show, just take our money already!

Speaking of fans, the guys found out they have one, very special fan:

How cool was that?  Whether you agree with his politics or not, it doesn't matter here.  What matters is that Mr. Bill Clinton has great taste in entertainment.  And even better?  He knows who the actors are, calling them by name.  That's how invested fans are with the shows.

How did Philip react when he saw this?  (asterisks added by us)

@philipwinchestr Sep 29

HOLY S**T! #neversawthatcoming! http://y2u.be/RJ8MymqtPyc  #billclintonsaidournamesully!

Afterwards, Philip tweeted:

‏@philipwinchestr Oct 1

Happy to hear you're enjoying #ThePlayer, @billclinton. We'll be watching with you tonight at 10/9c! 

What a guy!  Not only did he acknowledge his buddy, Sully, in his surprise, he graciously thanked Bill for watching.  

This is one of the many reasons Philip is has the unofficial nickname (by us) of "residential nice guy" in Hollywood.  But he's winning that name with other people, too, as you can see in interviews below. 

The Player has been upping the antics, as expected.  The second episode and a few following episodes, were directed by Michael Bassett, so expectations were high....and they did not fail.

Spoiler alert.  Just this:

No...words....

What is happening?  Well, you will have to watch the show to see what happened to get to this point.  But it was CRAZY AMAZING!!!!  You have to wonder what the stunt guys must of thought when the director and writer came up to them and said, "This is what we are going to do."

Tell all your friends and family to watch The Player, NBC on Thursday nights, or check local listings.  You can follow us on Twitter at @fansofphilip, as we retweet when we find out where the show is playing all over the world.  

You can also watch The Player on Roku, Amazon, the NBC app, and Hulu (it's baaaaaack!).

A couple interviews with Philip were published/posted:

Metro.us: Philip Winchester is ready for action on 'The Player'

DuJour:  Rules of The Game:  The Player‘s Philip Winchester on how he got lucky

An appearance on Access Hollywood (click the link to watch the video).  (Remember the nice guy comment made earlier?)

And lastly, our favorite, FashionablyMale.  Take a look at these from the magazine August Man Malaysia:

The pictures are amazing and the interview is thoughtful as he talks about work and family.

There's more if you click the link, both in pictures and the interview.  Or get the magazine at your favorite international magazine/newspaper stand, if they carry it.  Good Luck!

One last article from one of our favorites, @TVBrittanyF and her article:
Here's why that 'Blindspot' and 'The Player' crossover makes sense.

You have to read to find out why, other than the obvious.

Until next week or see you all at FB and Twitter.

The Player is Here!

A busy week for fans of Philip!

We got Strike Back and the two guys' shows, Blindspot and The Player.  Both premiered this week.

The Player was up against some well known and unexpected competition for its first night.  But anyone who watched had a blast.

This is an action show.  Think 80's action films, Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Van Damme, Willis, little conversation, lots of driving, shooting, jumping, fighting, etc, with all the cliche's of Vegas and action.  It is there for a purpose.

If you don't like cliches, it is probably not for you.

If you like a lot of dialog, you will be disappointed.  But too much dialog at that late of the night can cause problems sleeping.  You need something to ease and relax your mind.  

If it is too fast for you to understand, you probably need to watch the other show on the other network, which is very, very, very slow.

If it sounds like the premise of another show, that is because the show was written by the guy who wrote another show. 

This is action, pulp fiction, updated, time of your life, hold on to your seat, kind of a ride, show.  It is really not much different than watching Strike Back, except you only have one of the two main characters, less dialog, and less...er...hot scenes.

There are twists, though...as was seen at the end of the first episode.  It caught everyone off guard.

In a week or two, the director of Strike Back will be premiering his episodes on The Player.  This is exciting!  It is interesting how well it fits into the scope of his directing skills.

If you enjoyed or even loved the show, please tell everyone about it.  DVR it, download the NBC app, watch it on your Roku, etc.  It is a fun show with wonderful talent.

We invited the cast and crew to tweet with the fans on Thursday night.  Unfortunately, they were still filming an episode, but they were able to do some tweeting with the fans.

From @ThePlayer @CharityWakefild @philipwinchestr

Two more Strike Back episodes left for the rest of the world.

Until next week, watch The Player on NBC, Thursday nights 10pm/9pm.

We live tweet Thursday and Friday nights.  Join us or follow at FB and Twitter.

Emmys and The Player This Week!

Hello Philip Fans!

It was a nice a surprise to see Philip and wife, Megan, on the red carpet of the Emmy's last night.  Both looked fantastic!

 

All photos from Zimbio (who we love!).

It's already Monday night and Blindspot has been showing in the west.  Excellent reviews. 
Even Philip got into the promo of his four-season mate, Sullivan Stapleton:

 @philipwinchestr 2h2 hours ago

Everyone check out my boy Sullivan Stapleton on NBC #Blindspot#playsagreatyank #missScottandMikey

Philip is such a grateful and appreciative guy.  


We are waiting for the premiere of The Player!  Be at our FB and Twitter.
We will be connecting with the fans during both nights.
Can't wait!

We have asked on Twitter if Philip, Charity and Wesley will hang out on premiere night for The Player.

 @FansofPhilip

Will you guys @philipwinchestr @charitywakefld @WesleyTSnipes hang out with the fans on Thursday night for the premiere of #ThePlayer?

Just as this was sent, we got a like from Charity.  YAY!  

We forgot a few, so we sent out another tweet:

@FansofPhilip

Also @CampJim44 @DamonGupton & anyone who worked on the show from the 1st ep #ThePlayer, join the fans Thurs night for the premiere.

Hey, you gotta ask if you want something to happen.  

Let's see what happens!  You will only know if you follow us on  Twitter.

Until next week or see you all at  FB and Twitter.

The Best Strike Back Episode Yet, Countdown to The Player

Hello Philip Fans!

This week we just got to view epsisode 6 in the last season of Strike Back.  To get us ready for the episode, Philip tweeted:

@philipwinchestr
It's ‪#‎Strikeback‬ day! This ep is a corker. Thanks for riding the off weekend. Half way there. Ep 6 then a @michaeljbassett 4 ep run! AV IT!

It's pretty cool that he keeps up with the fans and keeps us interested in the work he does.  We are honored to have him follow us at @fansofphilip.

As many viewers of the episode have stated, this was Philip's episode.  He shined as Stonebridge and showed how far of a talent his acting reaches.  His delivery in the interogation scene is absolutely amazing!  He goes from comical to serious drama without losing a step.

Yes, we are biased, but that is why we are his fans.  He delivers exceptional work.

Here's is a video of the beginning of that scene.  It is hillarious.  But it turns dramatic and tense after this.

You have to feel for Damien.  In this scene, Stonebridge is trying to make the N. Koreans look like fools, but it seems Damien feels that his partner has gone nuts, at the expense of Damien's son.  Luckily, that wasn't the case and what Stonebridge did, helped them escape their from their captures.

Towards the end of the episode, we get a glimpse of what could or might have been...a nice send off to Martinez with Stonebridge.  As fans, we had been waiting for something special between the two, but we were not granted that wish.  We hope that they both hook up afterwards, somehow, somewhere...

 @veroruizalejo

Or Milauna Jackson shows up on The Player.

It seems that Strike Back alumns are showing up one at a time on The Player  The latest was Will Yun Lee tweeted:

@WillYunLee Sep 10

Reunited with my #Strikeback director and good friend for a day of smashing and bashing choreographed… https://instagram.com/p/7cV1MeNqyD/

Philip and Will did a little tweet back at each other:
 

@WillYunLee Sep 11

Mayhem is in full effect tonight on #Cinemax #StrikeBack !! #MichelleYeoh and myself ready 2 have tea w/Section 20? 

@philipwinchestr

@WillYunLee handing out acting lessons tonight all while kicking some sec 20 ass. Miss you mate. Good to see you on @NBCThePlayer

@WillYunLee Sep 11

Will Yun Lee retweeted Philip Winchester

Thx 4 letting me come play my brutha @philipwinchestr ! #StrikeBack @NBCThePlayer

Will Yun Lee plays Michelle Yeoh's love interest in Strike Back.  

So there you have it--Strike Back actors showing up on one of the two show this month.  Let's hope to see more of them.

It seems they are still filming The Player around L.A.  A tweet went out with this photo:

 @DonnellyWood

The Player has been all over the place with promos.  

During games today, there were a bunch showing up as seen by the tweets of newly interested parties.  The Player and Heroes have a new promo together.  We think that NBC is trying to keep parties interested after Heroes.  Let's hope that people will love the action that Strike Back brought to the table.  

Another thing for fans in the UK-Crusoe, Philip's first TV show, is playing on the Drama channel every Sunday.  Until we know when The Player is going to be broadcasted in the UK and Europe, fans can watch Crusoe for the next 12 weeks.  Lucky fans!  

Join us for Friday night Strike Back nights this coming weekend, and Strike Back Trivia and fan comments at @FansofPhilip on Twitter, and don't forget to join us on Facebook at Fans of Philp Winchester.

Follow us on FB and Twitter!

The Player Beach Scenes, Why Philip Should Be the Next Bond

Hey fans!  Happy Labor Day Weekend to our US fans!

No new Strike Back this week as we mentioned, but a lot of other interesting news available to share with fans.

A few reviews of the new show has been released and so far, it is still a show to watch this new fall season.  One of our favorite bloggers/writers is Brittany Frederick @TVBrittanyF.  Read her review here.  

With no new Strike Back, the Player has taken center stage with these stunning pictures of some shooting scenes at the beach!  Looks a little cold out there.  Thank you, JustJared.  To see the whole set of pictures, click the pictures. 

The next news, not really to do anything with Philip, but we want to put this name out there-James Bond.  So, news has it that the man previously inline for the job was Idris Elba.  What a wonderful thing that was going to be!  Suave, tall, dark and handsome.  For some odd reason, the powers that be decided that the audience was not ready for a street type of a character.  Ok people, do you like being told what you like to watch????  It does not make any sense and we're on Idris' side.

But if we can't have Idris, we highly suggest Philip.  Why?  Let us count the ways:

1)  All fans know he can play an English rogue any time.  He knows the language, the jargon, the accent, and he's half British (on his mom's side).  For those of you who didn't know, Philip is from the states.  Montana to be exact.  Amazed?  Mind-blown?

2) He even studied in the same drama/acting school with Benedict Cumberbatch, so he's in the same acting caliber as many of the British actors contending for the role. 

3)  He's got the action scenes down via Strike Back and The Player.

 

 

 

 

4)  He has the physique.  Tall, (taller than Tom Hardy) handsome, and physically fit.  If they need a darker haired male, he can go darker. 

 

5)  He looks great in a tux. 

 

 

6)  The ladies love him and some of the men want to be him.

7)  He's been called a gentleman by his boss, and has the unofficial title of one of the nicest man to work with, by his peers.

8)  He's not afraid to do anything and has the desire to try his own stunts.

 

 

9)  Most of the men who have played Bond were relatively unknown before, which makes Philip a great candidate.  He has a solid fan base, so he has fans, but not so many that he overwhelms the character. 

10) He does not have a movie franchise that he is connected with at the time, which makes him a greater candidate than those listed around the Internet.

And one extra.  He looks cool in shades:

Do you fans have any more ideas why Philip would be the perfect candidate?

Join us for Friday night Strike Back nights this coming weekend, and Strike Back Trivia and fan comments at @FansofPhilip and don't forget to join us on Facebook at Fans of Philp Winchester.

Don't forget to follow us on FB and Twitter!

Photos found on Tumblr, Twitter, @NBCThePlayer, @Cinemax, @Sky1 @Strikeback_1.  If one of these pics are yours, let us know and we'll give you the credit!  And thanks for sharing!

Strike Back on Hiatus For a Week, Newest The Player Promo

After last week's shock in the US/Canada/Asia/South America losing Sgt. Richmond, the guys were out for revenge...on the whole country of North Korea!

The episode left fans at a critical point of the show.  A great cliffhanger.  Will the boys be able to get out of North Korea?  Tune in next time. 

Because of a holiday next weekend, Cinemax/HBO will not be showing the next episode of Strike Back until the following weekend.  But you can catch up on MoreMax or during next weekend, when replays of the first 4 episodes will be broadcasted.  It will be a good time to catch up or go over anything you might have missed the first time.

The Player has a new promo, featuring Philip.

It's been named one of the coolest promos by critics and has more new scenes than previous promos.  Every time a new one is released, more and more new scenes are added.

Love the last frame:

We will still be holding our Friday night Strike Back nights this coming weekend, so join us for Strike Back Trivia and fan comments at @FansofPhilip and don't forget to join us on Facebook at Fans of Philp Winchester.

Don't forget to follow us on FB and Twitter!