In letters to NBC's local TV stations, the 1.3 million member Parents Television Council said the drama "glorifies and glamorizes this insidious industry" and that pornography destroys families and exploits women.

"The Playboy Club", which is due to debut on September 19 in the 10pm timeslot, is set in the early 1960s and centers around the lives of Playboy Bunnies and customers of the original Playboy Club in Chicago.

It is described by NBC as a "provocative new drama about a time and place that challenged the social mores, where a visionary entrepreneur created an empire and an icon changed American culture."

The network's Utah affiliate has already announced it will not broadcast the drama.

The Parents Television Council (PTC), which campaigns against sex and violence on U.S. television, also asked NBC and its affiliates to refrain from airing promotions for the new shows on family friendly shows like "America's Got Talent."

NBC executives were not immediately available to comment on the PTC campaign.