Heist
Y
March 22, 2006
10-11 p.m.
Wednesday, March 22
NBC
You can slice and dice the various TV police procedurals by location, technology, types of crimes or even the degree to which solving them depends on messages from the Great Beyond. Still, the one thing they have in common is the presumption that cops are good and robbers are bad. With rare exception, the men and women with the shields are caring, dedicated and ethical, while the perps run the gamut from indifferent to psychotic.
In "Heist," a tantalizingly fresh take on the genre, writer-producers Mark and Robb Cullen create a world in which the good guys, or at least the most interesting characters, are the ones who rob banks and jewelry stores. And they do it with dash, style and finesse. The outwitted detectives assigned to the case are either indifferent or just plain overmatched. But not corrupt. At least, not yet. There are 13 more episodes in this caper series which, if they measure up to the premiere, should be fun to watch, cleverly written and filled with engaging characters.
The story arc involves the planning and execution of three simultaneous robberies of jewelry stores on Rodeo Drive, which, for purposes of this series, is patrolled by the Los Angeles Police Department and not the Beverly Hills police force. There also is a peculiarity of timing. Although NBC scheduled the series to start this month in March, the planned heist is to occur during the week before the Academy Awards, when, presumably, the plunder will be maximized.
Dougray Scott and Steve Harris co-star as Mickey O'Neil and James Johnson, the bold and confident masterminds who plot out each detail even as they engage in esoteric conversations like the extent to which Mother Teresa believed in God. Mickey and James set the new gold standard for cool, putting aside their planning only long enough to siphon off loot from crimes of the less-talented. Other members of the team are alluring Lola (Marika Dominczyk), veteran Pops (Seymour Cassel) and motormouth Ricky (David Walton).
On the other side of the law is hard-charging Detective Amy Sykes (Michele Hicks), who heads a unit that includes hilariously offensive Billy O'Brien (Billy Gardell) and his reluctant partner, Tyrese Evans (Reno Wilson).
"Heist" has it all: action, comedy, suspense, romance and even the heart-tugging personal stories of Mickey and Pops, which are bound to broaden the overall emotional range. Doug Liman, who has directed such thrillers as "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and "The Bourne Identity," applies his considerable talents to the premiere, creating sparks throughout the hour. Performances are uniformly excellent, and technical credits, including photography and production design, are terrific.
HEIST
NBC
Hypnotic, NBC Universal Television Studio and Sony Pictures Television
Credits:
Executive producers: Mark Cullen, Robb Cullen, Doug Liman, David Bartis, Peter Safran, Bernie Brillstein
Producer: Sean Ryerson
Director: Doug Liman
Teleplay: Mark Cullen, Robb Cullen
Director of photography: Jamie Barber
Production designer: Keith Neely
Editor: Juan Carlos Garza
Music supervisor: Bob Cullen
Cast:
Mickey O'Neil: Dougray Scott
James Johnson: Steve Harris
Pops: Seymour Cassel
Lola: Marika Dominczyk
Ricky: David Walton
Detective Amy Sykes: Michele Hicks
Detective Billy O'Brien: Billy Gardell
Detective Tyrese Evans: Reno Wilson
Wednesday, March 22
NBC
You can slice and dice the various TV police procedurals by location, technology, types of crimes or even the degree to which solving them depends on messages from the Great Beyond. Still, the one thing they have in common is the presumption that cops are good and robbers are bad. With rare exception, the men and women with the shields are caring, dedicated and ethical, while the perps run the gamut from indifferent to psychotic.
In "Heist," a tantalizingly fresh take on the genre, writer-producers Mark and Robb Cullen create a world in which the good guys, or at least the most interesting characters, are the ones who rob banks and jewelry stores. And they do it with dash, style and finesse. The outwitted detectives assigned to the case are either indifferent or just plain overmatched. But not corrupt. At least, not yet. There are 13 more episodes in this caper series which, if they measure up to the premiere, should be fun to watch, cleverly written and filled with engaging characters.
The story arc involves the planning and execution of three simultaneous robberies of jewelry stores on Rodeo Drive, which, for purposes of this series, is patrolled by the Los Angeles Police Department and not the Beverly Hills police force. There also is a peculiarity of timing. Although NBC scheduled the series to start this month in March, the planned heist is to occur during the week before the Academy Awards, when, presumably, the plunder will be maximized.
Dougray Scott and Steve Harris co-star as Mickey O'Neil and James Johnson, the bold and confident masterminds who plot out each detail even as they engage in esoteric conversations like the extent to which Mother Teresa believed in God. Mickey and James set the new gold standard for cool, putting aside their planning only long enough to siphon off loot from crimes of the less-talented. Other members of the team are alluring Lola (Marika Dominczyk), veteran Pops (Seymour Cassel) and motormouth Ricky (David Walton).
On the other side of the law is hard-charging Detective Amy Sykes (Michele Hicks), who heads a unit that includes hilariously offensive Billy O'Brien (Billy Gardell) and his reluctant partner, Tyrese Evans (Reno Wilson).
"Heist" has it all: action, comedy, suspense, romance and even the heart-tugging personal stories of Mickey and Pops, which are bound to broaden the overall emotional range. Doug Liman, who has directed such thrillers as "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and "The Bourne Identity," applies his considerable talents to the premiere, creating sparks throughout the hour. Performances are uniformly excellent, and technical credits, including photography and production design, are terrific.
HEIST
NBC
Hypnotic, NBC Universal Television Studio and Sony Pictures Television
Credits:
Executive producers: Mark Cullen, Robb Cullen, Doug Liman, David Bartis, Peter Safran, Bernie Brillstein
Producer: Sean Ryerson
Director: Doug Liman
Teleplay: Mark Cullen, Robb Cullen
Director of photography: Jamie Barber
Production designer: Keith Neely
Editor: Juan Carlos Garza
Music supervisor: Bob Cullen
Cast:
Mickey O'Neil: Dougray Scott
James Johnson: Steve Harris
Pops: Seymour Cassel
Lola: Marika Dominczyk
Ricky: David Walton
Detective Amy Sykes: Michele Hicks
Detective Billy O'Brien: Billy Gardell
Detective Tyrese Evans: Reno Wilson
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