10-11 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 FX

At FX, the start of a new drama series always has been cause for celebration. This time, the cable network that already gave us "The Shield," "Nip/Tuck," "Rescue Me" and "Over There" adds to its string of premium dramas at basic prices with "Thief," a well-constructed, beautifully performed series about a gang of professional thieves threatened by the cops and other robbers. Creator-writer Norman Morrill's drama is so taut and his approach to the genre so sharp that the only significant complaint is that the first "season" is only six episodes.

Andre Braugher, who by now seems incapable of giving a weak performance, shines again as Nick Atwater, who plans his gang's heists to be executed with speed and precision. He's sort of a gentleman crook. When things go as planned, no one gets hurt and the loot is covered by insurance.

As the premiere opens, Nick and his gang have done it again, busting into a San Francisco bank vault during Chinese New Year celebrations. The plan was to grab diamonds, but gang members can't resist stacks of money also liberated by the explosion. Turns out the money is the property of the ultraviolent Chinese Mafia, a group that makes the Italian mafia look like Quakers.

Add to the mix Detective Sgt. Hayes (Michael Rooker), a crooked cop whose pension is threatened by an internal police investigation. He, too, has taken an interest in Nick's gang, and especially their loot. All the while, Nick is planning the next caper, a daring $40 million heist.

There's a lot on the table there, but Morrill's script adds yet another dimension -- the personal lives of Nick's gang, and particularly Nick. He and his wife live with Tammi (Mae Whitman), her rebellious 14-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. Before long, Nick's relationship with the girl becomes more complicated and emotionally charged than either would have imagined. The story of a guy responsible for both a crime family and a personal family is central to "The Sopranos," but it is explored no less effectively here.

Direction and cinematography are outstanding. Paul McGuigan's attention to detail, frequent close-ups, use of lighting and film texture combine to give "Thief" a unique, engaging style. The pilot was filmed in pre-Katrina New Orleans, and subsequent episodes were shot mainly in Shreveport, La. Although it's not about the city or the disaster, the sense of place is evident throughout.

THIEF
FX
Regency Television in association with Pariah, Sarabande Prods., Fox Television Studios and FX
Credits:
Executive producers: Gavin Polone, David Manson, Norman Morrill
Producers: Penny Adams, Vivian Cannon
Creator-writer: Norman Morrill
Director: Paul McGuigan
Director of photography: Peter Sova
Production designer: Laurence Bennett
Editor: Paul Trejo
Music: Richard Marvin, John van Tongeren
Set decorator: Leonard Spear
Casting: Karen Meisels
Cast:
Nick Atwater: Andre Braugher
Tammi: Mae Whitman
Jack: Clifton Collins Jr.
Elmo: Malik Yoba
Gobo: Yancey Arias
Vincent: Will Yun Lee
Wanda: Dina Meyer
Detective Sgt. Hayes: Michael Rooker
Roselyn: Linda Hamilton
Izzy: Clayne Crawford