Leverage on BBC, I mean TNT network

Another new program on TNT tonight was the new series Leverage. The show is a drama action mix. And it is essentially a copy of a British program that covers exactly the same ground.

Yes, Hollywood writers have proven themselves to be consistent and clueless yet again. The concept of originality has gone out the window. Because the name of the program this American version copies is called Hustle.

Yes it is almost exactly the same. Conmen (and women) with various specialities work together to take on bad people with lots of money and minor morality. Take out the accents, change the locations, replace a man with a woman, and make the leader an ex-lawman with a heart of gold and a need for a rush and you have Leverage.

That all said about the lack of originality, the question is if this copy is like Life On Mars and The Office, or like Coupling. And in each of these I mean the American remake of the BBC hit television series. Well from the first episode we get the answer of The Office.

Timothy Hutton is interesting as the cop gone bad for a good reason. Revenge for his son that died because of insurance company greed. This character is pivotal in not making this a 'crime is good' show. And he is believable as the guy in charge and trying to manage the greatest good.

And a tip of the hat to 2 key members of the cast.

Gina Bellman plays Sophie. Bellman is know best to most US and UK viewers for her work in the hit series Coupling (British version). Her work in Leverage is not too far from her role as Jane. She is a grifter that uses her sex appeal to make the con work. Obviously producers realized they should give some kind of attention to the fact they were ripping of BBC yet again, and she adds a nice flair to the program.

Christian Kane is back on American series work. Fans of the show Angel will remember him as the ambitious evil lawyer (is there another kind) Lindsey McDonald. Since the end of Angel he hasn't been seen much, but he fills in the morally ambigous nature that Leverage needs. And he does tend to fit the muscle man role well too.

Beyond that the cast is mostly unnotable. In fact It is highly likely that this series will fail after a season or 2. The problem I see is 3-fold, and not the fault of the actors.

The first problem will be the writers. Hollywood these days is uninspired and lazy. As such it is highly likely that scripts from Hustle will be reworked for American audiences. And as consistent with such copies, the translation rarely works.

The second issue is that since there are 2 women and 3 men there must be a love interest in the show. Already we have seen in the premiere that Timothy Hutton and Gina Bellman have a dubious past. That will likely need to be expanded on, and old-flames will rekindle. To the detriment of the show. Any other pairing will also likely detract from the ongoing theme of the series (expect that other paring to be the other female and Kane).

The last problem will very likely be cost of locations. Since this is an American show that targets rich and greedy Americans they will have to travel to spots known for the rich and greedy. That means shooting in L.A., New York, Miami, Las Vegas and a few other mmajor cities (D.C. is sure to be on the list). That means big money. And unless the show is a blowout hit, which I think unlikely, they can't afford that.

So many of the locations will be highly generalized. And that will detract from the appeal of the show. Not that the cast, and in this case the writers, can do anything about that. You just can't write away glitz that is expected to be seen.

I hope the series does develop into something good. I like most of the cast, and the original show was quite good. I just fear the ability of Hollywood writers today. We shall see if Tuesdays regular timeslot episode will match up to the high bar that Sunday's premiere created.

The Librarian: Quest for the Judas Chalice

So tonight was the 3rd installment of the Librarian series on TNT Network. The series stars Noah Wyle as the titular character, essentially the foremost uber-nerd. His character is the vessel of facts both obscure and pertinant as documented throughout written history. And he is our vehicle to plumb the truth of many of the legends we have all heard of, to some degree.

The start of the program takes us through a very specific path through the prior 2 features. It focuses mainly on the first adventure, and the assistant to the Librarian Nicole. I found that interesting to note since the female lead in the 2nd feature was about as emaciated as fish after a cat has gotten thru with it. Seriously, all I could think about when that actress was on the screen was how anorexia is so pervasive and acceptable in Hollywood.

But focusing on this new story we find that our near hapless hero is stressed out. He can't keep a single girlfriend for more than 6 months, and its driving him mad. Or at least highly unfulfilled. And so he needs to take a vacation.

This program being what it is, the mystical and legendary take a strong role in what we learn of. Thus it is a vision of a woman calling for our hero that determines where he will vacation. And many is the guy (or woman) that wishes the person of their dreams would lead them on a vacation.

This then takes our adventure to New Orleans. The plot from this point takes it's cues from various Anne Rice and other similar pop culture on vampires.

The real question is if this entire television movie is worth the time to see it. And the answer is both yes and no. The majority of the program is enjoyable enough. Wyle is a good actor and his portrayal is humorous and likeable. At this point in the series though his character is both terribly naive and more than a bit gullible. You have to wonder, and as Bob Newhart's character notes, does he realize where he is work?

The location shots are nice. The plot is thin if not constantly in motion so as to hide the plot holes as much as possible. And the acting of all the other characters is par in general. Were this a movie in a theater it just wouldn't do, but for the small screen it's better than most offerings.

But the main problem the series has had is the casting of the female leads and love interest. For me I have to wonder why they have run from the attractive, interesting, and feminine Nicole character to generally women that look like they are suffering from starvation. Even the vampiress is woefully in need of a cheeseburger. For a woman that was born some 400 years ago, a time when only the poorest of peasant women were so thin, you wonder why a vampire would pick her as a victim.

Of course the series further developed the storyline of the purpose of the Librarian, the battle of good and evil it represents, and the boss of the librarian. This means that barring all the actresses in Hollywood going to a McDonald's and eating a burger - and thus being incapable of performing - there will be a 4th telemovie.

Perhaps in this next movie we will finally see the uber-geek get and keep a girl. Perhaps the Librarian will finally come to full terms with his job and the oddities that exist in the world. I mean he does practice swordsmanship with a floating self-aware Excaliber.

In all, I found Quest for the Judas Chalice to be a fair program. It was not on par with the first and marginally better than the second. IF the series further devolves it won't make it past a 4th. Which would be a shame as it has the potential to be a quasi-mystical geek version of James Bond. But if you see it on TNT and there isn't a copy of one of the Jason Bourne movies, or Die Hard, or so on take a look.