"Leverage" (2008)TV series

Writers:

Dean Devlin (writer)
John Rogers (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A crew of high-tech crooks attempt to steal from wealthy criminals and corrupt businessmen.

Cast

Timothy Hutton	...	Nate Ford
Christian Kane	...	Eliot Spencer
Gina Bellman	...	Sophie
Beth Riesgraf	...	Parker
Saul Rubinek	...	Victor Dubenich
Angelina Lyubomirova	...	FBI agent (2008)
Kelli Clevenger	...	Bartender (2008)
Aldis Hodge	...	Alec Hardison
Gary Houston	...	Adam Waldman
Tommy Bartlett	...	Bering Corp Board Member
Phillip Edward Van Lear	...	Agent Higgins
Giota Trakas	...	FBI Agent
Steven H. Hansen	...	Russian Gangster
Jay Disney	...	Bering Businessman
Don Kress	...	Mall Shopper
Kurt Naebig	...	FBI Agent
Joseph Mazurk	...	Bering Security Guard / Businessman
Cyn Dulay	...	Newleywed couple
Cedric Young	...	Nigerian Businessman
Debbi Burns	...	Office Employee
Maritza Cabrera	...	Party guest
Dan Waller	...	FBI Agent
Dan Latham	...	Bering Businessman
Bruce Spielbauer	...	Bering Security during FBI storming
Rick Uecker	...	Deputy Burns
Randall Jones	...	Doctor
Aleh Neliubin	...	Belgrade Gangster
Mike Whyte	...	Doctor
James Pusztay	...	Russian Gangster
Mike McNamara	...	Businessman
Mike Bradecich	...	Lobby Guard
Anish Jethmalani	...	Dr. Ranji
Anthony Brawner	...	Hardware Store Shopper
Brian King	...	Jenkins
Ed Smaron	...	Guard One
Bob Kaliebe	...	FBI Agent #3
David Lesley	...	Nigerian Businessman #2
Tracy L. Aldaz	...	E.R. Nurse
Kelron Mixon	...	Chicago Policeman
Adeoye Mabogunje	...	Babatunde
Bob Kolbey	...	Deputy Lester
Thomas A. Jackson	...	Bering Corp Shareholder (2008)
Craig Sunderlin	...	Serbian Mob Boss (2008)
Mark Edwards	...	Businessman
Jamie Vann	...	Ed Helm (2008)
Henry Lesley	...	Bering Businessman / Security Guard
Richard Porter	...	Nigerian Businessman

Company:

Electric Entertainment

Leverage gets your dose of white hat-black hat conman every week

Leverage might after a first show look like a series replica of Oceans Eleven with even the same generic music attached to some scenes, it fares deeper into a storyline you might expect being left on the cutting room floor of that same movie. Revenge being a large element of the series and changing plots, schemes and situations putting a viewer on the wrong foot this show delivers what all the polish and high-speed actors in forenamed picture couldn't actually deliver: credibility!

Many TV fans were loving a show like Thief (2006) but for the big audience that's called TV this is too grimy and realistic. Don't expect somebody to get actually hurt in "Leverage". The grimy and therefor risky aspect of the show has been rooted out carefully and in comes a storyline that could have been a "A-team" episode. Maybe halfway the season Colonel Decker will start chasing the headliners of this show but until then it's a risk-free show that won't be canceled.

Agreed, whoever thought of this format was far from a genius (the genius invented "Thief 2006") but he'll have a job for that much longer mixing Oceans Eleven, Thief and the A-team together in a show that doesn't offend, hurt, kill or mame people and yet stays funny and interesting to watch.

Leverage is a good TV-show among other good TV-shows but will eventually wind up in decay like other good TV-shows will. In one more season it will be more boring to watch then the new episode of Prison Break. Maybe it will generate the same cult status and devotion with viewers they will keep watching and it survives 2 seasons more. I hope so since this quiche of TV-shows is the most entertaining and relaxing show i've seen this year...

9/10 (won't last 2 seasons)

P.S A delight to see Gina Bellman again after a brilliant role in Coupling. She's a under-appreciated actress if u ask me.