Dr. Vegas

I think Dr. Vegas is a really good show! Especially since the show has Rob Lowe and Joe Pantoliano and they make a really good team! Rob Lowe was also one of NBC's hit shows "The West Wing" and Joe Pantoliano was on a few drama shows himself like HBO's "The Sopranos" and both Rob Lowe and Joe Pantoliano have also been on local network drama shows that only lasted one season. The show takes place in Las Vegas about a guy named Billy Grant who attends to the round-the-clock medical needs of guests, employees and their families amid the lures of Sin City. The doctor's always in when it comes to catering to the often frivolous medical requests of his good friend and boss, Tommy Danko the hotel's general manager. Tommy's priority is the well-being of his high rollers and the casino's bottom line, while Billy's committed to upholding the Hippocratic Oath, often putting them at odds. This show premiered on CBS September 2004 and then after airing only 5 episodes CBS immediately put on hiatus and then CBS just decided to pull the plug on this good show with two good actors like Rob Lowe and Joe Pantoliano! Damn CBS! This show would have better off if it was on TNT because that network knows drama. But even though this show didn't last really long I still liked it.

User Rating: 9/10

BOTTOM LINE: THIS SHOW SHOULD HAVE GONE LONGER ESPECIALLY IF IT IS A SHOW WITH ROB LOWE AND JOE PANTOLIANO!

It's inevitable that there will be comparisons to NBC's Las Vegas show with James Caan. In my opinion, Las Vegas is the superior one because it was there first. But what Las Vegas lacks and what Dr. Vegas gains is the cast. With the exception of James Caan's presence, all the actors on Las Vegas look like they stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad. They're all very attractive females and males. But unfortunately, their acting talent doesn't match that of say, Dr. Vegas.

What's interesting about Dr. Vegas, which does feel like a Las Vegas clone, is the cast. Even when he's in bad projects, Joe Pantoliano always delivers his trademark schtick of being a great wiseass. Seriously, you can't beat someone like Pantoliano who adds a breath of fresh air to anything. Another thing is Tom Sizemore's in the show, which seems like a step back considering he's had success in films. Rob Lowe's a decent actor, but unfortunately his character, is just a little too bland.

While Las Vegas focuses on the security team of a casino, Dr. Vegas is a little more sporadic with only one character representing a certain department. Such as Rob Lowe's character represents medicine, Sizemore's character is security, and Joe Pantoliano is the big boss. Since it's a little more sporadic, it's a little hard to keep track of the characters and where they're going. What NBC's show has going for it, besides familiar guest stars, is it's got a unique visual style. That is, a music video style of film-making in the vein of Ocean's Eleven. It's a show that's about hip Las Vegas.

Dr. Vegas, of which I only viewed the pilot, is still trying to find it's feet (that is, if it ever gets back from "hiatus"). There's only a few characters to follow, but rest assured, the success of a show can guarantee more characters being brought in. But this show feels like a barebones operation that's still trying to get it's feet wet.

All in all, I would recommend Las Vegas to Dr. Vegas because Las Vegas is just a little more fun and perhaps, accurately captures the atmosphere of Sin City itself. However, what Las Vegas needs, is an actor like Joe Pantoliano to really stir things up.

Dr. Vegas is one of those shows that you either love or hate. I like Rob Lowe, and Joe Pantoliano makes anything he's in great. If you're into leggy blondes, then Sarah Lancaster works well, and Tom Sizemore plays his part well.

However, for some reason, Dr. Vegas's nurse, played by Amy Adams just seems to steal the scenes wherever she is. Dialog timing is great, the conversations zing back and forth very quickly, if you're not paying attention, you'll miss some good stuff.

It's too bad that Dr. Vegas didn't make the cut, I think with some more time, it would've found it's stride and would've developed a nice following.

If it came out on DVD, I'd probably snag it, mainly to catch the 5 eps that didn't air in the US.

Don't expect too much, just enjoy a nice 45 minutes or so of fluff, but with characters you can relate to.

This was a good show that never had a chance. This could have been a great show with a little time and a chance to mature. It started better than most and never had a chance. The cast was GREAT but it's highlight was Amy Adams. I knew right away that this was going to be a problem because this stunning, talented actress was always listed as a guest star. I knew she wasn't going to be around nearly long enough. I though it was funny and ironic that the show aired ONCE after she left. There were other great additions to the cast and I thought they worked and meshed well together. Once again the network never gave a chance to a great show with lots of potential. One don't some of the execs get canceled?

"Dr. Vegas" is a show that ultimately plays second fiddle to "Las Vegas" (in itself a "Love Boat"/"Baywatch" knockoff). There are good actors like Joe Pantoliano and Tom Sizemore, an intriguing character and story line, and a great location. But this isn't as daring or as challenging as it wants to be. Unfortunately, it really does feel like it's second fiddle to "Las Vegas", which did come first.

Here are some things I've noticed in watching:

Rob Lowe is affable enough to play the lead. He should've stuck with "The West Wing". "The Lyon's Den" and "Salem's Lot" flopped.

Again, the cast. Had Joe Pantoliano not been in it, then this show would go downhill fast.

Tom Sizemore, despite his recent court troubles, is a welcome presence. Although it seems like his character isn't fleshed out as strongly as it should be.

The show doesn't maneuver the nifty camera and editing tricks "Las Vegas" pulled.

This is a "Baywatch" esque show that is funny and dramatic.

All in all, I would watch this show out of curiosity, but it's not enough to warrant a second viewing. But this show hasn't proved itself yet so only time will tell if it has legs.