I love the look of CBS's Vegas, but more importantly I like the idea and the potential behind these character types. The fact it's based on a true story is the icing on the cake. It's the story of how modern-day Las Vegas was formed in the '60s, told through the eyes of local rancher "cowboy" Sheriff Ralph Lamb (Dennis Quaid), who clashes with mobster Vincent Savino (The Shield's Michael Chiklis), a ruthless criminal who has big plans for Sin City. It also stars Jason O'Mara (Terra Nova) as Lamb's brother, Taylor Handley as his son, and Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix) as an Assistant District Attorney.
The Swinging Sixties, the clash of old and new America, grizzled character actors, Quaid vs Chiklis, Carrie-Anne Moss... these are reasons I'll be checking Vegas out already, and the above behind-the-scenes footage looks decent enough. My only concern is how networks tackling premises that feel best suited to cable networks don't always fly. They're increasingly commissioned in an attempt to replicate a cable hit, without understanding that the cable model is half the reason for success. The Playboy Club was no Mad Men, for example. Has Vegas been taken to series for a slice of the Boardwalk Empire pie? The two shows have a few similarities.
We'll have to see if Vegas has the edgy inventiveness I'd like to see, but something about this show has me optimistic. How about you?
