I decided to not mince words with my title for this post.
TNT (home of that other really great show The Closer) has a new show out called Leverage starring Timothy Hutton. From 2001 to 2002, Hutton starred in (and produced) another series on A & E called Nero Wolfe based on mystery novels written by Rex Stout. Set in the 1930s or 1940s, Hutton played Archie Goodwin–assistant to genius detective Nero Wolfe. The show was brilliant and I never quite recovered from its cancellation.
So, I had very high hopes when I heard that Hutton was returning to television with a new show. And I was not disappointed. Every episode is a combination of two of my favorite types of movies: the heist movie and the grift movie.
Hutton’s character, working with a group of thieves, find people who need help and using their various skills provide “leverage.” (Not that many people will remember this show, but it’s kind of like The Equalizer but with a team instead of one guy and Leverage is less gritty.) On top of that the show has the snap and verve I had come to associate with Hutton during his tenure as Archie Goodwin. The ensemble cast is also excellent, especially since it includes Gina Bellman–one of the stars of a a BBC show called Jekyll (yes, that Jekyll).
Anyway, it’s a really good show and you should give it a gander. Here’s a picture of the cast that you can give a gander first:
Miss Print 