I’ve got a man-crush on John Rogers and I’m not afraid to admit it. It started innocently enough a few years back when I came across his unaired pilot of Global Frequency. Based on the comic by Warren Ellis, Global Frequency was one of the most interesting and original pieces of television I’d ever seen. So of course the WB shelved it. I guess they had to make room for One Tree Reba or something.
Since then, I’ve read his excellent two-year run on Blue Beetle – you’ll believe a 17-year-old kid from El Paso can fly! – and followed his blog diligently. When he announced last fall that TNT had ordered a pilot of Leverage, a show he and Chris Downey had written for Dean Devlin‘s company, I was very excited. I was more excited when TNT picked it up back in February, knowing that I’d be able to watch it legally on my television instead of by picking up a back alley torrent.
The show doesn’t have its premiere until December, but TNT’s already got the first promo up.
Embedding is a bit hinky with the TNT player, so click here to view the teaser.
You get a taste of the show’s tone from this teaser, but I hope TNT’s marketing department puts a few more together. What we don’t get here is much of the supporting cast. It should be obvious from even the first clip that Timothy Hutton is putting on an acting clinic in this, but what you probably can’t pick up on is how his co-stars are hitting right back just as hard.
I’ve been a fan of Christian Kane since Angel, but here he pushes himself to new heights. Trust me: within the first five minutes of the pilot, Kane does more with a sip of coffee than many actors do with ten pages of dialog. He’s a tightly wound spring, quiet and ready to explode at a moment’s notice.
Beth Riesgraf, who until now has just been “Works With Carlos Girl” to me, is a damaged, funny little girl. There is no way I don’t develop a massive, aching crush on her by the end of the second episode. I’m sure of it.
Gina Bellman, who did great work in last year’s Jekyll and I’ve heard was fantastic on Coupling (I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never seen the original,) shines here. I was nervous when I first saw her, nervous she’d be trying on an American accent. There are too many foreign-born actors coming here and taking jobs away from our waiters, our baristas. And all of them are stumbling out of the gate. I was thrilled when Bellman opened her mouth and out came her natural sexy, sultry voice.
The real revelation for me is Aldis Hodge. He’s been acting for years, with his first listed credit on IMDB for Die Hard: With a Vengence, but he never made an impression on me until his performance as Ray ‘Voodoo’ Tatum on Friday Night Lights. I had a feeling Voodoo might have been taking some performance enhancing substances, and now I’m wondering whether Hodge hasn’t as well. As good as he was on FNL, his work here blows that away. His charisma is blinding. He owns nearly every second of every scene he appears in and that’s with four other very talented actors fighting for dominance themselves.
With a jazzy/funky score that reminded me of Lalo Schifrin’s work on Mission: Impossible, Devlin’s stylized direction, and a sharp, witty script that made me laugh out loud more than once, Leverage manages to be both original and comfortably familiar. In one sense, you’ve seen this before; Ocean’s 11, To Catch a Thief, and even Burn Notice are all kissing cousins. But you’ve never seen it quite like this.
R.A. Porter is an aspiring television writer who currently toils away in the software mines. He can be found at his personal blog and stalked on Twitter.
I like the word “hinky”.
But really, this cast sounds really great. Your post got me more and more excited the longer I read. Usually I put off TNT shows, because by the end of NBA playoffs I am so sick of Kyra Sedgwick and Holly Hunter I could turn my TV off for months (of course, that would never happen). But I might just check this one out. Gina Bellman was great on Coupling.
I like the word “hinky”.
But really, this cast sounds really great. Your post got me more and more excited the longer I read. Usually I put off TNT shows, because by the end of NBA playoffs I am so sick of Kyra Sedgwick and Holly Hunter I could turn my TV off for months (of course, that would never happen). But I might just check this one out. Gina Bellman was great on Coupling.
I like the word “hinky”.
But really, this cast sounds really great. Your post got me more and more excited the longer I read. Usually I put off TNT shows, because by the end of NBA playoffs I am so sick of Kyra Sedgwick and Holly Hunter I could turn my TV off for months (of course, that would never happen). But I might just check this one out. Gina Bellman was great on Coupling.
I like the word “hinky”.
But really, this cast sounds really great. Your post got me more and more excited the longer I read. Usually I put off TNT shows, because by the end of NBA playoffs I am so sick of Kyra Sedgwick and Holly Hunter I could turn my TV off for months (of course, that would never happen). But I might just check this one out. Gina Bellman was great on Coupling.
I like the word “hinky”.
But really, this cast sounds really great. Your post got me more and more excited the longer I read. Usually I put off TNT shows, because by the end of NBA playoffs I am so sick of Kyra Sedgwick and Holly Hunter I could turn my TV off for months (of course, that would never happen). But I might just check this one out. Gina Bellman was great on Coupling.
“One Tree Reba” was funny, but I do like One Tree Hill
“One Tree Reba” was funny, but I do like One Tree Hill
“One Tree Reba” was funny, but I do like One Tree Hill
“One Tree Reba” was funny, but I do like One Tree Hill
“One Tree Reba” was funny, but I do like One Tree Hill
I agree, it's nice the NBA Playoffs aren't going on in the Fall, or I'd be skipping Leverage
Coupling was AWESOME.
I agree, it's nice the NBA Playoffs aren't going on in the Fall, or I'd be skipping Leverage
Coupling was AWESOME.
I agree, it's nice the NBA Playoffs aren't going on in the Fall, or I'd be skipping Leverage
Coupling was AWESOME.
I agree, it's nice the NBA Playoffs aren't going on in the Fall, or I'd be skipping Leverage
Coupling was AWESOME.
I agree, it's nice the NBA Playoffs aren't going on in the Fall, or I'd be skipping Leverage
Coupling was AWESOME.
What is the name of the song that is advertising the new season of Lverage that advertising o the commerical? new too know the song.
The name of the song on the TNT Leverage commercial is Mercy. The name of the group is Duffy.
The name of the song for Leverage is Mercy, the name of the group is Duffy
I will never watch any of tnt’s shows due to their overbearing commercials. Due to watching the playoffs I now have a deep seated hatred for Tyler Perry’s shows, Dark Blue, Saving Grace, Leverage, Raising the Bar, and an undying wish that Kyra Sedgwick and the creator of the Closer will all die in a very inhumane way. That fake accent she tries to do makes my brain hurt every time I hear her talk. It wouldn’t be so bad if they could make different commercials, but no, during one game you get to see each one of these commercials at least 60 times.
Great post, I really love Leverage.
And Lol just like Naimah said, the name of the song in TNT commercial is mercy.