Magic City

Magic City is as addicting as any TV show can possibly get. If you think it's going to be the same old crime drama, or a Miami Beach version of the Soprano's, you may be right...but only about the latter. And only because this show is just as good.

Magic City's characters are so good and so well acted, you find yourself rooting for everyone in the show. You feel connected to each one. Even the Butcher, Ben Diamond. You may not 'root' for The Butcher, but in his almighty evilness lies an extremely flawed human being. You don't even need to know his back story, you just know the man has issues.

I live in Fort Lauderdale and travel to Miami Beach often. Magic City accurately depicts what Mimai Beach looks like minus 54 years. The shows creative team are true to their 1950's early 60's version of Miami. No anachronisms to bust the mood. This as authentic as they get.

To the un-seen viewers: Take a few hours on the couch and relax. Watch a few episodes in a row, and you will go back in time. If you are having any personal difficulties in life; this is the heroin that will allow you a few hours respite. You will become a fly on the wall at the Miramar Hotel in Miami Beach in 1959. I doubt you will think of anything other than whats happening on the screen. You will however, want more.

This is five star stuff.

Mike I am just a normal no one that loves a good series. You will too.

I really enjoyed this show. The first episode was kind of boring, and I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to change the channel. As it went deeper into the story line, boring it was NOT! I started to get the feel of the characters -- and I really enjoyed it. Even my boyfriend (who hardly ever "likes" any show or movie) liked the show. So, what I will say to you is .. give it a try!! It was a lot better than I expected. There is a lot of nude scenes, which I'm okay with.. but I wouldn't watch it as a family.

I already have a lot of questions that I can not wait to get the answers to. I just hope the writers/producers do not ruin it, which there are always ways to do. Keep up the good work.. you found a fan in me!! I will be watching each and every Friday night 'till season end!

I have now watched all 7 episodes of this new series. My initial reaction to the first episode was that it was good but not compelling. This proved to be deceptive. By the end of the 2nd episode I was hooked. The shows strength is the juxtaposition of the control that Ike Evans, the shows clever lead character, exerts over himself while trying to "do good" by others, against the always simmering and ready to boil passion of the truly bad guy "Ben Diamond". The shows other characters are properly developed to provide fodder for the main characters' growth, confrontation and destruction. The setting in 1959 Miami is great and all the necessary detail to buildings, cars and props was made. I give the show a solid "9" but not quite a ten because it does for very short periods in most episodes come up a little short in a hard to describe way. Perhaps the clichés are a little to frequent, with all of the characters being a little too easily pigeonholed. But I digress, I enthusiastically recommend the show to and adult audience as very entertaining. Since the 2nd episode I have always made sure that I am in front of the TV at 10 PM Friday nights to see the next installment. Bravo to the show!!!

This show is one of the best shows i've ever seen, right now i only watch 2 shows dexter and this one. I started watching it because of the lead actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan i've always loved his acting, so i started watching it and it was very easy to get obsessed with it. Now I don't understand how 7.1 on IMDb almost 5/5 in almost all episodes of starz is low rated!! How can they cancel this show so fast? a lot of people like me love this show and its one of the best shows out. Canceling it its a really bad mistake they are making, they should try changing the schedule or something not canceling it! I'm really disappointed with that WRONG decision STARZ made. Please starz change your minds! I'm sure you are going to lose a lot of viewers if you do it.

As an author of several books I can declare with absolute certainty all movies, TV shows, plays, etc., start with the writing. These venues either have good writing or they don't. The good writers are able to draw memorable characters and plots. The STARZ presentation of MAGIC CITY was a show that had the best writing on TV. The writing was consistently good. In essence the writers wrote a movie that ran about 24 hours (run over two seasons). This is nearly an impossible task, yet the writers of MAGIC CITY did so with great creative craft and skill. They maintained consistency in the storyline and the character development. The incredibly gifted actors who gave life to the written words were a compilation of some of the greatest acting on television. The acting top to bottom was great: Jeffrey Dean Morton, Danny Houston, Steven Straight, and all the rest was a dream cast. Unfortunately, television is a great wasteland. So when a great show like MAGIC CITY gets canceled the wasteland becomes even more barren. But let's get to the real point of the matter. The viewer ship for MAGIC CITY (as well as other shows like BOSS) is not down because the show(s) was not good. The viewer ship for MAGIC CITY as well as all premium cable stations is low because the cost of subscriptions is too damn high. The economic struggles of people in America are deeper than the empty talking heads of CNN, CNBC and FOX are permitted to talk about. The proof is premium channel viewer ship since 1984 is down 58%. Compounding the issue is the viewer base is going more toward shopping and music channels. Consequently, it's no wonder great written shows like MAGIC CITY are lost to poor tastes of viewers and the inability of STARZ executives to know how to grow viewer ship for a great show like MAGIC CITY. All this is very unfortunate, primarily because the executives of STARZ originally had the intelligence and good taste to allow MAGIC CITY on the channel. Is it too much to expect then that the executives have the courage to continue to air it and see the show through to its proper conclusion? On the other hand, what should I really expect from people who are, in reality, only bean counters? You show me a great show, I get drawn into a wonderfully written drama with brilliant characters, and outstanding performances and then you close down production. Why then should I invest my time, and money, in any programing STARZ offers? The decrease of premium cable viewer ship is not lost on companies such as Viacom, MGM and Lionsgate. That's why those companies eased out of their cable network projects. I know there's no changing the minds of STARZ executives; MAGIC CITY will be canceled. How terribly unfortunate for those of us who knew we were watching entertainment at it's best. And those discerning, loyal fans of MAGIC CITY are thankful that for two brief seasons we were given. We shared in the great pleasure to hear the written words of the writers of MAGIC CITY spoken by the great cast. I wish all the actors on MAGIC CITY the best success in any future endeavors. For a brief time you were my best source of entertainment on television. And to some degree you all became people I cared about. For that I am grateful. All the best. P.S. now that MAGIC CITY is canceled there's no reason for me to scribe to STARZ.