Dossier Smith

John Wells' new show is by far the most original show I've seen on network TV in years. Ray Liotta, Amy Smart and Simon Baker are extremely effective in their roles as members of a gang of sophisticated thieves who lead otherwise normal lives. Virginia Madsen is also effective in her role as Ray Liotta's spouse.

The premiere episode was outstanding and I could not wait to see the second episode, which was even better than the pilot. The writing is terrific, the action is well-paced and suspenseful and while the characters are perhaps amoral, they are well drawn and I found myself wanting to know more about each one of them...

Edgy, fascinating and flawless!

I haven't watched much TV in recent years, programs have degraded my TV so much I felt it was best to face it towards a corner till it thought about what it had done. Soaps, Reality TV, Bad comedies, Reality TV, Annoying Game shows and Reality TV have saturated the schedules but then this comes along. This is the best Drama/Thriller serial I've seen in ages.

Whats not to like? Ray Liotta being uber cool, Amy Smart being so sexy I have to wipe the steam from the screen,(Thank god I said Steam), Simon Baker and his underlying violent tendencies.

The plots where interesting and exciting, We got a little glimpse into each characters life in each episode while getting down with some grade-A action that even makes most feature films look boring, I'm talking Motor Bike chases, Hummer ram raids, Chainsaw killings, Sniper assassins, High Profile robberies and good old fashioned fist fights.

It is my feeling that "Smith" could evolve into an absorbing crime drama. Its sparse dialog is neither tedious nor a turn-off, and the lack of 'treacly music' during the family scenes is decidedly a plus. In addition to stars Liotta and Madsen, one might single out Simon Baker, whose past credits include the gripping neonoir film L.A. Confidential (1997), and Jonny Lee Miller, who was cast in "Prime Suspect 3" (1993), arguably the best of that series. Although granted that early in "Smith" we still know little about the characters played by these and the other members of the cast, my prediction is that future episodes will, like the layers of an onion being peeled away, reveal their past misdeeds, almost surely to haunt them as things progress. The viewer might anticipate with some relish that a couple of the characters, who love fast living and fast cars, and flaunt both, are indeed cruising for a bruising.

Which is not to say there aren't certain aspects that don't ring true. Given that the heist which unfolds in the pilot, whose nature I shall not reveal, is not normally associated with violence, it doesn't seem likely there is not more anger, censure, and repercussion from the naughty persons on-high when things do go awry and assuredly cause law enforcement to be far more attentive and relentless in its pursuit of the crime.

Viewers and producers alike need to stay the course until "Smith" gets its stride. The network ought not lose its courage in presenting something different, as happened with other dark and delicious crime dramas, such as "EZ Streets" in the mid-1990s and "Dream Street" in the late 1980s, soon pulled from the fall line-up. There has to be something different out there than silly clichés, canned laughter, and predictable and soon shopworn series.

I'm afraid I disagree with the reviewer who didn't like the show. First off, Ray's character is a professional thief and husband/father and if the show moves rather slow at times it may be because of the fact that his family life isn't the most exciting thing in the world, and his profession requires precision and thought - not blow-em-up action. The first episode illustrates what happens when things get moving too fast: disaster! I like the suspense, of which the pace helps build, and the characters are all intriguing. The thing Jeff does on the beach in Hawaii is already coming back to haunt him in the second episode and Amy Smart's character is in for trouble on multiple counts. Then there's Virgina Madsen (Ray's wife) who is suspicious of what her husband is really up to which makes for an excellent side story. Personally, I like the show and can't wait for new episodes. I'd say the show is a kind of cross between Miami Vice and Prison Break but this is just my opinion. If you watch, enjoy!

I can't believe this show was canceled. Another case of self-censorship. How sad. This show was the coolest thing on TV. I loved hating these characters. Not every show needs to be a morality tale. This was an im-moraity tale. It's pathetic how terrified the populace is.

From the all star cast to the magnificent plot lines, this show was different. It's easy to be the same. I highly recommend it. Download it from through itunes, it's worth it.

America is losing it's place as the nation where ideas are developed. It's becoming a bottomless pit of bland conformity. Soon, we'll all be characters in some blurred out reality show.