0/5

Hustle

You can smell the sterling just out of reach in this gripping con-artist tale, and will soon find yourself hoping that crime really does pay.

First a confession: I haven’t seen much of the preceding first or second series of BBC drama Hustle. My penance may well be seeing every episode of the third series.

If the first episode is anything to go by, I’ve surely missed a lot.

Stylishly crafted, lavishly designed, lit up like the high roller room at a casino, this is intoxicating stuff. The con men of Hustle are expert at deception and accomplished in their allure.

In the first episode, the gang decide to trick an obnoxious, wealthy pub owner, Benny Frazier (Mel Smith), of £100,000 by appealing to his Achilles heel: his teenage son. The boy has dreams of pop stardom as the next big rapper, so the team map out a masterly plot that sees them doubling as phony producers, record company managers and star makers.

Everything begins to go to plan hoodwinking Frazier with award night tickets, fake CDs, posters and even airplay for his “future Eminem” teenager.

Smith, who is normally a big teddy bear in comic television roles, is convincing as a boorish thug who makes any sacrifice for the betterment of his obnoxious (talentless) son.

As the grand-plan advances through first, second and third stages, the Hustle team, fronted by the classy Robert Vaughn, are as adept as the suits from Oceans 11 or a Guy Ritchie film. Herein is half the fun.

Making up the cast are Adrian Lester as Mickey Stone, Robert Glenister as Ash Morgan, Marc Warren as Danny Blue and Jaime Murray as Stacie Monroe (viewers will recognise her from Dexter‘s second season).

Hustle’s sexy, sassy direction, and the rapid editing give this a tone from heist and blaxploitation films of the 60’s and 70’s. You can smell the sterling just out of reach in this gripping tale, and will soon find yourself hoping that crime really does pay.

While some networks are trying to fob you off with summer repeats, this should be a date in your diary.

Hustle premieres 9:30pm Tuesday December 2 on ABC1.

12 Responses

  1. Fun show, great cast and stories, at least something decent to watch at the mo! Watched the first two series, amazes me the third we are now watching is 2 years old, what has it been doing sitting in the vaults?

  2. I found this show by accident the other night after wandering around the channels in disgust at everything else that was on offer. So glad I did!!! I loved it. I’m a bit disappointed to find out it’s been around for so long and yet I’d not heard of it before – obviously my brilliant-show-radar is on the blink!!!

  3. Foxtel just finished airing season 4 a couple of weeks ago and you say the ABC which had the original broadcast rights is showing season 3 (again??). I was looking forward to the return of Mickey Bricks who dipped out of season 4!

  4. Yes very few have won a 4.5 rating, I was feeling in a good mood. Off the top of my head Underbelly, The Line of Beauty and an episode of Louis Theroux have a 4.5 stars since they were introduced in 2008.

    Nothing has a 5 yet!

  5. Are you sure this isn’t a repeat David?

    From memory Hustle series 3 was broadcast in the UK in 2006.

    I know ABC had acquired Series 3 in late 2006 but cant remember if they ever showed it.

    Either way any real fans would have seen it long ago and Series 4 was broadcast in the UK ages ago as well

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