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Vegas  Review by Suzanne Lanoue 9/15/13

I didn't give this show a very good review when I watched the first episode. I have to say that I was wrong, and I'm very sorry. I guess I wasn't the only one that didn't like it, though, since it got canceled. That's a shame because it's actually a really good show.

My main beef with the show was the pilot wasn't all that exciting, and the show is set in the 1960's, but the dress, mannerisms and way of speaking seemed too modern. I still think that, but the writing on the show is not bad and it gets better as it goes along.

Quaid and Chiklis are great, and the rest of the cast are very good, too. It's a sort of Western like show (no doubt trying to copy shows like Longmire and Justified a bit), and Quaid makes a great cowboy. Chiklis was born to play a gangster. Lots of exciting and shocking things happen.

Do yourself a favor and watch the DVD even though the show did get canceled. You won't be sorry. Also, it has lots of interesting features. My favorite is the one where they talk about how they built their version of Vegas, and which parts are CGI and which parts aren't. They did put a lot of detail into the scenery. I wish they had put the same details into the costumes, hairstyles, and other bits, the way they do on Mad Men. I think if the writing had been just a little bit better, especially in the pilot, the show might have done better.

However, I also read that the show did get okay ratings but got bad demographics, so maybe it was just not a show that young people liked. Old fogies like me enjoy it.  Shame on CBS for ignoring their viewers.

MORE INFORMATION:

VEGAS

THE DVD EDITION

The Drama Series Debuts On DVD September 17 

Packed With Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes And Cast And Crew Audio Commentary

The stakes are high in the thrilling series starring Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis when VEGAS – THE DVD EDITION goes all in September 17 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution.  From creators Nicholas Pileggi (the writer of legendary films Goodfellas and Casino) and Greg Walker, the five-disc collection includes all 21 episodes of the drama and boasts a collection of newly produced, exclusive featurettes.

Featuring an all-star ensemble cast that also includes Carrie-Anne Moss, Jason O’Mara, Taylor Handley and Sarah Jones, VEGAS is inspired by the true story of former Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb (Quaid), a former military police officer, who now patrols the once desolate, desert city.  As corruption builds within Las Vegas during the 1960s, Lamb is called upon by the mayor to bring order to the new entertainment mecca and investigate the murder of a casino worker.  The crime triggers Lamb’s quarrel with Vincent Savino (Chiklis), a ruthless Chicago gangster who intends to claim Vegas as his own. With the aide of his two deputies, his diplomatic, even-keeled brother Jack (O’Mara) and his charming, but impulsive son Dixon (Handley), Lamb is determined to restore justice and take Savino down once and for all. VEGAS – THE DVD EDITION also includes an array of notable guest stars such as Ivana Milicevic, James Russo, David Gallagher, Greg Grunberg, Gil Bellows, D.B. Sweeney, Michael Ironside, Frances O’Connor, Doug Savant and Anna Camp. 

VEGAS – THE DVD EDITION hits the jackpot with exclusive featurettes.  Packed with all-new episode commentaries from the show’s creators and cast, the collection also includes exclusive featurettes such as “He Ain’t Like the Real Law,” which profiles the real life of former Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb. Plus, actor Michael Chiklis takes viewers on a tour of the spectacular set of VEGAS.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Page updated 9/21/13