Heist (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Heist is an American television series that premiered March 22, 2006, on NBC
, but was almost immediately canceled due to low ratings
. The series was from acclaimed director
Doug Liman
and revolved around professional thief Mickey O' Neil (Dougray Scott
), who created a team of experts to try to pull off the biggest heist in history — to simultaneously rob three jewelry stores on Rodeo Drive
during Academy Awards
week. Meanwhile, Amy Sykes (Michele Hicks
), lead detective for LAPD’s
Robbery Division, led the task force
investigating a series of thefts committed by this new crew. Under high pressure from her superiors, she had to figure out not only who was behind the crimes, but also what larger job they were leading up to.
gave the series 51 out of 100, from the 22 reviews it collected, and a user score of 8.5 out of 10 based on 64 votes. Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times
found "the story lines and characters are layered and more intricate than in most detective series" and compared Heist to the British show Hustle
. Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe
, in reviewing the two new shows premièring that night, Heist and The Evidence
, declared "Heist is the better of the dramas." He likened both series to the work of Quentin Tarantino
, saying they "have Pulp Fiction
and Reservoir Dogs
in their DNA." Tim Goodman of The San Francisco Chronicle found "the writing in Heist is self-consciously forced", further describing it as "painful to hear". "Heist is either the best inside joke about appeasing the masses for a monolithic network or, sadly, two guys who needed to pay the rent and buy mama some shoes." Tom Shales of The Washington Post
describes this serialized drama as "confusingly shot and edited, populated with snarlingly cranky characters, and crowded with cheap tricks designed to alleviate the show's prevailing pall."
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, but was almost immediately canceled due to low ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. The series was from acclaimed director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
Doug Liman
Doug Liman
Douglas Eric "Doug" Liman is an American film director and producer best known for Swingers , The Bourne Identity , Mr. & Mrs. Smith , Jumper , and Fair Game .-Early life:...
and revolved around professional thief Mickey O' Neil (Dougray Scott
Dougray Scott
-Early life:The son of Elma, a nurse, and Alan Scott, an actor and salesperson, Stephen Dougray Scott was born in Glenrothes, Fife and attended Auchmuty High School...
), who created a team of experts to try to pull off the biggest heist in history — to simultaneously rob three jewelry stores on Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive of Beverly Hills, California is a shopping district known for designer label and haute couture fashion. The name generally refers to a three-block long stretch of boutiques and shops but the street stretches further north and south....
during Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
week. Meanwhile, Amy Sykes (Michele Hicks
Michele Hicks
Michele Hicks is an American screen actress and former fashion model who has worked in both film and television. On television, Hicks's appearances include Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, CSI: NY, Cold Case, The Shield and Heist...
), lead detective for LAPD’s
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
Robbery Division, led the task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
investigating a series of thefts committed by this new crew. Under high pressure from her superiors, she had to figure out not only who was behind the crimes, but also what larger job they were leading up to.
Cast and characters
- Dougray ScottDougray Scott-Early life:The son of Elma, a nurse, and Alan Scott, an actor and salesperson, Stephen Dougray Scott was born in Glenrothes, Fife and attended Auchmuty High School...
: Mickey O'Neil - Michele HicksMichele HicksMichele Hicks is an American screen actress and former fashion model who has worked in both film and television. On television, Hicks's appearances include Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, CSI: NY, Cold Case, The Shield and Heist...
: Amy Sykes - Steve HarrisSteve Harris (actor)Steve Harris is an American actor who has appeared in a number of films including; Quarantine, Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Bringing Down The House, The Rock, The Mod Squad, and Minority Report. He is most famous for his role as Eugene Young on the legal drama The Practice...
: James Johnson - Seymour CasselSeymour CasselSeymour Joseph Cassel is an American actor.He first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering independent films of writer/directorJohn Cassavetes...
: Pops - Marika DominczykMarika Dominczyk-Personal:Dominczyk moved with her family from Kielce, Poland, to New York City when she was three, after her parents were expelled from their native Poland for her father's involvement with Amnesty International and then the Solidarity movement....
: Lola - Billy GardellBilly GardellBilly Gardell is an American actor and comedian. Gardell has been visible within the comedy world industry since 1989. He currently portrays Mike Biggs on the CBS television series Mike and Molly.-Early life:...
: Detective Billy O'Brien - David WaltonDavid Walton (actor)David B. Walton is an American actor, best known for his roles in four shows on NBC. He played Dr. Rick in Fired Up. He was also a series regular on Cracking Up, as Liam Connor.Walton is a 2001 graduate of Brown University....
: Ricky - Reno WilsonReno WilsonRoy Reno Wilson is an American actor and voice artist who has appeared in a number of television programs and films. His first television role was on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, where he portrayed Theo Huxtable's college friend Howard during Seasons 5 and 6 of the series...
: Detective Tyrese Evans - Zac EfronZac EfronZachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and became known with his lead roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, the WB series Summerland, and the 2007 film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray...
: Pizza Delivery Boy
Reception
MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gave the series 51 out of 100, from the 22 reviews it collected, and a user score of 8.5 out of 10 based on 64 votes. Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
found "the story lines and characters are layered and more intricate than in most detective series" and compared Heist to the British show Hustle
Hustle (TV series)
Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but...
. Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, in reviewing the two new shows premièring that night, Heist and The Evidence
The Evidence (TV series)
The Evidence is an American police procedural drama that debuted on March 22, 2006 on ABC. The series starred Rob Estes, Orlando Jones, and Martin Landau.-Summary:...
, declared "Heist is the better of the dramas." He likened both series to the work of Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
, saying they "have Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
and Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs
Reservoir Dogs is an American crime film marking debut of director and writer Quentin Tarantino. It depicts the events before and after a botched diamond heist, but not the heist itself. Reservoir Dogs stars an ensemble cast: Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, and...
in their DNA." Tim Goodman of The San Francisco Chronicle found "the writing in Heist is self-consciously forced", further describing it as "painful to hear". "Heist is either the best inside joke about appeasing the masses for a monolithic network or, sadly, two guys who needed to pay the rent and buy mama some shoes." Tom Shales of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
describes this serialized drama as "confusingly shot and edited, populated with snarlingly cranky characters, and crowded with cheap tricks designed to alleviate the show's prevailing pall."
Episode list
| Season # |
Title | Writer | Director | Original airdate | Production Code |
|---|