SHARK with James Woods

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

This is the one new series I've been recording to keep up with. James Woods playing a hyper, cocky, aggressive, fast-talking prosecutor, which doesn't seem a stretch for him at all. Some of the office romance stuff is less than great, although a lot of Woods' interactions with his staff of young prosecutors works really well. ("You're self-righteous, stubborn and you bug the hell out of me -- keep up the good work.") And I haven't fully made up mind on his relationship with his daughter -- I want to dislike having this dragged into the show, but most of it has been pretty good. But I can watch Woods do his stuff anytime -- he's a tremendous actor and the show crackles with his energy.

Anybody else seen this one yet?

I've caught two of the first 4 episodes -- LAPD Blue and Russo -- and I thought the first of those was very good and the second great.

[Gordon B]

I haven't seen it. I got hooked on "Smith" starring Ray Liotta, about a team of technologically savvy thieves, only to see CBS yank it from the schedule. It was pretty good although not nearly as good as "Thief", starring Andre Braugher, which ran a few months ago for six episodes on FX before being cancelled.

[Captain Hate]

Originally Posted by Gordon B

I haven't seen it. I got hooked on "Smith" starring Ray Liotta, about a team of technologically savvy thieves, only to see CBS yank it from the schedule.

Has it been yanked or are they just holding it back until after the baseball playoffs? I was really enjoying it.

Shark is ok, mainly because Woods is so outstanding; some of the rest of the cast are expendible/worthless.

[Canuck Don]

I watch Shark , mainly for Mr. Woods. I like anything he does especially when he plays the villian. He has the perfect face for the baddy.

[Lois Gilbert]

Loved the first episode called the pilot directed by Spike Lee, and I got hooked on shark (pun intended). However, the last 2 episodes for me have fallen short and are typical legal and personal drama. IMO if it wasn't for Woods, the show would be gone. Everyone else is just a little too pretty, and a little too over the top.

[Chris D]

"Smith" is indeed dead.

[patricia]

I'll watch anything that James Woods does. He is, IMO, one of the great under-rated actors working today.
I like "Shark", if only because it's a Woods project. He is always worth the price of admission.
If you see it, "Best Seller", a film with Brian Dennehy is worth checking out. Woods is the best thing in it. It's about a hitman [Woods] who teams up with a fiction-writer/former cop, to write the hitman's story. Lots of twists and a satisfying ending.
Woods was also amazing in "Once Upon A Time In America", opposite de Niro.
He has a great face and is very versatile, although admittedly better as a villian, or as a conflicted good guy, as he seems to be as "Shark".
This series will not fail because Woods is not good enough to carry the series, but because his supporting characters need to be stronger. I think the single parent angle may be the weakest link.
Lots of wrinkles in the first four episodes, but if they can be ironed out and Woods' role can be clarified, this could be a keeper.
If anything, Woods is too strong a personality to find supporting characters worthy of his talent. We'll see.

[Captain Hate]

Originally Posted by Chris D

"Smith" is indeed dead.

Cancelling after 2 episodes is the total suck. I think the trailers for it were on longer than the 2 hours minus kumurshuls of the show.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Chris D

"Smith" is indeed dead.

I'd prefer to be in Philadelphia.

[patricia]

Ray Liotta IMO is just not compelling enough to carry his character.
James Caan, if he were not already committed to his series, "Las Vegas" would have been better.
He did a similar character in the under-rated Michael Mann film, "Thief.
Or, in a dream casting, Robert de Niro in another Michael Mann film, "Heat made his character live.
Liotta just doesn't have the gravitas to make his character come alive.
Too bad. The premise for the series was an excellent one.

[Captain Hate]

Originally Posted by patricia

Ray Liotta IMO is just not compelling enough to carry his character.
James Caan, if he were not already committed to his series, "Las Vegas" would have been better.
He did a similar character in the under-rated Michael Mann film, "Thief.
Or, in a dream casting, Robert de Niro in another Michael Mann film, "Heat made his character live.
Liotta just doesn't have the gravitas to make his character come alive.
Too bad. The premise for the series was an excellent one.

You and I definitely differ on this one, Particia. James Caan is too damn old to deal with the young cast of this. Liotta was fine in Goodfellas and could have done this one too, with or without the meltdown of the movie. The pieces were all in place with at least two of the gang members having external problems that were gonna produce major tension. Not to mention the deal with his wife. I'm sure the cast was pretty pricey which was part of the reason they pulled the plug. But I'm *very* disappointed.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I thought the actor who played Russo in the last episode was very good, and had the gravity to balance Woods. The show's probably going to need some heavyweight foils for Shark to succeed.

As I catch up on old Law & Orders, I see there was a spell where there were a lot of famous actors appearing, which made it easier to spot the murderer early on since you knew the guest stars weren't going to play bit parts.

[Gordon B]

Ray Liotta was brilliant in Goodfellas. I think he's a better actor than James Caan.

James Woods is purported to have an 180 IQ.

[patricia]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

I thought the actor who played Russo in the last episode was very good, and had the gravity to balance Woods. The show's probably going to need some heavyweight foils for Shark to succeed.

As I catch up on old Law & Orders, I see there was a spell where there were a lot of famous actors appearing, which made it easier to spot the murderer early on since you knew the guest stars weren't going to play bit parts.

I think that where British productions excel where American ones don't always is that they don't rely on recognizable stars to propel their stories. The reason, for example, that the original British series "Traffik" [re-made as the feature film, "Traffic" with Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones] was so powerful was that the viewer wasn't distracted by recognizing any of the actors and could concentrate on and be absorbed by the plot.
The original series was so convincing that many thought it was a documentary.
The story IMO, should always be what drives a film, or a series.

[Captain Hate]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

I thought the actor who played Russo in the last episode was very good, and had the gravity to balance Woods. The show's probably going to need some heavyweight foils for Shark to succeed.

I totally agree; that he has info that could potentially jam up the Shark pretty much guarantees that he'll be on at least somewhat frequently.

[patricia]

Originally Posted by Captain Hate

I totally agree; that he has info that could potentially jam up the Shark pretty much guarantees that he'll be on at least somewhat frequently.

William Forsythe [Russo] is one of the most talented character actors around. He played opposite Woods in "Once Upon A Time In America" and has a long and very impressive list of roles streching back at least thirty years.
Very smart cast addition. In fact, Woods better watch out that Forsythe doesn't steal his spotlight. This is what I meant by strong supporting roles.

[stonemonkts]

Originally Posted by patricia

I think that where British productions excel where American ones don't always is that they don't rely on recognizable stars to propel their stories. The reason, for example, that the original British series "Traffik" [re-made as the feature film, "Traffic" with Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones] was so powerful was that the viewer wasn't distracted by recognizing any of the actors and could concentrate on and be absorbed by the plot.
The original series was so convincing that many thought it was a documentary.
The story IMO, should always be what drives a film, or a series.

Those of us familiar with British productions recognized nearly everyone in that cast, with a few exceptions (the excellent far eastern actors, e.g.). The man who played the lead as the father/politico was in Smiley's People. Of course the actress who played the wife left holding the bag is very familiar too. I'm too lazy to look up cast names.

[patricia]

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

Those of us familiar with British productions recognized nearly everyone in that cast, with a few exceptions (the excellent far eastern actors, e.g.). The man who played the lead as the father/politico was in Smiley's People. Of course the actress who played the wife left holding the bag is very familiar too. I'm too lazy to look up cast names.

Shame on me that I diminished the talent of the British actors, because BBC series are shown here in Canada frequently. I did see Smiley's People. What I meant is that the casting was superb in Traffik. and The Singing Detective. Michael Douglas couldn't hold a candle to Bill Paterson in the lead.
Perhaps I should have said that.

[stonemonkts]

Bill Patterson was superb, as was Lindsay Duncan. The actor who stole the production for me though was the actor who played the opium grower, Jamal Shah.

[patricia]

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

Bill Patterson was superb, as was Lindsay Duncan. The actor who stole the production for me though was the actor who played the opium grower, Jamal Shah.

Absolutely. [ one "t" in Paterson].
I'll go further and say that even the minor supporting roles were perfectly cast. The story was real.