"Immoral, stylish fun [and] pitched perfectly…" Observer
The Smart, Stylish and Sexy Original Series Starring Adrian Lester and Robert Vaughn Premieres Saturday, January 14 at 10 PM ET/PT
Co-Production Agreement Between AMC and BBC Brings Hit Series Stateside
NEW YORK, December 1, 2005 – Call them grifters, con artists, thieves, but these are no ordinary petty criminals. They are expert con artists with a higher purpose, proficient at relieving the greediest fat cat of their heavy wallet and off-shore bank accounts. With effortless charm and engaging humor, the stylish gang of slick hustlers perform their scams set against the backdrop of a shiny-bright, unsuspecting London in the new AMC/BBC original series HUSTLE, premiering Saturday, January 14 at 10 PM ET/PT. Filmed with cinematic production values, this urban action series' retro vibe, glossy style and light-hearted approach will put the squeeze on you and make you fall for these pros of con. They make bad look real good.
Produced by Kudos Film and TV, one of the UK's leading drama companies, HUSTLE stars Adrian Lester (Spiderman 3, Primary Colors) and the legendary actor Robert Vaughn (The Magnificent Seven, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). The series also features Marc Warren (Green Street, Colour Me Kubrick), Robert Glenister (Victoria Station) and Jaime Murray (Animal).
"HUSTLE is an engaging, distinctively stylistic series for AMC, evoking some of Hollywood's great con movies, including The Sting, Mission: Impossible, and Ocean's 11," stated Rob Sorcher, Executive Vice President, Programming and Production. "HUSTLE is a cool new take on the caper genre and a perfect fit for the network."
Slickly made, expertly cast and with a filmic confidence, HUSTLE is a weekly, hour-long series that follows the exploits of a crew of London-based con artists who pull off daringly intricate stings to swindle money from greedy, morally corrupt "marks." Set against the glamorous fast pace of London, the series offers plenty of action, suspense, style and humor, and an occasional touch of romance. Surreal camerawork and cinematic photography provide an inescapable comparison to highly stylized big screen movies such as Catch Me If You Can, The Italian Job and Ocean's 11. As the series progresses, the viewer delves deeper into the hidden world of scammers to reveal the personalities and perverse artistry of the high-end confidence game.
Launching with an 18-episode run on January 14th, each Saturday night will premiere a new extended letterbox version at 10 PM ET/PT and will re-air in its full-screen version on Wednesdays immediately following the "007" Double Feature (check local listings) and on Fridays at 7 PM ET/PT.
Produced in association with AMC, the series is made by Kudos Film and TV for the BBC. HUSTLE is produced by Karen Wilson and Lucy Robinson, inspired by an idea from Bharat Nalluri (Spooks), and is written and created by Tony Jordan (Chief Storyline Consultant, EastEnders). Executive producers are Jane Featherstone (Touching Evil, Spooks) and Simon Crawford Collins (Spooks) of Kudos.
The Hustlers
We meet the gang as their mastermind leader, "Mickey 'Bricks' Stone" (Adrian Lester), king of the dying art of the "long con," is released from prison, having served time for a crime that is totally out of character for someone so calm and laid-back. Smooth-talker Mickey turns to his old crew of con artists to pull off one last score.
"Albert Stroller" (Robert Vaughn) is a veteran of the "long con," and Mickey's mentor. If anyone can find a perfect target, it's Albert. As a result, he frequents the sort of establishments where the very wealthy can be found. Private gentlemen's clubs, casinos, top hotels and restaurants are regular haunts for Albert, "the Roper," and his unsuspecting prey.
The newest member of the gang is "Danny Blue" (Marc Warren). As "the Inside Man," this mischievous flirt is young, ambitious and determined to prove his skills. Anxious to learn the trade from Mickey, an inevitable power struggle develops as the student seeks to surpass his teacher.
"Ash Morgan" (Robert Glenister) is the techno guru of the operation. Safes, alarms, computers and cars are his specialty. A vital member of the crew, Ash helps the gang pull together some of their biggest scores.
Completing the team and using her feminine powers to distract, "the Bait" is "Stacie Monroe" (Jaime Murray). Stacie is feisty, smart and sexy. Not afraid to use her charms illicitly, she is pivotal to the crew's success and causes more than a little romantic tension within the group.
About AMC
AMC, a division of Rainbow Media's Entertainment Services, which also includes WE: Women's Entertainment and IFC Companies, is a 24-hour, movie-based network, dedicated to the American movie fan. The network, which reaches over 86,000,000 homes, offers a comprehensive library of popular movies and a critically-acclaimed slate of original programming that is a diverse, movie-based mix of original series, documentaries and specials. Over the past three years, AMC has garnered many of the industry's highest honors, including 14 Emmy awards. AMC is "TV for movie people."
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
A leader in the entertainment industry, Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation. Rainbow creates and manages some of the country's most compelling and dynamic programming with linear networks including national networks – AMC, fuse, IFC (The Independent Film Channel) and WE: Women's Entertainment; its regional programming service – Rainbow Sports Networks; on-demand networks including Mag Rack and sportskool; and the largest suite of high definition channels available anywhere – the VOOM HD Networks. Rainbow's other businesses include its film distribution, production and exhibition division – IFC Entertainment; in addition to its advertising sales division – Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation – and its full service network programming origination and distribution company – Rainbow Network Communications.
About Kudos Film and TV
The British independent Kudos Film & Television produces two of the UK's most successful drama series – Spooks (shortly to shoot its 5th series) and Hustle (third series to be shown early next year). The company has amassed an impressive catalogue of television and film over the last 12 years, creating original and innovative work with a keen sense of emerging talent. Run by Joint Managing Directors Stephen Garrett and Jane Featherstone, recent projects include the thriller Child of Mine for ITV1 and a new BBC1 series, Life on Mars, starring John Simm.