'Leverage' review

TNT's new series delivers heists, capers and Timothy Hutton

By Amir Kenan

Posted December 4, 2008

Metromix

Oscar winner Timothy Hutton leads a ragtag group of not-so-common criminals in TNT's newest hour-long series, "Leverage," a show that's part Robin Hood, part "Ocean's Eleven," and part I-can't-believe-this-is-actually-on-TNT.

Each episode of "Leverage" follows a self-contained caper. In the series opener, Nate Ford (Hutton), a once-brilliant insurance investigator who's bottoming out with booze and self-loathing after his company refuses to pay for his son's experimental treatment (irony alert!), decides to exact revenge on the insurance company that "killed his son" by stealing some vital aeronautics blueprints. To succeed, Ford must assemble and oversee a small gang of criminals, including tough guy Eliot (Christian Kane), computer whiz Alec (Aldis Hodge), con woman Sophie (Gina Bellman) and thief Parker (Beth Riesgraf), perhaps the show's quirkiest and most watchable character.

The buzz: With fun, character-driven shows like "The Closer," "Saving Grace" and the surprisingly successful "Raising the Bar," TNT has established a remarkable track record for compelling television series. Star Timothy Hutton brings gravitas, as well as a little gold statue, to the series, grounding what could have otherwise been a very silly show with a very silly premise.

The verdict: The first few action-packed episodes show a confidence, and a sense of humor, that should sustain this show at least until the next strike.

Did you know? "Leverage" was made by the same folks who created "The Librarian," the Indiana-Jones-in-a-library Noah Wyle starrer. Watch closely during the outdoor switcheroo scene—there's a poster for the upcoming made for TV adventure flick briefly in the background.

"Leverage" premieres Sunday, Dec. 7, at 10 p.m./9c on TNT.