Las Vegas: Season One Uncut and Uncensored

It has been said "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", well, now you can keep a slice of the action, deceit and adventure from that town for your very own. With the release of Las Vegas Season One Uncut and Uncensored on DVD you can visit this never sleeping town whenever you want. I have to admit that I missed the series on television but I was pleasantly surprised when I popped the first disc into my DVD player. The show is exiting, novel and immediately drew me in. The stories revolve around the various employees of the Montecito Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. While most of the main characters work in the high tech world of security and surveillance the whole Parthenon of casino life are within the scope of the drama. Danny McCoy (Josh Duhamel), an ex-marine and current protégé of security boss Big Ed Deline (James Caan) makes the unique first appearance as Big Ed breaks into a lush suite to find Danny being very intimate with a beautiful young woman. Unfortunately for Danny the woman is Delinda (Molly Sims), Big Ed’s only daughter. Oh, and Big Ed used to be in covert operations in the CIA, just to add a little more to the growing woes of our protagonist Danny. Also working for the casino is a variety of unusual characters. There is Nessa (Marsha Thomason) known as the Ice Queen, the logical and calculating pit boss in charge of the gambling tables. Mary (Nikki Cox) who starts off as an escort but winds up as the events director for the casino, she is a life long friend of Danny’s. Sam (Vanessa Marcil) is the beautiful and calculating former casino rival now in the employ of Big Ed. Finally there is Mike (James Lesure) the head valet. While this doesn’t seem to be an important function in the casino he hears and sees everything going on.

What I found to be enticing about this series is the sheer amount of energy it contains. There are other quality dramas on television and for a broadcast network to compete with the looser standards and practices of cable they have to add something new to the mix. Las Vegas does this by providing interesting characters with deeper than usual back stories, several sub plots per episode and a few season arc plots. The way they fit in the many story lines is very natural, Danny has a lot on his plate each day; he may have to find a missing whale (a high roller), uncover a high tech cheating scheme and handle a luck winner in bunny slippers, all before calling it a shift at work. Most people are fascinated with the world of Vegas, the bright lights, never ending pandering to any diversion that may be desired but this series goes beyond this, it gives a glimpse at what goes on behind the glitter and glamour, the people that make the magic happen and keep the guests honest.

This show is driven mostly by the cast. The producers did an excellent job in finding the right actor for even the smallest roles here. Josh Duhamel is perfect as the put upon Danny. He treads the fine line between the deer in the headlights to the savvy security man. He has the professionalism to hold as the center of the show, some task considering all the screen time he shares with film legend James Caan. Cann is among the upper echelon of actors, he is a force of nature. He is completely believable as the Ex-CIA head of security. One of the best among the cast is Nikki Cox. Best known for her television roles as the smart but sexy girl next door type here she builds on this to the betterment of the series. The writers made the excellent decision to make Cox the best friend of Danny instead of a love interest, a refreshing change from the typical TV love triangles. Molly Sims was obviously not hired for her acting resume. In the commentary for the pilot the writers notes that when the studio executives saw her Sports Illustrated Swim Suite web site they didn’t care about her acting. Vanessa Marcil is another brilliant addition to the cast. She is intelligent, sexy and completely in control. She knows how to play in a man’s world.

The series is extremely well directed and produced. The group of directors chosen for this series each provide a slightly different take on the feel of their episode but they never compromise the over all direction of the series. There is a fast pace to the episode but enough time is provided for exposition so the viewer is never left lost. While many such shows would focus on the style and forget the substance here there is always a solid drama to hold the show together. Sure there is the hint of sex in almost every episode, but after all what is Las Vegas without a little sin.

The first season is presented in this box set from Universal Like almost all of their recent television series sets Universal is committed to giving a little extra to their customers. This set is no exception. Although it is titled Uncut and Uncensored this is still a television show. Don’t expect a lot of graphic nudity added, some of the scenes are permitted a little extra skin but it is still mild compared to HBO or Showtime. I’m glad they went that way, the drama and character development is what is important and perhaps I’m showing my advancing age here but the rest would be distracting. There are several episodes with commentary tracks by cast and crew. There is an obvious chemistry between these people and it shows in the commentary and the on air performances. The commentary tracks sound like a group of old friends having a few drinks and chatting about old times. No real professional insights here but fun to listen to. Sin City: A Hundred Years Of Good Luck is a little touch of history concerning this unique city. It details just how this town was built up, mobbed up and finally the haven for so many dreams. Inside The Montecito looks at the fictional casino and how the different parts interrelate. One cute little addition is Rumble In The Montecito: Featurette including Jon Bon Jovi, John Ellway and the TV cast of Last Vegas. In all this is a great series and worth adding to your collection.

Posted 12/31/04