At the time of its cancellation, I thought the prospects of seeing a well-conceived heist series this season were very grim indeed. But then in January, ABC started showing episodes of the comedy series The Knights of Prosperity, a series that was at one time titled the very descriptive Let's Rob Mick Jagger. And you know what? It has become everything that I had hoped Smith would be. Just as the comedic take on SNL, 30 Rock, ended up being a better fit for telling the story of a sketch comedy show than the morose and self-indulgent Studio 60, so too has Knights proved to be a wonderful venue for telling the tale of a gang trying to better themselves by robbing from the rich.
The series has the heart and pacing that Smith just couldn't match. I mean, when you look at the gang, every member is on some level likable, and you can relate to their reasoning for wanting to pull off this robbery. And the fact that they are amateurs figuring out how to actually scale the mammoth tasks before them makes the struggle on that is compelling to watch, and you can see them gaining confidence and competance week after week.
But what really sticks out for me is there truly is a sense of honor amongst this motley gang of thieves. While they are plotting evil deeds to get ahead, there are certain lines they won't cross. It has come out on more than one occasion that when it comes down to it, they will not willfully and intentionally get another working class person in trouble. The seeming contradiction of burglars having a set of ethics is half the fun of the show, and it keeps it fresh, at least for me.
I look forward to watching more of the kooky schemes of the Knights of Prosperity, and I have a feeling that their plans are going to continue to get more elaborate and expensive as the weeks and months go on.
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9 comments:
Yes indeed, "Knights" is a good one. I saw snatches of the last two episodes, and it appears as if they may have abandoned their original target, Mick. But maybe they'll get refocused.
As for "Smith," I miss it too. It looked like a knockoff of "Thief" on FX which ran the full season, but unfortunately, it looks like it won't return either.
It's such a shame that the good ones don't stick around. Ever get the feeling that your tastes don't exactly match those counted by Nielson?
I tried to stick with Smith, but none of the characters were very good and I got bored by the second episode. I love the Knights; that's one show that consistently cracks me up every week.
I hadn't even heard of this one, and I consider myself something of a TV junkie. This definitely goes on my "to watch" list. Thanks, MC!
This week's episode was the best yet! Donal Logue cracked me up as the pretentious architect.
Geo: Considering I've had more than a few shows shot out from under me this season, I think you may be right about the mismatch between me and Nielsen.
Samuraifrog: I think my favorite moment was Indian "Cat's in the Cradle".
Jim: Try CTV on Saturday at 5:30... it is sort of a new beginning for the gang, so it is a perfect time to jump in.
Becca: The clothes certainly do make the man.
I was going to just blog about this show, I just watched three eps in a row on ABC.com. I didnt think I'd get into it, but it's a funny non-sitcom show
I think Donal Logue is very underrated as a comedic actor.
I followed you advice and watched it yesterday.
Enjoyed it enough that I've scheduled it to record every week. :D
Thought you would.
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