Hustle: The Art of the Con

AMC is known for its quality programming. One gem in the lineup is Hustle. An imported collaboration between AMC and the BBC, Hustle is not your typical crime drama. Told from the point of view of a group of con artists who are more Robin Hood than ordinary thieves. The stories are told with humor and sometimes outright hilarity. A particular British touch is the occassional elaborate dance production scene taken right out of a Bollywood movie.

The show is a morality play. The criminals are a benign group of likeable con artists that chooses a victim because of the victim's greed. In each episode, the mark is guilty of some moral transgression. From a fashionista who steals money from charities to a tabloid newspaper editor who caused the suicide of innocent victim of yellow journalism, every mark is utterly disagreeable.

The group is more like a family, each member playing a role and contributing an expertise. The elder member, Albert Stoller (Robert Vaughn) is the American in the group, and serves as the roper. He finds the appropriate victim and sets up the con. Albert is the elder voice of reason and the expert on the history of the con. Ash Morgan (Robert Glenister) is the fixer. A man of endless resources who can get anything necessary for the con, and the technical wizard. Stacie Monroe (Jaime Murray) is the lure. The only female of the group and provides the feminine touch when needed. The youngest member was Danny Blue (Marc Warren) a young, impetuous and ambitious short-con expert who idolized Mickey Stone. Danny's greatest wish was to work with the legendary Mickey Stone. The series showed us the dynamics between Danny and Mickey. Danny constantly challenged Mickey, attempting to prove himself by trying to best his idol. This season, Mickey is gone. By default, the group is now lead by Danny Blue . The newest member is Billy Bond (Ashley Walters) who, like Danny, is young and thirsting for knowledge from the more experienced pros.