"Las Vegas" (2003) TV series 2003-2008

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Creator:

Gary Scott Thompson

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

22 September 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Fast. Furious. Fun.

Plot:

Welcome to the Montecito Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, where you can do anything you want... but Ed Deline and his crack surveillance team will be watching. Just remember, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...

Plot Keywords:

Casino | Surveillance | Whale | Las Vegas Nevada | Behind The Scenes

Awards:

5 wins & 7 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Nov. 11	12:00 PM	TNT	Everything Old Is You Again	#3.7
Wed. Nov. 11	1:00 PM	TNT	Bold, Beautiful and Blue	#3.8

Cast

Josh Duhamel	...	Danny McCoy (106 episodes, 2003-2008)
James Lesure	...	Mike Cannon (106 episodes, 2003-2008)
Vanessa Marcil	...	Sam Marquez (106 episodes, 2003-2008)
Molly Sims	...	Delinda Deline (106 episodes, 2003-2008)
James Caan	...	Ed Deline (88 episodes, 2003-2007)
Nikki Cox	...	Mary Connell (87 episodes, 2003-2007)
Mitch Longley	...	Mitch Sassen (63 episodes, 2003-2008)
Marsha Thomason	...	Nessa Holt (47 episodes, 2003-2005)

Also Known As:

Casino Eye (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (season 1) | Hungary:16 | USA:TV-14 | France:-12 | UK:12A | Canada:14A | Hong Kong:IIA | Australia:MA (seasons 2 and 3) | Germany:12 | Canada:14+ (Quebec) | Norway:15 | Spain:15 | Sweden:15 | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:6 (seasons 3-5) | Netherlands:12 (seasons 1 and 2)

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Company:

NBC Studios

Trivia:

The location of the fictional Montecito has changed from season to season. Some of the first episodes were taped at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, which is located at the intersection of Tropicana and the Vegas Strip (next to NY NY and across from MGM). (They closed down the strip on at least one occasion at that block to film a car scene...) Because of its similarity to Mandalay Bay, many of the show visuals place the Montecito at the far southern end of The Strip, albeit usually across the street from Mandalay Bay on the airport side of Las Vegas Boulevard. The exact location and rotation of the building seems to vary a lot within this area, indeed the CGI zoom shots of the building exterior in the season two episode, "Montecito Lancers", shows the building in three slightly differing locations for three different shots. Many of Mandalay Bay's interiors and exteriors (including its wave pool) have been used as Montecito exteriors, although the actual set of Montecito is located at Culver Studios, in Culver City, California, so the interiors are a replica of the Mandalay Bay. These studios are where Gone with the Wind (1939) was filmed. During the first season of the show, many of the Montecito's suites overlooked various parts of the middle part of the Strip, placing the hotel near where the Venetian, Flamingo, or Mirage are currently, before the more consistent location at the southern end of the Strip was finalized. In Season 3, Ed Deline's office appears to be in the middle of the strip, overlooking Harrah's, Caesar's Palace, the Mirage, and the Venetian, which puts the Montecito near where Treasure Island is located. This is inconsistent with the flyover shots of the Montecito, which would place Ed's office over 2 miles away. Closer examination of the window scene shows that the Mirage's marquee over their driveway has been edited to read "Montecito". In season 4, episode 2 (around min 34) there is a scene in Ed Deline's office where again we can see an overview of The Mirage and Caesar's Palace. Again it's a confirmation that Ed Deline's office would be where Treasure Island is located. According to an episode that originally aired in December 2005, the Montecito is located about 1.5 miles from the Wynn Las Vegas. It's possible that this distance is in a straight line ("as the crow flies", if you will) as opposed to a reference to actual driving distance. This distance is inconsistent with long shots that place the Montecito near the airport and Mandalay Bay, but is in line with Season 3 visual references noted above. Other episodes show aerial shots of the Montecito that make it appear to be situated at the corner of Giles St. and Reno Ave., about half a mile from Mandalay Bay.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The Montecito is located across the street from the Luxor in the vacant area off the Vegas strip, yet all views from the rooms or ED's office are from the Mirage on the other end of the strip.

Quotes:

Barnett: Your boss and I go way back.
Big Ed: Way back, huh? What are you, 12?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Heroes: Chapter Four 'Collision' (#1.4)" (2006/II)

Soundtrack:

A Little Less Conversation (JXL Remix)

Best New TV Series of 2003

This is the best new TV series released to the networks for the 2003 season.

The writing is interesting, characters got developed this season, plot lines were intriguing, and there was comic relief. Check out this show if you have not already seen it on Monday nites.

What I like best about this series is Josh Dahumel. Not only is he eye candy but a good actor, he is fun to watch and you find yourself engrossed in the show. Apparently they have built an elaborate set in Culver City to film some of these scenes, but you can't tell the real shots from the studio shots. They do a good job masking the transition when they show panorama shots of Vegas itself. I often wonder when I view this show, how big their budget is for extras because they do a good job emulating a big casino. This series is strictly entertainment and as long as your expectations are not as lofty as the other reviewer, you will not be disappointed.