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Hustle (TV series)

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Hustle
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The Hustle team (from left to right): Ash Morgan, Albert Stroller, Mickey Stone, Stacie Monroe, and Danny Blue

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Genre Comedy-Drama
Running time 60 minutes per episode (UK)
Creator(s) Tony Jordan
Starring Adrian Lester
Marc Warren
Robert Vaughn
Robert Glenister
Jaime Murray
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original channel BBC One
Original run February 24, 2004–present
No. of episodes 18
IMDb profile

Hustle is a British television comedy-drama series made by Kudos Film & Television originally airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan (who also wrote many of the scripts), Hustle follows a group of London-based con artists as they attempt to dupe money out of their victims ("marks"). Despite their chosen trade, they adhere to codes as "bad behaviour breeds bad luck". In particular they adhere to the first rule of the con "you can't cheat an honest man" as the mark must think they have committed something illegal (and therefore won't go to the police).

The series frequently breaks the fourth wall (usually at least once per episode) and uses cutaway scenes shot in a different style from the rest of the show. For example, in several episodes the characters appear to "stop time", interacting with other characters that are frozen in place, discussing the con either with each other, or even with the audience. Examples of this can be seen in the pilot episode and "Gold Mine", the first episode of the second series. Other fourth wall-breaking moments are more subtle - a character smiles at the camera as the con begins to take shape, or makes an editorial comment to the viewers. Some episodes insert fantasy sequences -- scenes shot like a Hollywood musical or a silent movie, for example.

Each episode also amounts to a confidence game played upon the viewers through the use of mis-direction and hidden plot details that are revealed at the end of the story. Not all cons depicted are successful, and some episodes focus on the characters dealing with the consequences of their actions.

The first six-episode series was originally broadcast in February and March 2004, and a second six-episode series began on 29 March 2005 and ran until May 2005. The third series began on 10 March 2006 (and began on 14 April 2006 on BBC Scotland). After the finale of series 3 the BBC announcer at the time confirmed that Hustle would return for a fourth series "next year" (2007). As of October 2006, production of the fourth series was underway, and a season premiere was planned for March 2007. In October 2005, it was announced that the BBC had sold United States screening rights for the first two series to cable television station AMC, who has also joined as a production partner for the third run. The series is also screened in Spain through the People+Arts channel, partially owned by BBC and the first two seasons aired back-to-back on CBC in Canada during the summer of 2006.

The series got its own spin-off documentary, The Real Hustle, in which former con artists Paul Wilson, Jessica-Jane Clement and Alexis Conran travel the country demonstrating cons to real people with the aid of hidden cameras. It is aired regularly on BBC Three.

Contents

[edit] Cast

[edit] Characters

[edit] Michael "Mickey Bricks" Stone

Michael Stone is a "long con" artist who is very experienced in tricking people out of their money; a long con involves weaving a complex web of deception over a period of days or weeks, as opposed to quick cons that occur over a short period of time. A perfectionist and highly intelligent, Michael is wanted by fraud squads across the country (in the first episode it is stated that capturing Stone is considered "the ultimate" accomplishment for police) and is leader of the group.

[edit] Ash Morgan

Ashley Morgan, referred to as simply Ash by the other members of the group, is the technical member, or 'fixer', who often prepares for a con by working smaller cons to build up funds, find suitable locations, or forge required materials. His wide social network of other criminals is also often called upon when a specific action or skill is needed for a particularly elaborate con.

[edit] Stacie Monroe

Stacie Monroe, the only female member of the group, is both confident and cool -- police consider her as accomplished in the art of the con as Stone -- and often uses her sex appeal in persuading male marks to hand over their money.

[edit] Albert Stroller

Albert Stroller, a former shoe-salesman turned conman, is the mentor figure to both Michael and Danny, brings the most experience to the group. Albert is often the 'roper' - he gains a potential target's interest, before handing them over to one of the others. However, Albert is a habitual gambler which is occasionally a weakness.

[edit] Danny Blue

Danny Blue, a young and sometimes careless former short con artist, with much potential, is the most recent addition to the group. Discovered by Albert, he literally talks himself into Stone's team during the first episode.

[edit] Eddie

The barman at the pub where the group often plan cons, he is fully aware of the group and their dealings, and usually (but not always) adopts a "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" attitude. Often a victim of the petty grifts played on him by the crew, Eddie has recently taken an active role as a bit player in one of their cons.

[edit] Guest stars

[edit] Episodes

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Series 1

The 2006 DVD release of the first series does not provide episode names, instead referring to each episode as "Con 1", "Con 2", etc.

The episode begins with Michael Stone's release from prison. Tricking Ash, Stacie and Albert that he is to carry out one last con before he retires, Mickey forms a group to perform an investment scam on a businessman, Peter Williams. Danny, having not impressed Mickey earlier in the episode, turns up at a key moment in the con to convince Williams to take part, gaining him entry to the group. However, Danny is approached by police officers and in a confrontation with Mickey, Mickey is shot in the head. Danny is faced with a choice: either testify against the other members of the group or go to prison with them. When he refuses, it is revealed that this dilemma was simply a test, Mickey isn't dead, and that the man leading the police investigation was a fellow con artist.
  • Episode 2: "Faking It" — written by Tony Jordan, directed by Bharat Nalluri
Albert gets beaten up after being caught cheating at cards and the crew decides to take revenge on the thug who is a casino owner and avid movie fan.
  • Episode 3: "Picture Perfect" — written by Matthew Graham, directed by Bharat Nalluri
The gang has a painting forged and sells it to an unknowing art enthusiast.
  • Episode 4: "Cops and Robbers" — written by Tony Jordan, directed by Minkie Spiro
Mickey is blackmailed by a former cop-turned-bank security manager, who threatens to send Danny to prison if Mickey doesn't help him catch an habitual bank robber. Mickey soon realizes that the ex-cop is snaring a trap for Mickey himself, while the bank robber is in fact simply seeking the return of a valuable family heirloom.
  • Episode 5: "A Touch of Class" — written by Ashley Pharoah, directed by Minkie Spiro
A rich, bitchy, recently divorced woman is the target of the cons. Everything is going according to the plan until Mickey's feelings for the woman start to get into the way.
  • Episode 6: "The Last Gamble" — written by Tony Jordan, directed by Robert Bailey
The crew picks a greedy fat-cat as their mark for a con using his two secret weaknesses, gambling and prostitutes.


[edit] Series 2

  • Episode 1: "Gold Mine" — written by Tony Jordan, directed by Otto Bathurst
Harry Holmes, an old time grifter, is nailed by a cocky property developer, a man who thinks he can't be conned. Despite Mickey and Albert declaring the man untouchable, Danny makes a 50 pence bet with Mickey that the developer can be conned. Danny's plan: to convince the developer that a worthless piece of property in the heart of London is sitting on top of a literal gold mine. When the con begins to unravel at the 11th hour, it is left to the more experienced Mickey to rescue the situation and keep everybody out of jail.
  • Episode 2: "Confessions" — written by Matthew Graham, directed by Otto Bathurst
A gangster turned famed chef seeks his long lost son, and Albert lays the plan for the team to take him for what isn't rightly his. Meanwhile, the death of a close friend leaves the aging Albert questioning his own mortality.
  • Episode 3: "The Lesson" — written by Tony Jordan, directed by Alrick Riley
Danny discovers a potential member for the crew and brings him in on their latest con: to swindle a Nigerian collector of rare currency by passing off a fake American $1,000 bill.
  • Episode 4: "Missions" — written by Howard Overman, directed by Alrick Riley
The team's plan to con an auction house with a comic book forgery goes awry when a corrupt cop decides she wants in.
Stacie's ex-husband reappears in London, and the gang decide that revenge is best served cold, but will Stacie fall for him again?
  • Episode 6: "Eye of the Beholder" — written by Tony Jordan, directed by John Strickland
No one has attempted to steal the crown jewels since Thomas Blood, and no one has ever succeeded. Mickey plans to change that.

[edit] Series 3

  • Episode 1: written by Tony Jordan, directed by Otto Bathurst
The crew are back and working their way back up after losing everything in a brief spell in Las Vegas. Their mark, a people-trafficker called Benny Frazier, will do anything for his son, an aspiring rap artist. The con is set, but has the "mark" caught on?
  • Episode 2:
Flaws are revealed in the gang's leadership - to solve this dilemma Albert suggests the "Henderson Challenge". Dropped naked in the middle of London and given six hours to grift as much money as possible, it becomes a test of pure grifting skill.
  • Episode 3:
The crew assist American con artist James Whitaker Wright III, descendant of the legendary James Whitaker Wright I, by setting up the fake company, "Chad mining" in order to crash the bank that destroyed his great-grandfather. However, have the crew forgotten how cunning "JW3" is?
  • Episode 4: written by Danny Brown, directed by Colm McCarthy
The crew attempt to set up Kulvinda Samar (a harsh sweatshop owner), by using a movie-investor con in a Bollywood film. Their usual flawless set up is too perfect, as things take a turn for the worse.
The gang decide to take down a tabloid paper, since it influenced one of the papers victims to attempt suicide. They try to sell them a story about the Queen Mother being a 'fake'.
  • Episode 6: written by Tony Jordan, directed by SJ Clarkson
The crew are caught by the police after they supposedly 'find' cocaine in a suitcase Mickey was carrying. Albert is thrown into prison and Detective Chief Inspector York makes a 'deal'; the rest of the crew must convince a notorious conman, Adam Rice, into stealing the Hans Christian Andersen manuscript, and will be caught red-handed. However, the crew outsmarts York, and he is, as a consequence, fired.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] External links

fr:Les Arnaqueurs VIP it:Hustle - I signori della truffa sr:Преваранти (серија) fi:Kelmien kerho

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