# Las Vegas, with James Caan & that Duhamel kid **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/las-vegas-with-james-caan-that-duhamel-kid/203842 "2003-09-25T21:45:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/las-vegas-with-james-caan-that-duhamel-kid/203842/1 "2003-09-25T21:45:25Z")
I neglected to post this a couple of days ago. I taped the premiere of that new show _Las Vegas_ Monday night, while watching the season premiere of _CSI: Miami_.  I’m glad I did it that way.  First, 'cos the CSI premiere was a mess of the improbable & the unbelievable in the service of the disgusting & the melodramatic.  Second, because the _Las Vegas_ premiere is one of those things that I kind of needed to tape to catch everything, & it was a cool episode. I’m not saying it’ll be a great series.  I’m not sure how much potential a show about a casino security guy has.  But I love the use of narration in the premiere: more like a novel than like most TV shows. I’m not just saying this because of my long-standing affection for Nikki Cox, although I did like her character in this a lot.  (Boy, _Unhappily Ever After_ does get under the skin, doesn’t it?)  But I will admit that they got points in my book for showing Molly Sims’s breasts (in a glass darkly, but uncovered & natural nonetheless) on a primetime show.  Also for recognizing that Molly Sims is the dangerous hot one, & the suspiciously busty Nikki Cox is the nice sisterly one. Ah, screw it, it was a neat ep.  This show could go one of two ways.  I hope they keep the internal monologue & the complex themes.  I expect it doesn’t matter, & were I a gambling man, I’d take bets on how many shows air.  I mean, a show with James Caan, Molly Sims, & flashes of bare boobs in the pilot?  If past experience is any guide, it’s got about three episodes before it’s canceled in favor of _Fear Factor_ reruns. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/las-vegas-with-james-caan-that-duhamel-kid/203842/2 "2003-09-25T23:19:54Z")
Needless to say, it was a ratings hit here in Las Vegas. Most of the people I work with who saw it agree that it looks like it could be good. I liked the style of the voice over narration as well. Plus, the cast is amazing, so even a weakly scripted episode has a chance at slipping by unnoticed. I will be tuning in again next week. By the way…it was filmed partly at Mandalay Bay and at Green Valley Ranch Casino in Las Vegas and partly on a “casino - lot” in Los Angeles. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/las-vegas-with-james-caan-that-duhamel-kid/203842/3 "2003-09-26T00:54:47Z")
I was looking for a thread about this show, since I just watched my tape. I really enjoyed it. The acting was excellent, and I liked the style – nice pacing that kept me interested the whole time. Elsewhere I’ve seen complaints about the voiceovers, but they worked for me. I also liked the fact that there was plenty of exposition. It’s a little silly to have everyone explain their relationships when they meet, but I prefer that to spending several weeks’ worth of episodes trying to identify all of the characters. I hope your prediction doesn’t come true, **foolsguinea** – I’d like to see this one stick around. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/las-vegas-with-james-caan-that-duhamel-kid/203842/4 "2003-09-28T19:59:29Z")
OK, Las Vegas is on again tomorrow night, so remember to watch it, and “Never sleep with a woman who’s trying to get back at her father.” ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/las-vegas-with-james-caan-that-duhamel-kid/203842/5 "2003-09-30T14:09:46Z")
I watched it again last night, and enjoyed it. I liked the story about the skeavy senator, and the “behind the scenes” stuff of all these people who grew up in Vegas is interesting. I think the interpersonal stuff – esp. the relationship between James Caan and the pretty boy – could turn out to be interesting. It’s growing on me. Besides – I’m not going to watch football _or_ a couple of bad sitcoms. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/las-vegas-with-james-caan-that-duhamel-kid/203842/6 "2003-09-30T14:38:48Z")
Don’t forget Cheryl Ladd as the hot mom. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/las-vegas-with-james-caan-that-duhamel-kid/203842/7 "2003-09-30T15:54:11Z")
I thought the first episode was surprisingly good. Fast moving, well paced, good dialog. The only problem was that the Duhamel character kept having to act like too much of a perfect idiot for him to have the job he has. (Really - he’s lived in Vegas all his life and doesn’t knew how to drink a glass of wine? :dubious: )Necessary for the plot and set-up but they’ll have to make him a little more sophisticated in the future. The second episode wasn’t nearly as good - too slow and too obvious, although the King Arthur character was terrific. James Caan badly needs a new expression, though. 🙂 And it’s about time that somebody in casting realized that Nikki Cox is a better actress than any other “hot-bodied” starlet in Hollywood. The original script had her as a hooker, and then changed it as the last minute, from what I understand. Good decision. She’s a much realer character this way. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/las-vegas-with-james-caan-that-duhamel-kid/203842/8 "2003-10-01T21:21:01Z")
Yeah, I liked this week’s ep. quite a bit. Anyone else get the impression that King Arthur had an effect on Big Ed’s decisions?