New Vegas TV Show Review - Will Vincent Get Around the Law in Las Vegas?

The Vegas TV show, which is due to air on CBS on the 25th of September 2012, is probably the strangest period drama I have ever seen. I don't say this lightly, considering the popularity of period drama's in the form of Mad Men, Magic City, Boardwalk Empire and Downton Abbey. I am sure there are more, but these are the ones that come to mind.

Although there have been lots of TV shows and movies about Vegas and the mob, this show is somewhat different.

If you like the period drama, costumes, attitude and history then keep reading to find out why the new Vegas TV series coming to our small screens soon is different and yet such compelling viewing.

Although the title of this new TV show is very uninspiring, the show is far better than you'd initially think.

As the name would suggest, the Vegas TV show is all about Vegas. However, it is set in the past when Vegas was still a little town, out in the middle of the desert. The mob are slowly moving in on the territory and the lucrative income it will grow to command. It's not just about the mob though.

As is common with these types of programs, it's also about power, loyalty, morals and justice with some love and romance thrown in for good measure. The Vegas TV series basically about people and the balance between fear and greed.

From a modern perspective, this show comes over as a little absurd. However, once you watch it you begin to understand what it must have been like back when Vegas wasn't the huge gambling draw that it is now. In the early 1960's it would have been a much smaller place in the middle of the desert.

Dennis Quaid plays the role of Sheriff Ralph Lamb. However, he's no normal sheriff. He didn't really want to be the sheriff as he was actually a rancher. However, he does have experience with laying down the lay as he was once a military police officer.

Lamb has his own style and has very little guile. He's a very direct and straight forward man that is forced to step up, to protect his growing city as the mob moves into Las Vegas. He also has a unique way of dealing with criminals and delinquents, which normally involves ranching techniques, a horse and a shot gun. You should also expect lots of fisticuffs.

All this growth in Las Vegas and the movement of the mob into the city has attracted the attentive of a Chicago mob boss, Vincent Savino, played by Michael Chiklis. In order to have his piece of the pie, he has to make room for his people. This involves clearing out some of the other families and the local law enforcement, which is why Ralph Lamb is called in.

Who would Ralph trust at his back? His family of course. Jack Lamb (Jason O'Mara) is the Deputy Sheriff and Dixon Lamb (Taylor Handley) is also sometimes needed to clean up the streets of Vegas.

Of course, Vincent Savino isn't happy about Ralph Lamb. Lamb isn't like the normal law enforcement and doesn't stick by the rules. He makes them up as he goes. It gives the show a very wild wild west feel to it all.

If this weren't enough for Ralph Lamb to deal with, there's also the Assistant DA Katherine O'Connell, played by Carrie-Anne Moss. Katherine is striking and clearly has a soft spot for Ralph. Some might say that he was encouraged to become sheriff so he could protect her while she goes about her duties.

It also looks like there could be potential romance between the Assistant DA and the sheriff. That is if Ralph gets the courage up to ask her out on a date.

I think you will like Vegas if you are a fan of period drama's. If you like to see the 1960's in every detail on your TV set then you'll be fascinated with the Vegas TV show. There are amazing costumes, cars, hairstyles and accessories that have all been chosen specifically to make you feel like you are in the 1960's. And it's been done really well too.

If you love westerns then you'll instantly love this Vegas TV series. It has all the required elements, but in a more modern time period which makes it more intriguing and interesting.

Dennis Quaid plays a maverick sheriff surprisingly well. And Michael Chiklis is what you'd expect to see from a mob boss.

An important aspect of the show is how the characters interact and that works really well here too. You can see that Vincent Savino would love to get rid of Ralph Lamb, but clearly has to work with him. It makes great drama to see how they rub up against each other.

Then a completely different side is shown when Ralph is with Katherine O'Connell. Watch this gruff man with a hard exterior become mild mannered and slightly nervous.

There's also the ranch lifestyle and how that contrasts so sharply with the city life, found within the city of Vegas.

Watch the trailer below for an insight into the CBS TV show Vegas.