Hustle
A
major new six-part drama for 91Èȱ¬ ONE from Kudos,
the team behind Spooks, begins Tuesday 24 February, 9.00pm
"The
con is on…"
Watch
the Hustle trail online
Hustle
will take you into a world with a whole new set of rules, where
the good guys can be very bad and you can't always trust what's
right before your eyes . . .
An
action-packed blend of humour and intrigue, Hustle follows the fortunes
of a gang of five expert con artists let loose on the streets of
London.
They
are specialists in the ways of the grifter and all are keen to liberate
cash from the amoral and undeserving.
The Hustlers
We
meet the gang as their leader Mickey 'Bricks' Stone, played by Adrian
Lester (Primary Colours, Love's Labours Lost), master of
the dying art of the long con, is released from prison after having
served a sentence for attacking his now ex-wife's lover, something
that is totally out of character for someone so calm and laid-back.
Smooth-talker
Mickey turns to his old crew to pull off one last score.
Albert
Stroller, played by Robert Vaughn (The Man From
U.N.C.L.E), is a veteran of the long con and Mickey's mentor.
If
anyone can pick out and draw in a potential mark or target, it's
Albert. As a result, he frequents the sort of establishments where
the very wealthy can be found - private gentlemen's clubs, casinos,
top hotels and restaurants are regular haunts for Albert the hunter
and his unsuspecting prey.
Newest
member of the gang is Danny Blue, played by Marc Warren
(State of Play). A cheeky chappie with an eye for the ladies, he
is young, ambitious and determined to prove he's got what it takes.
Keen
to learn from Mickey, an inevitable power struggle develops as the
student seeks to surpass his teacher.
Ash
Morgan, played by Robert Glenister (Murder), is
the technical brains of the operation. Safes, alarms, computers
and cars are all a speciality.
Initially,
he comes across as a loner but it's for Ash that the gang pull together
for one of their biggest scores.
Completing
the team and injecting some sexy, womanly, va va voom is Stacie
Monroe, played by newcomer Jaime Murray.
Femme
fatale Stacie is sassy, street-wise and very confident. Not afraid
to use her feminine charms, she is pivotal to the crew's success
and causes more than a little romantic tension within the group
. . .
The Target
Hustle
also features a number of guest roles, as each episode sees the
gang pick out a new mark, with appearances by Tamzin Outhwaite,
Robert Pugh, Orla Brady, Philip
Jackson and David Haig amongst others.
"I
wanted to write something slick, stylish and sexy and something
that would keep the audience guessing right to the end. But most
of all I wanted it to be really entertaining," explains Hustle's
chief scriptwriter, Tony Jordan.
"The
gang are major league players, the crème de la crème.
I was once told that the con artist is the aristocrat of crime,
and the Hustle gang are definitely the kings of the long con.
"I
read about 30 books, watched numerous films and spoke to real life
confidence tricksters. I now know so much about this world that
if I ever stop writing I think I could make it as a very successful
con artist!"
Mickey
and his crew don't con just anyone, they have a golden rule: only
steal from the greedy - they aren't interested in your life savings.
They
are con artists with a conscience and strictly major league. The
marks are people we love to hate and can't wait to see being taken
down a peg or two.
Anyone
who will do anything for a fast buck is easy game. If you're rich,
greedy, a taker, then beware because you may well be next on the
list.
But
it's not just about the money as Mickey is keen to point out to
enthusiastic rookie, Danny.
The History
It
was during filming of the second series of Spooks, Kudos' hit MI5
drama, that director Bharat Nalluri suggested an idea for a drama
series about con artists and in particular the dying art of the
long con.
Jane
Featherstone, joint MD of Kudos and executive producer of Spooks,
took the idea to EastEnders' storyline consultant, Tony Jordan,
to draft some scripts and to Gareth Neame, Head of Drama Commissioning
for the 91Èȱ¬, who had no qualms about commissioning a six-part series.
And so Hustle was born.
The
innovative and fresh feel that was so evident in Spooks was something
Featherstone wanted to replicate and expand upon with Hustle, but
the main thing she wanted to achieve was a fun, stylish and totally
entertaining drama series.
"Hustle's
high-velocity, mould-breaking approach has the same cinematic feel
as Spooks," explains Featherstone.
"It's
original and distinctive, but above all it is never afraid to tell
shamelessly entertaining stories, presenting both the audience and
the characters with some sexy moral dilemmas and keeping the viewers
guessing right to the end."
Says
Nalluri: "There are fantastical sequences of dancing in casinos,
characters looking and talking straight to camera in a light and
intimate way and people freezing mid-action whilst the con artists
explain their thinking.
"The
audience is brought into the action and made privy to the hustlers'
secrets - as a result they become one of the gang."
Spooks and Hustle producer Simon Crawford Collins explains: "I
wanted to produce the kind of fun TV drama that leaves you with
a big grin on your face.
"It's
an unusual way to live life, but when the team pull off a con we're
right behind them smiling at the sheer cheek of it."
Gareth
Neame comments: "There's a perennial fascination with con men,
tricksters and grifters - the way they work and methods we can employ
to avoid being ensnared by them.
"So,
following on from recent drama successes such as Cutting It and
State Of Play, we're delighted to have Hustle - an exciting, innovative
and sharp drama series from the team who have made Spooks such a
hit for 91Èȱ¬ ONE."
Inspired
by an idea from Bharat Nalluri (Spooks), Hustle is written by Tony
Jordan (Chief Storyline Consultant, EastEnders).
Matthew
Graham (Spooks, Gentleman Thief) and Ashley Pharoah (Down to Earth,
Paradise Heights) complete the writing team, and have also penned
episodes of EastEnders alongside Tony Jordan.
The
series is directed by Bharat Nalluri, Minkie Spiro and Robert Bailey
and produced by Simon Crawford Collins (Spooks).
Executive
producers are Jane Featherstone (Touching Evil) for Kudos and Gareth
Neame for 91Èȱ¬ – replicating the successful team that brought
Spooks to the 91Èȱ¬.
Press pack
Cast
credits
Production
credits
Mickey
'Bricks' Stone (Adrian Lester)
Danny
Blue (Marc Warren)
Albert
Stroller (Robert Vaughn)
Ash
Morgan (Robert Glenister)
Stacie
Monroe (Jaime Murray)
The
World of the Hustler
The
Art of the Con - jargon explained
Hustle trail
Watch
the Hustle trail - "The con is on... "
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Related press releases
The
Man From U.N.C.L.E. star, Robert Vaughn, joins the cast of new 91Èȱ¬
ONE drama series, Hustle (16.09.03)
Adrian
Lester and Marc Warren star as con men in a new series for 91Èȱ¬ ONE
from the makers of Spooks (15.08.03)
All
the 91Èȱ¬'s digital services are now available on ,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable. Freeview
offers the 91Èȱ¬'s eight television channels, interactive services
from 91Èȱ¬i, as well as 11 national 91Èȱ¬ radio networks.
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