HUSTLE

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Created by Tony Jordan, 'Hustle' is one of the most innovative BBC dramas of recent years. Beginning in 2004, 'Hustle' consists of self-contained stories about a bunch of con artists with a conscience. They use their skills to take money from those who deserve to be fleeced.

A charistmatic cast, Marc Warren's cocky but likeable Danny Blue is one of the more memorable characters of 21st Century telly so far. The capture of Robert Vaughn for the series as the wise old sage Albert was also a bit of a coup.

- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.

Hustle Main Cast List

Robert Glenister as Ash Morgan
Robert Vaughn as Albert Stroller
Adrian Lester as Mickey Stone
Marc Warren as Danny Blue
Jaime Murray as Stacie Monroe
Rob Jarvis as Eddie
Kelly Adams as Emma Kennedy
Matt Di Angelo as Sean Kennedy
Ashley Walters as Billy Bond
Liz May Brice as DS Hodges
Sara Carver as Rachel

Hustle DVDs available from booksmusicfilmstv.com - in association with Amazon.co.uk

Hustle Complete BBC Series 1-4 ~ Marc Warren, Jaime Murray

Hustle - Complete BBC Series 4 ~ Marc Warren, Jaime Murray

Hustle : Complete BBC Series 3 ~ Adrian Lester, Paul Kaye

Hustle : Complete BBC Series 1 [2004] ~ Marc Warren, Robert Glenister

Hustle : Complete BBC Series 2 [2004] ~ Adrian Lester, Marc Warren

Hustle : Complete BBC Series 1-3 Box Set

Hustle (BBC)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hustle is a British television comedy-drama series made by Kudos Film & Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. It returned on Thursday 8th January 2009 to BBC One and BBC HD with series 5 consisting of 6 episodes.

Background

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 joined as a production partner for the third run. The series is also screened in Spain and Portugal through the People+Arts channel, partially owned by the BBC. The first two series aired back-to-back on CBC in Canada during the summer of 2006. The third series premiered on CBC on 13 February 2007.

Series 4 marked a departure from the usual airing of the series. Typically, the BBC would air the episode in the UK and then 6 to 9 months later they would air in the US on AMC. However, due to the additional funding that AMC provided for the production, Series 4 debuted in the US on 18 April 2007, prior to airing in the UK. The series has also been shown in other countries such as New Zealand, Australia (both on ABC1 and Foxtel's UKTV), Japan and Italy on La7.

As a result of AMC's increased involvement, the first and final episodes of series 4 were filmed on location in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The series received a spin-off documentary, The Real Hustle, in which 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.

Virgin Media TV bought the rights to broadcast Hustle on its flagship channel Virgin 1. The series currently airs on Thursdays at 10pm.

The title sequence, created by Berger & Wyse, was nominated for a Royal Television Society Award (2005), a BAFTA (2006) and an Emmy (2007).

Cast

The main cast of Hustle from Series 1-3
Michael "Mickey Bricks" Stone (Played by Adrian Lester, series 1–3, 5-present) is the group’s leader and ‘inside man’. An ambitious, intelligent and driven conman, Stone watched his father struggle to make an honest living for many years before he died just prior to the retirement he had looked forward to his whole life. Mickey understandably hates the system that he feels killed his father, and is determined to make sure he never struggles in the same way. A highly respected long-con expert, it is rumoured that he and Stacie "had a thing once”. Early on in the show, Mickey’s wife divorces him because of his dishonest lifestyle; this plot point helps to illustrate why the life of a grifter isn’t as much fun as it may seem – it can undermine a person’s ability to ever lead a normal life. (This is a theme that reappears throughout the show). Mickey left the team between series three and five, to head up a long con in Sydney, Australia, one that only the great Mickey Bricks could pull off: selling the Sydney Opera House. It is revealed in the first episode of series 5 that he was successful in this con but after being chased by Australian police he had to ditch the money he had made and returned to London to find his old crew who had gone their separate ways. Mickey is shocked to discover Ash making his way by pulling off small bar bets and cons in clubs, but manages to persuade him to return to the crew. He is also shocked to find out that Albert has been locked away in prison for ripping off a casino. He saves Emma Kennedy and her brother Shaun from an angry mark and then lets them become part of his new crew as Danny and Stacie could where away in the states. As of series 5 Mickey owns a 50% share in the new Eddie's Bar which he invested £30,000 of Emma and Shaun's money into to re-open the bar after it had been forced to close due to the credit crunch.
Ash "Three Socks" Morgan (Played by Robert Glenister, series 1-present) is the team’s fixer, who earned his nickname after his first trip to the showers while in prison. Ash can turn his hand to any job, and is seen at various points acquiring vast amounts of foreign currency, rigging a sophisticated alarm system and pretending to be an oil consultant. When Ash first appears on the show, he is working his favourite con; after deliberately stepping in front of a moving car, Ash passes off an old skull fracture as a fresh injury, in order to make an insurance claim. By series 5, the crew has gone their separate ways, but following his return to London, Mickey returns to find Ash and is shocked to discover he is pulling minor bets and cons in local pubs and clubs to make money. Ash then teams up with Mickey once more.
Albert Stroller (Played by Robert Vaughn, series 1-present) is the team’s Roper. His job is to find the perfect mark; someone who is rich, greedy and has a weakness the team can exploit – and to hook them into the scheme, sometimes with the use of a ‘convincer’ (allowing the mark to make a profit initially, to win his trust for the next, much bigger investment; of which he or she will not see a penny!) Once a shoe salesman in the American Midwest, Albert is an old-style grifter, a gentleman, and a grandfather figure and mentor to the group. By series 5, the old crew had gone their separate ways, but following his return to London Mickey returns to find his old crew and meets up with barman Eddie whom informs Mickey that Albert has been locked up after ripping off a casino. Albert then helps Mickey and Ash from his prison cell claiming to have a new mark, but in actuality he has set up two lots of grifters so that Mickey can get them together and form his new crew.
Emma Kennedy (Played by Kelly Adams, series 5-present). Emma posed as a property developer in order to con Mickey and Ash, whom where trying to con her believing her to be in the property market, yet it was revealed that the whole event had been set up by Albert so that Mickey could form a new crew together. Mickey was not happy about this, but in the end him and Ash saved Emma and her brother (who posed as her personal assistant) Shaun from being attacked by a vengeful mark, they later decided that Emma and her brother could join the crew as the new members to replace Danny and Stacie.
Sean Kennedy (Played by Matt Di Angelo, series 5-present). Sean posed as a PA to his sister Emma while they tried to pull a con on Mickey and Ash, whom were actually trying to con him and Emma believing them to be in the property market. It was revealed that the whole event had been set up by Albert so that Mickey could form a new crew together. Mickey was not happy about this, but in the end he and Ash saved Sean & Emma from being attacked by a vengeful mark, and later decided that Emma and Sean could join the crew as the new members to replace Danny and Stacie.
Eddie (portrayed by Rob Jarvis, series 1-present) is the owner (and barman) of Eddie's Bar 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 whenever they want to get out of paying their bar tab, are trying to make a point to someone (usually either Danny or Eddie himself) or are sometimes just plain bored, Eddie has recently taken an active role as a bit player in one of their cons, and generally appears to be rather fond of them despite their minor schemes. The feeling seems to be reciprocated; when Eddie was ripped off by someone in series 4 who persuaded him to put his father in a dodgy care home, the gang retaliated on his behalf by pulling a long con on that person. This is the only con where the crew have deliberately chosen to reveal their true nature to the mark (after the con has been a roaring success). In series 5, Eddie is working in a restaurant after he was forced to close his bar due to the credit crunch. Mickey, however asked Eddie to help with a con which in return he and Ash would provide him with the money to re-open and renovate the bar, so long as they could have a 50% share with Eddie, he agreed and Mickey and Ash invested £30,000 of Emma and Shaun's money to re-open the bar.

Past Main Characters
Danny Blue (Played by Marc Warren, seriess 1–4 – Lacking a particular role within the group, Danny Blue is initially described as a ‘floater’ (a term he abhors). Already a seasoned short-con operator, Danny brashly forces his way into the gang at first, but after proving his loyalty is allowed to stay on and learn from Mickey, who is the “only man in London who can teach him anything”. He challenges Mickey’s authority constantly (as illustrated most explicitly by the ‘Henderson challenge’ episode) and finally gets a chance to lead his own crew when Mickey leaves for Sydney. Cocky and arrogant yet still vulnerable and somehow endearing, Danny is berated by Mickey for his lack of attention to detail when working the con, yet Albert maintains Danny has “…grift sense, and that’s something you can’t teach”. It is this instinct that will pull him through when things go wrong for the group, and Mickey is no longer around to ensure there’s a Plan B. Danny did not appear in series 5 as he left the team after series 4 to stay in America with Stacie in order to pull off some more cons. This resulted in the rest of the team returning to London and going their separate ways.
Stacie Monroe (Played by Jaime Murray, series 1–4 – Stacie uses her sex appeal to manipulate potential marks, both while working the long con and in more small-time cons (such as those used to raise funds for the team). She often poses as an employee of an institution (such as a museum) or an expert in a particular field (such as art), and casually mentions potential 'money-making schemes' (which are in reality cons) to provoke the mark's interest in the matter. However, it is worth noting that she is not simply a pretty face. Numerous times she has been praised for her intelligence and grifting ability, most notably in the very first episode when a police officer remarks that she is "maybe even in [Michael] Stone's league". Sequences in the series sometimes imply that Mickey & Stacie were romantically associated in the past. Stacie did not appear in series 5 as she left the team after series 4 to stay in America with Danny Blue in order to pull off some more cons. This resulted in the rest of the team returning to London and going their separate ways.
Billy Bond (Played by Ashley Walters, series 4). Billy enters the crew in much the same way that Danny did - as a rookie, with a natural hustling instinct and a master of the short con, but with little knowledge or experience of the long con. Billy appears to be an astute and likeable character despite prior involvements in drug dealing and street gangs, and knows that his inclusion within the crew is his chance to make it big. After series 4, Mickey's crew go their separate ways, with Danny and Stacie remaining on in the states and Ash and Albert returning to London, Billy's whereabouts have yet to be revealed. It is also not revealed as to whether Mickey knows that Danny recruited Billy while he was in Sydney.

Guest stars

• Robert Pugh - Frank Gorley
• Orla Brady - Meredith Gates
• David Walliams - Dress Shop Manager
• David Calder - Victor Maher
• Tamzin Outhwaite - Katherine Winterborn
• Ben Miles - Steven Winterborn
• Branka Katic - Olenka
• David Haig - Anthony Reeves
• Charlie Creed Miles - Howard Jennings
• Ronald Pickup - Harry Holmes
• Stanley Townsend - Johnny Keyes
• Rebecca Lacey - Juliette Keyes
• Lee Ingleby - Trevor
• Fay Ripley - Phillips
• Max Beesley - Jake
• Vincent Regan - DCI Wells
• Robert Llewellyn - MC
• Mel Smith - Benny Frazier
• Sara Cox - Herself
• Linford Christie - Himself
• Richard Chamberlain - James Whitaker "JW3" Wright III
• Silas Carson - Kulvinder Samar
  
• Renu Setna - Harold
  
• Kenneth Cranham - Frances Owen
  
• Paul Kaye - Tim Millen
  
• Martin Townsend - Himself
  
• Paul Nicholls - Adam Rice
  

Episodes

Series 1

1. "The Con is On" — written by Tony Jordan, directed by Bharat Nalluri
   • "You can't cheat an honest man." They find a man who is definitely not honest and they take him for a hefty sum of money through an investment scam.
2. "Faking It" — written by Tony Jordan, directed by Bharat Nalluri
   • Albert gets beat up after being caught cheating at cards and the crew decides to take revenge on the thug, a casino owner and avid movie fan.
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.
4. "Cops and Robbers" — written by Tony Jordan, directed by Minkie Spiro
   • Mickey is blackmailed and forced to help a man rob a bank. He develops a plan to help the man —until he realizes that he is the one being conned.
5. "A Touch of Class" — written by Ashley Pharoah, directed by Minkie Spiro
   • A rich, 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.
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.

Series 2

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. The crew aim to prove him wrong.
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 them to take him for what isn't rightly his.
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 in an effort to prove his mettle.
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.
5. "Old Acquaintance" — written by Julie Rutterford, directed by John Strickland
   • Stacie's ex-husband reappears in London, and the gang decide that revenge is best served cold, but will Stacie fall for him again?
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.

Series 3

1. 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?
   • Written by Tony Jordan, directed by Otto Bathurst
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.
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?
4. 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.
   • Written by Danny Brown, directed by Colm McCarthy
5. 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'.
   • Written by David Cummings, directed by SJ Clarkson
6. The crew are blackmailed into helping catch a master thief by a hardline crooked cop, otherwise they will all be sent to jail for a planted cocaine bust. It requires a master plan from Mickey, otherwise the gang will all be sent down.
   • Written by Tony Jordan, directed by SJ Clarkson

Series 4

1. As One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest, One Flew In
2. Signing Up to the Wealth
3. Getting Even
4. A Designer's Paradise
5. Conning the Artists
6. Big Daddy Calling

Future
Following much media speculation, including reports of the programme being cancelled and a motion picture spin-off, the BBC announced on 12 June 2008 that Hustle had been recommissioned for a fifth series. Adrian Lester will return, alongside Robert Glenister and Robert Vaughn, although Marc Warren and Jaime Murray will not appear. Matt Di Angelo and Kelly Adams will star alongside Lester, Glenister and Vaughn in the fifth series, playing Sean and Emma respectively.

The fifth series began transmission on 8th January 2009 on BBC One and simulcast with BBC HD.

A film adaptation of the programme is currently being written by creator Tony Jordan.

DVD Name Region 2 Release Date Region 1 Release Date
Hustle Complete Series One 18 April 2005 5 September 2005
Hustle Complete Series Two 19 September 2005 13 February 2006
Hustle Complete Series Three 23 April 2007 10 July 2007
Hustle One to Three Complete 23 April 2007 -
Hustle Complete Series Four 28 April 2008 22 January 2008
Hustle Complete Series One to Four 28 April 2008 12 August 2008

External links

• Hustle at The Internet Movie Database
• BBCi: Hustle
• Hustle at TV Rage
• Hustlefans.org
• Hustle at AMC

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hustle_%28BBC%29"

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