Heist (NBC)

Reminiscent of Ocean's Eleven in its main plotline, Heist unfortunately only ends up being engaging when the thieves are doing what they do best -- executing an intricate, well-thought-out plan that's intended to throw the cops off their track. The script is sadly uneven; on rare occasions, the crooks' banter and the cutting remarks between the cops are amusing, but other times they weigh down the show and even border on offensive. (Two cops assigned as partners -- one black, one white and overweight -- make racist and fat jokes about each other that are disparaging to the point of being truly unfunny.)

Mickey and Amy's subplot provides an intriguing hook, but some of the other plotlines -- such as Pops' (Cassel) visits to his Alzheimer's-stricken wife -- seem overly sentimental and disrupt the flow of the action. The show's worst offense, however, is that very few of the characters are actually likable, which can make their interactions painful to sit through. If you can get past the hit-and-miss humor and the silly/snippety dialogue, the scenes that actually relate to the planning of the heist are fun to watch -- but that's not enough to recommend the show.