Magic City

This sharply written drama series plays on viewers' sympathy for a well-meaning businessman whose missteps on his road to success result in his being at the mercy of a ruthless mobster. Despite the fact that the story is set half a century ago, it has enough relevance to current state of affairs for adults to toy with "what if?" scenarios. What if your easiest route to your family's financial security was through a shady business deal? What if you realized the true consequences of that deal too late? What if placing your trust in someone whose honor you misjudged threatened your family's safety?

Magic City's gritty drama will have viewers itching for more, thanks to a superb cast and the story's ability to humanize players in the typically unsympathetic society of organized crime and its subsidiaries. Then there's the mystery behind the motivations of the characters, which are peeled back layer by layer to keep viewers guessing as to their true intentions. All in all, it's a highly entertaining series, but thanks to pervasive sexuality, free-flowing language, realistic violence, and air of emotional manipulation, it's one that must be saved until the kids are in bed.