I am – Hercules!!

It’s a crime drama, from writer-producer John Wells (“ER,” “Third Watch”), that looks at a gang of sophisticated thieves from the bad guys’ point of view. It stars Ray Liotta (“Goodfellas”), Virginia Madsen (“Sideways”), Jonny Lee Miller ("Trainspotting"), Amy Smart ("Crank") Simon Baker ("The Guardian"), Franky G ("Saw II") and Shohreh “Behroooooooooz!” Aghdashloo.

There’s a cool scene with Simon Baker fucking with a pair of Hawaiian tough-guys. There’s a cool sequence with Baker hanging out in the apartment of a new sexual conquest. There’s a cool scene with Amy Smart tearing her own blouse open and tasering an old high-school friend. There’s a strange scene with Virginia Madsen and a pee-cup that could cause a few viewers to tune in for episode two. It’s another stupid attempt to do Tarantino TV without Tarantino, but one of the better I’ve seen.

Entertainment Weekly gives it a “B” and says:

… So odd, you must check it out. … That the more-predictable TV vet John Wells (ER) is behind Smith lends some doubt to continuing interest, but the pilot's got a lot of quirky crackle. I'm in—for another week, anyway.

USA Today gives it one star (out of four) and says:

… There's bad, and then there's criminally bad. Hands down the worst new show of the season, Smith is CBS' attempt to break out of its crime-show rut by turning the crooks into the heroes. Or anti-heroes. Or something. It's hard to say exactly what Smith has on its tiny criminal mind, other than a misguided urge to pass inert writing and indifferent acting off as edgy art.…

The Washington Post says:

… The pilot is admittedly a swift, brisk bit of escapist whimsy, but one has to wonder whether the idea of a heist every week will really prove tenable. … It's the kind of show of which one might reasonably say, "They don't miss a trick" -- except that maybe, like the Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz," the poor thing was born without a heart. … It's just too bad that "Smith" is so slight it keeps threatening to float away, like a runaway balloon that's not quite worth chasing down the street.

The Chicago Tribune says:

“Smith” sure looks great. But beneath its glossy surfaces, there’s little substance.… whether we care about the plight of Stevens, whose gang is capable of stunning brutality, rests in the drama’s execution. And that’s where “Smith” lives up to its bland name. It’s possible to create a TV series about people whose actions are reprehensible (and in this pilot, four people die), but the writing and performances have to be so compelling that the viewer feels drawn to watching what these ambiguous characters do. But “Smith” is so thinly written, and the characters so generic, that it’s hard to feel much for this series except admiration for its cinematography. …

The Houston Chronicle says:

… the densely plotted Smith is rewarding on its own terms. … the pilot of Smith is ingeniously complex, at least by general TV standards. This is the kind of show that you'll want to watch twice just to make sure how all the plot points fit together. … Yet the elements that make Smith so smart and savvy could also keep the drama from attracting a large audience. Some viewers may have trouble rooting for a gang of hoods on a weekly basis, especially with the show's dark thematic tone, spasms of violence and twisted timeline. But for those going through Sopranos or Thief withdrawal, Smith is a godsend.

Variety says:

… Interesting but not fully compelling, it's a long shot to make a big score. … the premiere doesn't fully crackle, and there's good cause for skepticism about whether this premise can be milked well enough to be sustained as a series …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… it's hard to be enthusiastic about the chances for "Smith" despite the obvious care that went into its creation. … The cinematography is stylish, and the action sequences compare favorably to those shot for larger screens. The acting is good, sometimes even inspired, and yet there is a big problem with the show. Put simply, most of these characters are distasteful and sometimes downright repulsive. …

10 p.m. Tuesday. CBS.

Frak ME!!! “Battlestar Galactica” 2.10-2.20 (the one with the expanded "Pegasus" episode!) Goes On Sale Today!!

Find the hugely encheapened “Trek” and other sci-fi here.
Find the hugely encheapened “AD” and other comedies here.
Find the hugely encheapened “24” and other dramas here.