A Look At The Recent Series Five Of This Hustling Programme (Hustle)

Member Name: Robin_Hod12

Product:	Hustle
Date:	19/02/09 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Show That Is Always Sharp And Full Of Suprises

Disadvantages: Not Many, Maybe A Bit Longer Next Time?

When I saw that this was coming back to our screens this spring, I was delighted, but also in some ways a bit afraid of what may happen as they returned to the show after such a long break and the prospect of new characters was looming overhead also. But luckily all of my fears were put to rest, and they the show was a return to form, coming in with a number of good cons and characters, but were all of the changes good, let's discuss.

Firstly, we have the change of personal, with two new characters introduced to the mix, knocking out Danny, who was for me a major part of the show and will be severely missed, although there is still hope of a return, and Stacie, although her replacement seemed a good one. The new characters, played by Matt De Angelo and Kelly Adams, who play Sean and Emma respectively, are brother and sister, a pairing that for the sake of hustling marks seem both helpful and at times a hindrance. But both are good actors, and they play their roles convincingly enough, but I still miss the chemistry that was present in the first few series, but most of the old crew is here and that should be relief enough.

We also seem to have a series that looks more at current issues, mainly the credit crunch, but is this bringing it to close to reality and home, or does it add to it? Well, firstly we do see that some of the marks appear to be making money from the credit crunch and stamping on the 'little people', which helps to build on the shows helping the little guy image. It also means that again some of the crimes they commit never seem to be as wrong as perhaps they may appear if they were put in the Daily Mail for instance. I like this and it helps the audience to build up a better relationship with the characters, something that I hope will continue, as I want another new series.

After the Hustle in the USA feel of the last series with Danny in charge, where it often felt a bit comic and over the top, it is nice to get back down to the more nitty gritty cons that pop up in our capital. Mickey's return really sets the ship back on course and discovering what happened to some of the other members in the time between series is always interesting, notably the explanations for the other two's disappearances. The show is more believable and as its main theme is taking money from the rich, this is not at all a bad thing, as it makes it much more 'realistic'.

Finally, I felt that this series was a bit short, coming in at only 6 episodes, although this has been the norm for the ones in the past, but as most series of this high standing usually stretch to near twice that amount, it would be nice to see a more expansive series for number 6. This really is only a bit of small point, and I can hardly complain as I thought that the programme had been cancelled forever, so I best simply count my blessings.

Overall, Series 5 is a return to good form and shows us why the BBC is still one of the best programme makers around. I hope that they hurry up with series 6, as it is currently due in 2010, which seems a long way off, and that we may perhaps see the return of Mickey and Stacey, as they were only off due to other commitments, but you can't have everything, so I guess I'll be happy with what I get.

Summary: Great Series With A Couple Of Changes, But Most Are Pulled Off Well And Make This Quality Viewing