NEW TV SHOWS: 'VEGAS,' 'MADE IN JERSEY'

The gorgeous Janet Montgomery in 'Made in Jersey.'

As the networks pimp their shows with announcements from the upfronts in Cali., I have to admit that nothing is exactly tickling my fancy. 

For the most part it's the same bumper crop of sitcoms, police procedurals and paranormal caca with the name J.J. Abrams stamped on it. Call me jaded.

Two shows, however, stood out. Since I hail from the state Tony Soprano called home, "Made in Jersey" seems intriguing enough. It centers on a young working class woman who uses her street smarts to compete among her pedigreed Manhattan colleagues at a top New York law firm. It also helps that star Janet Montgomery (a Brit playing a jersey gal!) is impossibly gorgeous.

 

The second a waaaay  more my speed. Fresh of the heels of successful period programs like "Mad Men" and "Magic City," comes "Vegas." The drama is inspired by the true story of former Sin City  Sheriff Ralph Lamb, a rancher tasked with bringing order to Las Vegas in the 1960s. We're so in... The fact that it stars Dennis Quaid as the lawman and Michael Chiklis as a Chi-town mobster s just icing.

The following are the trailers and official synopsis for each show.

 VEGAS

The official synopsis: Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis star in VEGAS, a drama inspired by the true story of former Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb, a fourth-generation rancher tasked with bringing order to Las Vegas in the 1960s, a gambling and entertainment mecca emerging from the tumbleweeds. Ralph Lamb (Quaid) wants to be left in peace to run his ranch, but Las Vegas is now swelling with outsiders and corruption which are intruding on his simple life.

Recalling Lamb's command as a military police officer during World War II, the Mayor appeals to his sense of duty to look into a murder of a casino worker – and so begins Lamb’s clash with Vincent Savino (Chiklis), a ruthless Chicago gangster who plans to make Vegas his own. Assisting Lamb in keeping law and order are his two deputies: his diplomatic, even-keeled brother Jack (Jason O'Mara) and his charming but impulsive son, Dixon (Taylor Handley). Ambitious Assistant District Attorney Katherine O'Connell (Carrie-Anne Moss), who grew up on the ranch next to the Lambs, also lends a hand in preserving justice. In Vegas, two powerful men – Lamb and Savino – are engaged in a fierce battle for control of the budding oasis, and for both of them, folding is not an option. Nicholas Pileggi, Greg Walker, Cathy Konrad, Arthur Sarkissian and James Mangold, who also directed the pilot, are the executive producers for CBS Television Studios.

MADE IN JERSEY

The official synopsis: MADE IN JERSEY is a drama about a young working-class woman who uses her street smarts to compete among her pedigreed Manhattan colleagues at a prestigious New York law firm. Martina Garretti (Janet Montgomery) finds her firm’s cutthroat landscape challenging, but what she lacks in an Ivy League education she more than makes up for with tenacity and blue-collar insight.

After just a few weeks, firm founder Donovan Stark (Kyle MacLachlan), takes note of Martina’s ingenuity and resourcefulness, as does her sassy secretary Cyndi Vega (Toni Trucks). With the support of her big Italian family, including her sexy older sister Bonnie (Erin Cummings), Martina is able to stay true to her roots as a bold, passionate lawyer on the rise in a new intimidating environment. Jamie Tarses, Kevin Falls, Julia Franz and Mark Waters, who also directed the pilot, are the executive producers for Sony Pictures Television in association with CBS Television Studios. Pilot was written by creator and co-executive producer Dana Calvo.


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