Shannon's Deal

The highest compliment I can give Shannon’s Deal is that it reminds me a little of The Rockford Files. Like James Garner, Jamey Sheridan has a breezy, relaxed style that makes him seem both smart and charismatic, and his role as a lawyer struggling to pay his bills has a tone of amiable desperation that matches Rockford‘s unlucky detective.

Based on an intelligent TV movie from last season written by feature filmmaker John Sayles, Shannon’s Deal is a cut above most weekly dramas. Sayles will keep tabs on the show as a ”creative consultant”; he’ll write an occasional episode, and last week he even did some acting, appearing in a very funny cameo as the insanely jealous husband of one of Shannon’s clients.

There’s a significant problem with this series, though: Based on what I’ve seen, Shannon isn’t given enough to do; he just drifts through the action being wry and charming.

It’s nice to have the star of a well-made show be so low-key, but when you’ve got a charmer like Jamey Sheridan, you ought to show him off a bit more. B+