Leverage: The First Season (2009)

Leverage is a con. That's not just the concept — it's the show itself. Starring Hutton as ex–insurance investigator Nathan Ford, head of a justice league of master criminals, Leveragetricks us into thinking it's fresh, when the idea is as old as Robin Hood. The thief (Beth Riesgraf), the grifter (Bellman), the muscle (Christian Kane), and the hacker (the impish Hodge) join Nathan in righting wrongs, like taking down a shady contractor; it's as if Banacek became leader of the A-Team. It works in spite of being formulaic, because the series (season 2 starts July 15 on TNT) is so stylish. The same can't be said for the dull EXTRAS, like the short doc ''The Cameras of Leverage,'' which features, yep, just cameras; two minutes have never felt so long. The exception is the profile of the show's technical adviser (read: grift guru) Apollo Robbins, a truly intriguing guy. See there? We always fall for the con. B+

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