White Collar
USA Networks/Fox Blu-ray

For those of you who can't get enough of Soderberg's Oceans movies, here's a great find.

White Collar is a well-written crime-drama, that looks spectacular. Visually it's one of the best shows on television, rivaling Lost for purely superficial elements, although with an urban setting instead of all that Hawaii stuff. This is a very compelling, character-driven hour show. The Oceans movies are an easy comparison because it is shot so well and looks so great. There are also elements of the insider, buddy stuff that are so compelling in those films.

The set-up is easy enough- a very pretty con man is partnered with a straight-laced FBI agent to solve crimes, flirt with us, and generally make New York specifically, and the World in general, a better place to live. The con man is played by Matt Bomer, whose aforementioned looks would be more than enough for anyone, but brings intelligence and some fun to the role. Tim DeKay is the FBI guy, who keeps both Bomer and the show grounded. Interestingly, by the end of the season, DeKay is every bit as appealing as Bomer is, although the show doesn't try to find weak reasons for him to take his shirt off.

The bump shots steal from "Koyaanisqatsi," which, if you have to, is better than most anything else to reference. The pacing is lively, and the characters are smart and engaging. The recurring story arc, while mostly necessary, is perhaps the weakest element of the show, but doesn't detract from the whole enough to bother anyone. The supporting cast is strong, with nice scenes from Diahann Carroll, and even Tiffani Thiessen isn't annoying after we move through seeing her initially.

It's sort of "48 Hours" meets "Lethal Weapon (before all that Mel Gibson side-show made his movies unwatchable)." A thoroughly enjoyable show.