After having seen Brian DePalma's film (of which I've probably seen a thousand times), I have to say as a fan of crime dramas and gangster movies and shows in particular, this is one of the best crime dramas I've ever watched.
The series loosely (And I do mean loosely...) follows the true story of how Federal Prohibition Agent Eliot Ness formed an independent squad of G-Men to fight the Chicago Mob, specifically the legendary Al Capone. In real life, "The Untouchables" ( A name they actually wouldn't get until years later) fought the Chicago mob from 1930 to Prohibition's end in 1933.
The show originally premiered as a two-hour made-for-TV movie titled "The Scarface Mob" and based directly from Eliot Ness's autobiography. However when the show became such an unexpected hit, the producers decided to turn it into a weekly series. The only problem was that the true adventures of Eliot Ness were covered almost entirely in the movie. So they were forced create new adventures for Ness where he battled bank robbers, kidnappers, other Chicago mobsters (real and fictional), and even had Ness going up against other famous criminals like "Ma" Barker, "Lucky" Luciano, "Dutch" Schultz, and "Legs" Diamond. Which is something the real Ness never did. The sad side-effect of these newly created stories is that historians have been trying to devalue Ness's contributions to fighting crime ever since.
That being said, the series is as hard hitting and gritty as an old James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart movie. It's balance between a semi-documentary, helped by the staccato narrations of famed New York crime reporter Walter Winchell, and the film noir style lighting and camera angles heighten the drama.
The solid storytelling is anchored further by the rock-solid cast which includes series regular Bruce Gordon as the menacing Frank Nitti, Al Capone's successor as well as other inspired guest stars like Peter Falk (Colombo), Leslie Neilsen (The "Naked Gun" movies), Jack Warden, and a wide variety of recognizable tough guy character actors. Playing the members of Ness's squad are Jerry Paris (The Dick Van Dyke Show) as the sensible Martin Flarety, Abel Fernandez as good-natured Native American William Youngfellow, Steve London as the sleepy-eyed Jack Rossman, and Nicholas Geogiande as the eager young Italian Enrico Rossi (Although Brian DePalam says he wasn't inspired by the series and actually didn't care for it, it's easy to see that Rossi may've played some influence in Andy Garcia's character). And, of course, the centerpiece to this series is Robert Stack's indelible, and enduring, portrayal of Eliot Ness with the right blend of toughness, compassion, and moral outrage that isn't bland, nor does it deserve the "boy scout" label that some have used to mock the character. Stack is incredible. And this series is truly entertaining.
If you get the chance, buy this series. While some of the show's elements might seem dated or cheesy, it's still a compelling show that will keep you hooked.
The series loosely (And I do mean loosely...) follows the true story of how Federal Prohibition Agent Eliot Ness formed an independent squad of G-Men to fight the Chicago Mob, specifically the legendary Al Capone. In real life, "The Untouchables" ( A name they actually wouldn't get until years later) fought the Chicago mob from 1930 to Prohibition's end in 1933.
The show originally premiered as a two-hour made-for-TV movie titled "The Scarface Mob" and based directly from Eliot Ness's autobiography. However when the show became such an unexpected hit, the producers decided to turn it into a weekly series. The only problem was that the true adventures of Eliot Ness were covered almost entirely in the movie. So they were forced create new adventures for Ness where he battled bank robbers, kidnappers, other Chicago mobsters (real and fictional), and even had Ness going up against other famous criminals like "Ma" Barker, "Lucky" Luciano, "Dutch" Schultz, and "Legs" Diamond. Which is something the real Ness never did. The sad side-effect of these newly created stories is that historians have been trying to devalue Ness's contributions to fighting crime ever since.
That being said, the series is as hard hitting and gritty as an old James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart movie. It's balance between a semi-documentary, helped by the staccato narrations of famed New York crime reporter Walter Winchell, and the film noir style lighting and camera angles heighten the drama.
The solid storytelling is anchored further by the rock-solid cast which includes series regular Bruce Gordon as the menacing Frank Nitti, Al Capone's successor as well as other inspired guest stars like Peter Falk (Colombo), Leslie Neilsen (The "Naked Gun" movies), Jack Warden, and a wide variety of recognizable tough guy character actors. Playing the members of Ness's squad are Jerry Paris (The Dick Van Dyke Show) as the sensible Martin Flarety, Abel Fernandez as good-natured Native American William Youngfellow, Steve London as the sleepy-eyed Jack Rossman, and Nicholas Geogiande as the eager young Italian Enrico Rossi (Although Brian DePalam says he wasn't inspired by the series and actually didn't care for it, it's easy to see that Rossi may've played some influence in Andy Garcia's character). And, of course, the centerpiece to this series is Robert Stack's indelible, and enduring, portrayal of Eliot Ness with the right blend of toughness, compassion, and moral outrage that isn't bland, nor does it deserve the "boy scout" label that some have used to mock the character. Stack is incredible. And this series is truly entertaining.
If you get the chance, buy this series. While some of the show's elements might seem dated or cheesy, it's still a compelling show that will keep you hooked.