Las Vegas: Season Two—Uncut & Uncensored

An unexpectedly pleasant surprise that emerged from the generally mundane 2003-04 network TV season, Las Vegas delighted viewers with its inside look into the workings of a big casino and the colorful characters populating it. The 24 episodes of the 2004-05 second season successfully builds upon concepts and characterizations established in the series' first year. James Caan is back as Big Ed Deline, operations chief of the Montecito Resort & Casino, where he's constantly on the lookout for scam artists, card counters, and tricksters of all kinds—not to mention agents of his competitors, who would love to lure away the high rollers who frequent Montecito. Josh Duhamel plays his right-hand man, Danny McCoy, whose gal pal Mary Connell (Nikki Cox) also works for the casino. Other regular characters include sharp-witted valet Mike Cannon (James Lesure), hardboiled pit boss Nessa Holt (Marsha Thomason), and Big Ed's daughter Delinda (Molly Sims), who can't resist the lure of her dad's seemingly glamorous business. Lending verisimilitude to the show is a procession of guest stars playing themselves and in some cases performing at the Montecito, including Paul Anka, Alec Baldwin, Clint Black, Jon Bon Jovi, Snoop Dogg, George Hamilton, Tony Orlando, and Sylvester Stallone. Las Vegas, like its namesake, is a little bit cheesy at times, and not nearly as glamorous as all those neon lights and plush carpets suggest, but in the same vein the show is also fast-paced, exciting, and more than a little surprising. DVD extras include a blooper reel (which has some profanity; otherwise it's hard to tell what the “uncut & uncensored” additions are) and a walkthrough of Vegas' Palms casino. Recommended. (E. Hulse)