Independent, The (London): Satellite, Cable & Digital: PICK OF THE DAY

Las Vegas (10pm Sky One)

This new drama series is as glitzy as the city it depicts. Like other Las Vegas-set tales, such as Casino and Ocean's Eleven, it captures the pathological glitz and glamour of the self-styled "entertainment capital of the universe". Besides the city itself, the other main star is the terrific James Caan (above), here making his long-overdue debut in a major TV series.

He plays Big Ed Deline, a former CIA agent who has wound up as head of security and surveillance at a Las Vegas casino. In tonight's series opener, which has already been a big hit in the US and led to it being re-commissioned, Big Ed has to cope with a gambler who is doing suspiciously well at the blackjack tables, as well solving the mystery of a corpse discovered in the desert. Cheryl Ladd plays Ed's wife and Molly Simms is his daughter, but British actress Marsha Thomason deserves special mention for her role as a foxy pit boss. Las Vegas is quite a change from her last major role, in the cosy Yorkshire drama, Where the Heart Is.