BULL

Susan Granger’s review of “BULL” (TNT Original Series premiere)

On Tues., Aug. 15, at 10 PM, TNT will premiere its first-ever original drama series. “Bull” is the story of a team of young investment bankers and traders who rock Wall Street when they break away from a major investment bank to start their own company. Their leader, Robert Roberts III, known as Ditto, (George Newbern) is the renegade grandson of the autocratic boss (Donald Moffat) of the family firm; he looks at his inheritance as a curse, not a blessing. With no financing, no clients, and the rivalry of every player on the Street, Ditto enlists several colleagues, each with his/her own reason to bolt the Establishment and strive to succeed in the competitive world of high finance. Corey (Malik Yoba) is an African-American facing a glass ceiling; Marisa (Alicia Coppola) had to fight her way up – but she won’t compromise her principles; Marty (Ian Kahn) is fighting for legitimacy; Alison (Elisabeth Rohm) has a secret which will be revealed later in the series; and Carson (Chris Wiehl) is the naive rookie, right out of business school, who gets caught in the family feud. It’s the classic David vs. Goliath theme with Hunter (Stanley Tucci) as the hard-hitting negotiations shark. The title of the show comes from the literal meaning of a “bull” market – when stocks are rising and consumers are buying. For TV viewers who have been inside the “ER,” enticed by “West Wing” and intrigued by the Mob in “The Sopranos,” “Bull” offers a behind-the-scenes view of the amorality rampant on Wall Street. And the timing seems right with people following the Dow and NASDAQ like they are sports scores. On the Granger TV Gauge of 1 to 10, the IPO or premiere episode of “Bull” floats an 8. TNT has invested in 13 episodes to air weekly on Tuesdays at 10 PM with encores at midnight and the following Monday at 11 PM. It could be a blowout (i.e.: a hot issue).

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