"Viva Laughlin"
I'm liking it.
Here's a review I found. He drives a nice Mercedes. 
I was lucky and have gotten the opportunity to see the pilot of Viva Laughlin. I am pleased to say that while I was a little (and I mean little) disappointed, Viva Laughlin still looks like it is going to be a great show.
Network: CBS
Time: Sunday 8/7C
Cast: Hugh Jackman (Reoccurring role) “Nicky Fontana”, Lloyd Owen (The Young Indian Jones Chronicles) “Ripley Holden”, Madchen Amick (ER) “Natalie Holden”, Ellen Woglom (The O.C.) “Cheyenne Holden”, Carter Jenkins (Surface) “Jack Holden”, Eric Winter (Wildfire), and D.B. Woodside (24, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Directors: Gabriele Muccino (The Pursuit of Happyness), Hugh Jackman, John Palermo (X-Men: The Last Stand)
Executive Producer: Hugh Jackman
Production Companies: CBS Paramount Network Television, Sony Pictures Television
Genre: Drama, Musical
Viva Laughlin is based on the hit British show “Viva Blackpool”. Viva Laughlin tells the tale of Ripley Holden (Llyod Owen) a man that has always dreamed of opening a casino in Laughlin, Nevada. Ripley encounters some trouble though. Ripley’s enemy Nicky Fontana (Hugh Jackman) and his personal assistant/security guard (D.B. Woodside) has something to do with it. Ripley also has some problems at home with his wife Natalie (Madchen Amick), his daughter Cheyenne (Ellen Woglom), and his son Jack (Carter Jenkins).
As most of you have probably heard Viva Laughlin is part drama, and part musical. You might be wondering how in the world can there be part musical in this show. Well there is and it is actually pretty good (there is not enough of it though). When one of the characters are feeling a strong emotion they sing their emotions in the form of a song. (They aren’t new songs unfortunately. They are classic songs from the past). They show is comprised of about 10% musical and 90% drama. I thought there should have been more.
So what part of the show (Musical or drama) is better. I would have to say they are almost equal. I was a little disappointed by the songs. I though they would be pretty funny and corny. They were pretty serious though. The thing I liked the most with the songs though is that they didn’t stand out too much from the rest of the show. They blended in nice with the drama aspects so it didn’t feel like it was two different shows. The drama part of the show actually surprised me. The drama aspect of the show can hold its own. I can see some intriguing story lines in future episodes.
With this show being part musical the actors and actresses have to know how to act and sing. The lead actor (Lloyd Owen) does a great job as an actor but suffers a little at singing. While by far not a bad singer I wished more for the lead actor in a musical show. Ripley Holden looks like he is going to be a great character. While Lloyd does a good job, Hugh Jackman is the star of the show. (Which is disappointing since he is only a reoccurring character.) Hugh Jackman is a good singer and even a better actor. His character “Nicky Fontana” looks like a great villain. The rest of the cast give above average performances.
So how good is the show. Overall it is pretty good and I believe it has a ton of potential. While more of the musical aspect has to be added this show kept me entertained throughout. With an interesting plot and a nice twist with the musical aspect this show should be one of the best new shows this fall. Unless you either hate the concept, hate musicals, or hate someone in the show you should give Viva Laughlin a chance this fall. I was entertained and you should be too.
(This review was only based off only the pilot.)
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