The necessary exposition is nicely woven into premiere, which takes place at Christmastime and centers on a computer-chip heist. The stolen chips are being sold to the Chinese mob by a millionaire villain. Nash’s magic skills come in handy.
On the personal front, he’s in the process of divorcing wife No. 2, a gorgeous socialite (Serena Scott Thomas), and remains close to his first wife (Annette O’Toole) and their daughter, given a promising turn by Jodi Lyn O’Keefe.
Creators cannot be accused of overreaching. Show has a laid-back feel in keeping with the supposedly mellow milieu. Director Peter Werner comes through with solid action sequences, including the obligatory car chase over the city’s hilly streets.
Some of the choice lines in Carlton Cuse’s estimable script are telegraphed or delivered in a self-congratulatory manner.
The style of “Nash Bridges” can be summed up by the cool jazz bar where Nash is a regular, as well as by the taste he shares with Marin’s character for the Allman Brothers Band. Bay Area flavor is sought with references to Jerry Garcia’s death and Merlot grapes, plus a small earthquake.
Review tape lacked a title sequence and key music and included temporary effects, so it’s hard to get a complete sense of production values.
Nash Bridges
(Fri. (29), 10-11 p.m., CBS)
- Production:Filmed in San Francisco by the Don Johnson Co. and Carlton Cuse Prods. in association with Rysher Entertainment. Executive producers, Don Johnson, Carlton Cuse, John Nicolella; producer, Patti Kent; director, Peter Werner; writer, Cuse.
- Crew:Camera, Rodney Charters; editor, Barry Leirer; production designer, Nina Ruscio; sound, Agamemnon Andrianos; music, Elia Cmiral, casting, Mindy Marin, John Papsidera, Laura Folger.
- Cast:Cast: Don Johnson, Jaime P. Gomez, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Annette O'Toole, Jeff Perry, Serena Scott Thomas, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Cheech Marin, Daniel Roebuck, Mary Mara, Mark Pellegrino, Xander Berkeley, Arnold Vosloo, L. Peter Callender, Lucy Alexis Liu, Elena Praskin, Michael Fitzpatrick, J.M. Henry.
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