12 May 2009 – Gain fresh insights into serving justice this May, as an insurance investigator turned modern-day Robin Hood and an unorthodox FBI veteran demonstrate their ingenious and well-meant lack of awe for the law, respectively in Leverage and The Beast. Starring Hollywood’s longtime and legendary luminaries, the two brand new shows will debut first and exclusively on AXN in May.

LEVERAGE premiering 18 May 2009
Balancing one end of the justice scales is embittered insurance investigator turned rebel-Robin Hood Nathan Ford in Leverage. Ford is aptly played, none other by beloved Hollywood veteran Timothy Hutton who became the youngest ever Oscar winner at the tender age of 20 for his supporting role in Ordinary People in 1980.

Unlike the usual dark and edgy crime shows we see on TV, Leverage is a definite breath of fresh air with its sassy, slick approach to a caper show. Ford, addict to both alcohol (since the insurance company he worked for denied his claims for experimental therapy which inevitably caused his son’s death) and a rare old-school sense of justice, finds himself thrust into a leadership position among specialised, self-centred and sexy criminals that he used to hunt as an insurance investigator. With his brains and sense of selflessness, Ford becomes the only person they will trust and who can keep them in check.

Originally every-man-for-himself lone wolves, Ford unites the high-tech felons into a spectacular showcase of quirky talent – Parker (Beth Riesgraf) the slightly unhinged expert thief with no fear of heights whatsoever and Sophie (Gina Bellman) the awful actress but charming grifter who can take on more accents than you can imagine; Alec Hardison (Aldis Hodge) the IT fraud specialist and Eliot Spencer (Christian Kane), a ‘retrieval expert’ who can debilitate a gang of henchmen without breaking a sweat. The eccentric and toothsome team soon find themselves fighting pro bono for the little guys victimised by injustices perpetrated by almighty corporations and governments (while getting the occasional fantastic fiscal reward). “Corporations like that, they have all the money and they have all the power,” Ford explains to potential clients at the end of Episode One, “What we can offer you is… leverage.” The scintillating idea of getting back at such power monopolies, should strike a familiar chord with viewers against the current economic backdrop and recent upheavals in the corporate world.


These members of Leverage Consulting and Associates (the legitimate consulting firm set up as a smokescreen) are unwittingly landed in a position where they do not know if they are the good guys or the bad guys – only that they discover that they love it, and that the viewers will too. Indeed, Leverage premiered to stellar ratings in the US with 8.3 million unique viewers, an impressive feat for a cable network series. The show’s premiere also climbed onto the top ten programmes of the night, proving to be a competent rival against larger network channels with a much wider viewer reach. Critics alike have embraced Leverage, with US Weekly awarding 3.5 out of 4 stars for the show and The Hollywood Reporter touting it as “fun viewing with its marriage of cutting-edge special effects to an attractive cast full of larger-than-life personalities”.

What’s even more gripping than the visual effects and strong cast ensemble is the con-of-the-week featuring real-life con jobs like The Spanish Lottery and The Spanish Prisoner, which rings an all-too-familiar bell in the reel series.  With sophisticated, sassy schemes revolving around not implausible spy gadgets, Leverage is a crunchingly current series that harps on the heartstrings with its emotionally humanistic causes. Viewers from all walks of life will no doubt cheer the unlikely heroes on with fervour, just to see more of the Leverage team outwitting the evil corporate moguls.


THE BEAST premiering 12 May 2009
Also not to be missed is The Beast, starring three-time golden-globe nominee Patrick Swayze (Ghost, Dirty Dancing) in what may be his subtle, sizzling swan song – as the enigmatic FBI veteran Charles Barker. Considered both the best in the business and a possible rogue agent for his hard-edged, psychological style, Barker teeters on losing himself in the criminal character he puts on.

Amidst his own pet projects in the pursuit of what is right but not always acceptable, Barker grooms raw-but-ready rookie Ellis Dove (Travis Fimmel, Tarzan) in his hazardous ways, not knowing Ellis has been assigned to investigate Barker himself. An ornate web soon unfolds in the gorgeously gritty city of Chicago, where relationships are complex or impossible and a moment’s hesitation may mean death. This is never more apparent than when Barker advises Dove grimly on whom to trust, “When you work undercover, you can trust your damn case file and me.”  Danger stares right in their faces as the duo pit themselves against ruthless drug lords, merciless arm dealers, corrupt cops and deadly killers-for-hire.

It is not only the character Patrick Swayze plays who walks the knife’s edge of survival – since 2008, Swayze has been diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. However, this has not deterred him from persevering with his work, clocking 12-hour filming days like any other actor.  In his first regular TV role since 1985, critics are raving about this dogged actor’s performance. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “…Swayze himself, gaunt and intensely energetic, is magnificent” while the New York Times paid tribute to Swayze’s performance as “impressive for its resistance to cliché and remarkable for the mere fact of its execution”. Swayze’s dazzling portrayal of a seasoned, multi-faceted FBI agent will leave viewers hard pressed to decide if they should root for, or against him. Surely, that should be more than enough reason to tune in to The Beast for what might be Swayze’s last ever performance.

With charismatic, award-winning powerhouse leads like Timothy Hutton and Patrick Swayze, AXN undoubtedly gives the scales of justice a sizzling shaking this May! Shout hooray for sweet vengeance, with Leverage and The Beast, first and exclusively on AXN!

THE BEAST premieres 12 May 2009 on AXN
Every Tuesday @ 11pm (SG, MY, PH, TH), 12pm (HK), 10pm (JKT)

LEVERAGE premieres 18 May 2009 on AXN
Every Monday @ 9pm (SG, MY, PH, TH), 10pm (HK), 8pm (JKT)

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