This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Beginning on Tuesday, CBS will have a pair of crime dramas set in Sin City. But while Vegas (9 p.m., Ch. 2) occupies the same space as "CSI," it does not occupy the same time.
The new show is loosely based on the life of real-life former Sheriff Ralph Lamb (Dennis Quaid), an actual cowboy who enforced the law in the 1960s when Las Vegas was becoming a gambling mecca. There are a lot fewer bright lights and a lot more tumbleweeds and cattle.
Lamb matches wits with Vincent Savino (Michael Chiklis), a mobster who comes to town to to exploit the casino business. Their ongoing battle plays out across the series as different crimes occur in each episode.
The first episode is good. Quaid and Chiklis are very good. CBS' legions of crime-drama fans should approve, and it will be interesting to see how the lawman-vs-mobster storyline will play out.
"Vegas" just might be around for a while.