Big Shots = Big Bore

In an attempt to say something positive about "Big Shots," I can say that it has two gorgeous actors in it: Michael Vartan and Dylan McDermott. Unfortunately, that is literally the only positive thing that can be said. This show has a similar idea as "Dirty Sexy Money," in that it is about a group of rich people leading extravagant lifestyles. Sadly, everything DSM gets right, "Big Shots" gets wrong. The four main characters are completely unlikeable from the moment they are introduced. There is Duncan (McDermott) who spends most of the episode trying to bribe the prostitute he hired (because he was "lonely" to keep the incident secret from a reporter. There is Brody, who spends the episode cheating on his perfectly nice wife. There is Karl, who didn't do much other than wait on his wife and complain about it. Then, there is James (Vartan) who gets fired, only to be saved by his boss dying and ultimately being promoted. Mixed in there, he finds out his wife was sleeping with said boss. Now, I have seen Michael Vartan on "Alias" so I know he can act somewhat. But apparently he needs good writing to do that, because on "Big Shots" he spent most of the episode acting and looking like such a sap, that I cringed every time he was on screen. It wouldn't be so bad, if the show played like "Desperate Housewives" as so over the top that you felt like you were supposed to laugh at unlikeable people and unrealistic situations. But "Big Shots" takes itself way to seriously for that to succeed, and even the good cast won't save it.