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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Heist’ crooks a talkative bunch

Kevin Mcdonough United Feature Syndicate

“Heist” (10 p.m., NBC) follows a team of ace burglars planning a simultaneous robbery of every jewelry story on Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive. And during Oscar week no less, when they are certain to be filled to the rafters with bling.

We also get to watch the team of police assigned to catch them. If this sounds familiar, then you’ve been watching the stylish British series “Hustle” on AMC.

The cat burglar sure has changed over the past 50 years. Second-story men like Cary Grant in “To Catch a Thief” kept their mouths shut and let beautiful women provide the seductive chatter. These crooks, and the cops who chase them, never seem to shut up. Everybody, it seems, wants to be in a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Burglars (Dougray Scott and Steve Harris) exchange endless banter about religion and philosophy as they crack safes. Their parallel cop duo (Reno Wilson and Billy Gardell) make “Lethal Weapon” references when not baiting each other about race, weight and ethnicity. And back among the thieves, lovely Lola (Marika Dominczyk) has to suffer the fool in Ricky (David Walton), a slick crook given to slacker dimwit nonsequiturs.

As its title implies, “The Evidence” (10 p.m., ABC) begins every episode with a shot of the evidence gathered in a murder case. Over the next hour, the buddy-cop team of Sean Cole (Rob Estes) and Cayman Bishop (Orlando Jones) will help us make sense of the random collection.

The two men share an easy chemistry, and “Evidence” makes the most of its San Francisco setting, exploiting both gorgeous scenery and some of the city’s grittier tenderloins. Nine whining, manipulative and greedy strangers enter a bunker on “Unanimous” (9:30 Fox), but only one emerges with a cash prize. And you couldn’t pay me to watch this.

Other highlights

Howie Mandel hosts “Deal or No Deal” (8 p.m., NBC).

A filmmaker’s fatal shoot on “Bones” (8 p.m., Fox).

A vigilante leaves a bloody trail on “Criminal Minds” (9 p.m., CBS).

A murdered contractor had his share of foes on “Law & Order” (9 p.m., NBC).