The Con is On
Encyclopedia
"The Con is On" is an episode
in the British television
drama series Hustle
that was first broadcast on 24 February 2004. It is the first episode of the series created by Tony Jordan
, and made by Kudos Film & Television
for BBC One
in the United Kingdom
.
Episode
An episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
in the British television
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
drama series Hustle
Hustle (TV series)
Hustle is a British television drama series made by Kudos Film and Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. Created by Tony Jordan and first broadcast in 2004, the series follows a group of con artists who specialise in "long cons" – extended deceptions which require greater commitment, but...
that was first broadcast on 24 February 2004. It is the first episode of the series created by Tony Jordan
Tony Jordan
Tony Jordan is a British television writer. He was listed as the number 1 television screen writer in the UK by Broadcast magazine and among British Broadcastings Top 20 in The Stage ., He currently resides in Hertfordshire, UK.For many years, he was lead writer and series consultant for BBC One...
, and made by Kudos Film & Television
Kudos (production company)
Kudos Film and Television is a British independent film and television production company. It has produced television series for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and its productions include Spooks , Hustle, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard and M.I. High...
for BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Plot
The episode begins with Michael Stone's release from prison. Tricking Ash, Stacie and Albert into believing that he is to carry out one last con before he retires, Mickey forms a group to perform an investment scam on a businessman, Peter Williams. Danny, having not impressed Mickey earlier in the episode, turns up at a key moment in the con to convince Williams to take part, gaining him entry to the group. However, Danny is approached by police officers and in a confrontation with Mickey, Mickey is shot in the head. Danny is faced with a choice: either testify against the other members of the group or go to prison with them. When he refuses, it is revealed that this dilemma was simply a test, Mickey isn't dead, and that the man leading the police investigation was a fellow con artist.Cast
- Michael "Mickey Bricks" Stone — Adrian LesterAdrian Lester-Personal life:Lester was born in Birmingham, England, the son of Jamaican immigrants Monica, a medical secretary, and Reginald, a manager for a contract cleaning company. He sang as a boy treble in the choir of St. Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham...
- Danny BlueDanny Blue (Hustle)Danny Blue is a fictional character in the popular BBC television show Hustle. He is played by Marc Warren.-Background & Joining the crew:...
— Marc WarrenMarc WarrenMarc Warren is an English actor, known for his British television roles as Danny Blue in Hustle, Dougie Raymond in The Vice and Dominic Foy in State of Play.-Career:... - Stacie MonroeStacie MonroeStacie Monroe is a character in the British television series Hustle played by Jaime Murray. Stacie is the only female member of a team-cum-family of "long con" artists.-Background & Personality:...
— Jaime MurrayJaime MurrayJaime Murray is an English actress, best known for playing Stacie Monroe in Hustle and Lila Tournay in season two of the Showtime series Dexter. She has also had recurring roles as H.G... - Ash "Three Socks" MorganAshley Morgan (Hustle)Ashley Morgan is one of the five lead characters in the popular BBC television series Hustle. He is played by Robert Glenister.Ashley Morgan, known simply as Ash to his own crew, and “Three Socks” Morgan to the wider grifting circle, is a seasoned grifter, and the team's "fixer"...
— Robert GlenisterRobert GlenisterRobert Lewis Glenister is a British actor known for his roles as con man Ash "Three Socks" Morgan in the British TV series Hustle, and Nicholas Blake in the BBC spy drama Spooks.-Career:... - Albert StrollerAlbert StrollerAlbert Stroller is a character in the BBC TV series Hustle. He is played by Robert Vaughn.Albert is a member of a crew of grifters. He is the group roper; his role is to identify people as targets and lead them to the inside-man...
— Robert VaughnRobert VaughnRobert Francis Vaughn, , is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. His best known roles include the suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., wealthy detective Harry Rule in the 1970s television series The Protectors, Albert Stroller in... - Eddie — Rob Jarvis
- Peter Williams — James LaurensonJames LaurensonJames Laurenson is a New Zealand actor, who has performed many classical roles on stage and television.Laurenson was born in Marton, New Zealand...
- DS Terri Hodges — Liz May BriceLiz May BriceElizabeth May Brice is an English actress. She is known for roles such as the convicted murderer Pat Kerrigan on ITV1's Bad Girls. To international audiences she may be more familiar as a minor cast member of the horror films Resident Evil and AVP: Alien vs Predator.-Career:Brice was born in...
- DCI Mullens — Ken Bones
- Neil Cooper/DePalma — Tom MannionTom MannionTom Mannion is a British actor.His television credits include Brookside, Up the Garden Path, The Bill, Boon, Cadfael, Doctor Finlay, Doctors, Eleventh Hour, Holby City, Hustle, Life on Mars, Midsomer Murders, New Tricks, Red Cap, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Spatz, Taggart, The Agatha Christie...
Production
- In the opening shot of the series Mickey Bricks addresses the camera, and thus the audience directly, breaking the fourth wallFourth wallThe fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
. Clearly the creators have established that this is a story-telling device that they will use throughout the series.
Viewing Figures
- It hit 6.7 million viewers, greater than the 5.5 million viewers that watched the football match shown on rival channel ITV.
Cultural references
- Upon first meeting Danny, Mickey comments "I bet you've even watched The Sting". Later in the episode, when Danny gate-crashes the con, Mickey introduces Danny as 'Mr Redford'.
External links
- The Con is On at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- The Con is On at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...