Profit

I'm developing a series right now with one of the Canadian networks, and in an interesting bit of serendipity, one of the show's inspirations is newly released to DVD.

Profit had a short run (only 4 episodes) on FOX back in 1996. It was critically raved over, but this is the part of the story where writers have to admit that sometimes evil things like testing does indicate something: no one watched. Looking back now it's hard to figure out why, until you realize that this series, with its unabashed sociopath anti-hero lead, predates The Sopranos, Six Feet, The Shield, and leagues of fare more sophisticated to come. In fact, it's going to seem a little tame when you watch it now.

But get past that. The pedigree of the show is impressive. John McNamara and David Greenwalt, the co-creators, would go on to do great things, like Angel and the late, lamented (at least by me) Tim Daly show Eyes. Stephen J. Canell, the legendary Exec Producer, read the pilot script in his office and when he came out he handed it back to them and said, "I feel like there's been a cobra on my desk."

This pilot is a master class in writing. The first act-out will have you shouting. In the commentary, Greenwalt and McNamara say they got to the end of the first act in their pitch to CBS and the executive kicked them out of the office.

As good as that is, the ending is better. Profit is weird and wonderful and is defintely a good DVD purchase or worth a rental at your DVD googleplex box store.

If nothing else, it's worth watching the nine episodes just to see Adrian Pasdar and Keith Szarabajka engage in the James Earl Jones Olympic Deep-Voice Off. Yummy TV.