"Big Shots" Review: Not As Bad As Advertised?

The reviews for “Big Shots” have been pretty crummy. So why did I find myself actually getting into it?

Maybe it’s because the cast is incredibly appealing (Read that as hot.). Or maybe it’s just not as bad as everyone said…

“Big Shots” revolves around four friends:

Duncan (Dylan McDermott) is the CEO of a cosmetics company. He’s chasing after one of his ex-wives, while trying to control their daughter. He’s on top of the world until a reporter reveals she’s doing some snooping into his life. It seems that Duncan was arrested for soliciting a prostitute, which he later saw to be a transvestite. Duncan pays the hooker to be quiet, not knowing he/she was wearing a tape recorder for the reporter.

James (Michael Vartan) is a VP at AmeriMart. However, his boss informs him at a party that the company needs reorganized and he’ll be fired the next day. But just a few minutes later, his boss is killed in an accident at the party. At his funeral, James learns that his boss and his wife were having an affair, so he leaves her. But James’ situation causes him to give an impassioned speech to the Board of Directors that gets him named the new CEO.

Karl (Joshua Malina) is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. He and his wife are in therapy, but the big problem in their marriage is that he is having a steamy affair. But when his mistress, Marla, realizes that his marriage is not as shaky as she thought, she decides to tell his wife everything. But instead, they end up becoming friends.

Brody (Christopher Titus) basically lives to please his wife, who we never see. It’s his need to make her happy that actually leads to the accident that causes the death of James’ boss.

“Big Shots” is clearly meant to be a male “Sex and the City,” as evidenced by the number of times a certain male body part is mentioned in the first half-hour. And it succeeds for the most part, although I find it a little strange that these career-driven men have so much time to spend together.

But you really can’t beat the combination of Dylan McDermott and Michael Vartan. Joshua Molina is adorable as always and I’ve always been a Christopher Titus fan (even if I have never forgiven him for canceling his Funny Bone appearance).

The show is not great, mind you, but it’s not bad. And future episodes will have the touch of “Veronica Mars” creator Rob Thomas, who signed on as a consultant after the show was picked up.

So, I’m not ready to write this one off just yet, even though I probably should.

I guess I just can’t say no to those gorgeous McDermott baby blues…

“Big Shots” airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC…