Scoundrels (TV series)

Did You Know?

• A British version of Outrageous Fortune, titled "Honest" and starring Amanda Redman, aired on ITV in 2008.
• The series follows Cheryl West, who forces her family to quit criminal activities after her husband Wolf is sentenced to five years in prison.

Development and production

ABC ordered eight episodes of Scoundrels in January 2010, a show based on the New Zealand series Outrageous Fortune from creators James Griffin and Rachel Lang. Lyn Greene and Richard Levine wrote the pilot and acted as showrunners. Filming started March 16, 2010, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Three days in, Neal McDonough, originally cast as Wolf West, was replaced by David James Elliot because McDonough refused to film sex scenes due to his religious beliefs. This was ABC’s second try at adapting the New Zealand series; a 2008 pilot called Good Behavior had not been picked up.

Reception

The pilot, "And Jill Came Tumbling After," received mixed reviews. The Boston Herald called it "wicked fun" and praised the cast, while a Boston Globe reviewer found none of the characters funny or touching enough to warrant further viewing. On Metacritic, the series holds a 56% score based on 18 critic reviews, indicating mixed or average reception. The second episode, "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary," earned a better response. TV Fanatic rated it 3/5, noting improvement over the pilot and stating the show was finding its tone and footing, with decent dramatic moments and good laughs.