The Best Tv Shows with Las Vegas at the Center of Them

Las Vegas is a Mecca for gamblers and party animals. Sin City offers an escape from reality, makes dreams come true, creates exhilarating memories for its visitors and can also lead to a little bit of trouble if you don’t know how to control yourself and resist the thousands of temptations it can entice you with. Holding the title of the gambling capital of North America, the city possesses a few distinct advantages that make it a popular choice for many films and tv show productions to choose it as the perfect backdrop and inspiration that can propel the story forward. Las Vegas lies in very close proximity to Los Angeles and all major Hollywood studios, boasts an incredible array of luxurious locales, exciting nightlife, top-tier entertainment and is mostly operational around the clock. This has resulted in a plethora of places taking central roles and driving the characters onward with the plot. In the following review, we will pinpoint some of the best tv shows that benefit considerably from having the entertainment capital of the world take centre stage.

1. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000 – 2015)

The longest-running scripted show as of the moment of this writing, CSI centres around an elite team of police officers and forensic specialists that deal with a variety of cases in the city and surrounding areas. Boasting a stellar cast of talented actors, the show is successfully intertwining fascinating criminal cases with the methodology and implications of the investigative research and social responsibility of the people involved in each scenario. Quite often, you will find yourself at the edge of your seat as each case unfolds before your eyes and the team is putting the puzzle together piece by piece. The show was so successful that it spawned two spin-offs: CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. An interesting fact surrounding the show is that according to police officers, the show actually thought criminals how to cover their tracks, be smarter, and be more cautious with any leads they might leave behind on the crime scene. This has made the job of the law enforcers much more difficult.

2. Las Vegas (2003 – 2008)

Las Vegas takes us off the streets and right onto the casino floor where we are taken for a ride through the eyes of the surveillance team at the fictional Montecito Casino and Hotel. Led by James Caan and Josh Duhamel (another example of perfect casting), the show is extremely entertaining and a pure joyride. It playfully portrays what can happen to you if you try to cheat the system, how people with different societal upbringings are treated, and how to differentiate between right and wrong. The cast is dedicated to the fullest, the casino is as luxurious, as you would expect from a hotel situated in one of the greatest US gambling venues, and each episode feels as fresh as the previous one.

“A joy ride of fast-paced camera tricks, clever writing and hipness, and the supporting cast quickly establishes that it doesn’t need Caan to carry it.” – Tim Goodman, San Francisco Chronicle

Unfortunately, due to a steady decline in the ratings after the departure of James Caan at the end of the 4th season, the show was canceled after the 5th and failing to get a definitive ending. However, this doesn’t mean that you should not give it a chance as the show really feels like a breeze.

3. Casino Confidential (2012)

Shifting gears to more realistically depicted casino scenarios, we recommend you have a look at Casino Confidential. The show takes place at the iconic Binions Casino, which was closed in 2009 and partly reopened in July 2019 under the name Hotel Apache. The show consists of cameramen that follow the staff working on shift at the venue. The aim is to showcase what obstacles and tasks are tackled on a daily basis on the property. Nothing is spared, really, as you get to see how drunk gamblers are handled, what happens when a child goes missing in the casino, follow hordes of bachelorette party-goers that are stampeding through the premises, kissing security guards and being served by strippers, and the delicate work of handling raging high rollers. When put together, you get great episodes with high entertainment value that are good examples of the limitations, as well as limitlessness of the human brain.

4. Vega$ (1978-1981)

The oldest show on our list was created more than 4 decades ago and ran for 3 seasons. It revolved around the character of Dan Tanna, craftily portrayed by Robert Urich. His character’s a private investigator in Las Vegas that is doing detective work for his high-profile clients, among which some very powerful casino owners. He is up for every task and embraces any challenge you throw at him. It’s a very entertaining show that will give you a glimpse of what Las Vegas used to look like before its slow evolution towards shiny exteriors, overwhelming luxury and mega-resorts took place as the years went by. An interesting fact about the show, production took place almost entirely on-site in the city and it was decided that Dan Tanna should live in a prop warehouse on the actual Strip and made his house the only ever home with a “drive-in” living room.

5. Pawn Stars (2009 – )

Pawn Stars is a reality show that follows the owner of a pawn shop in downtown Las Vegas, which he runs with his family. With 16 seasons behind its belt so far, the show is truly beloved and enjoys a good number of fans. The interactions between Rick (owner) and his family are sharp, witty, and downright funny. Hundreds of people visit the shop regularly to find financial reimbursement for the artifacts they bring in, aside from the steady amount of what only appears as trash in one’s head, that is. One of the most captivating aspects of the show is just how educational it can be. There is so much you can learn about the belongings you thought were utter garbage, not to mention extremely valuable when thoroughly examined. Tune in and see for yourself. You will get hooked from the get-go.