Mickey Bricks and his team of highly skilled conmen return to BBC One in January for the last ever series of Hustle.
As always they’ll target London’s rich and greedy and, with their grifting skills better than ever, they’re ready to push themselves to the limit in the search for riches. But pushing themselves is just the start and with the marks looking meaner and the risks higher, Mickey will need some truly ingenious cons if they’re going to keep alive and out of jail.
Albert is played by Robert Vaughn, Mickey by Adrian Lester, Ash by Robert Glenister, Sean by Matt Di Angelo, Emma by Kelly Adams and Eddie by Rob Jarvis.
> Buy the Series 1-7 boxset on Amazon.
Episode 1
Friday 13th January 2012, 9pm
Kicking the series off with a bang, the grifters take on gold dealer Dexter Gold (played by Paterson Joseph). Famous for parting the elderly from their precious treasures in return for a pittance and trading stolen gold at profitable prices, the gang is eager to give this fraudster a taste of his own medicine.
Masquerading as a renegade army unit, the team lures in their greedy mark with the promise of a consignment of looted Libyan gold. With Dexter chomping at the bit to have a piece of the action, he’s all too ready to strike a deal, but will the team pull off the con before the experts find out the truth?
Episode 2
Friday 20th January 2012, 9pm
Directed by Adrian Lester, the crafty Hustle team learns that a valuable Picasso has been stolen and sees the perfect opportunity for a con. However, a sticky situation arises when they unwittingly try to sell a fake of the painting to the original owner; a faux pas that results in Mickey being kidnapped with only a few hours for the team to return the genuine piece…
Searching for ways to trace the pinched original, the gang visits eccentric Picasso forger, Dolly (played by Sheila Hancock) and insider Cyclops (played by Bill Bailey) for info. They soon learn that Scottish brothers, the McCrarys stole the artwork for hardman Harry Holmes (played by Martin Kemp) and begin their plot to steal it back.
However, with so many fakes and double-crossers lurking behind every corner, the skilled grifters have a challenge on their hands if they’re going to save Mickey in time…
Episode 3
Friday 27th January 2012, 9pm
The law catches up with the crafty conmen when corrupt police officer DI Fisk (played by Patrick Baladi) is bribed into bringing them down.
Unaware of Fisk’s watchful eye, the gang moves in on their latest mark, Linda Runcorn (played by Nina Sosanya), the crooked CEO of an online hotel and restaurant guide. They develop an inheritance scam to convince Linda a wealthy heir has left her valuable jewellery and an impressive estate.
Meanwhile, Fisk arrests Sean’s ex-girlfriend, pickpocket Kat (played by Skye Lourie), on false charges, blackmailing her to spy on the team so he can catch them. Left with no choice, Kat persuades Sean to let her join the con.
Things get heavier when Fisk demands that Kat plant cocaine in Emma’s bag, resulting in Emma’s arrest. With Emma in prison and the grifters under surveillance, there seems little way the Hustle gang can escape unscathed…
Episode 4
Friday 3rd February 2012, 9pm
When the grifters’ friend, Carol (played by Jodie Prenger), suffers a heart attack, the gang discover she’s been the victim of a sham diet plan run by American fraudsters Dr Dean Deville (played by John Barrowman) and his wife, Dana (played by Raquel Cassidy).
Determined to put the corrupt fraudsters through their paces, Mickey hatches a weight-loss scam to sell them a miraculous diet pill, but knows they’ll first need to gain their trust with an elaborate convincer. He lures the couple in by claiming he can steal a much-desired Faberge egg while Ash, dressed in a fat suit, speedily loses weight.
The Devilles are intrigued by the weight loss and Ash lets slip that he’s been taking a stolen diet drug. The team convince Dean and Dana to steal the formula from a pharmaceutical lab but it’s a risky endeavour. Have the grifters gone too far this time?
Episode 5
Friday 10th February 2012, 9pm
Albert decides to pay a nostalgic visit to an old haunt, only to find it’s been pulled down by ruthless property tycoon and former 80s game show host, Dale Ridley (played by Mark Williams). Cue the Hustle gang to deliver their special form of retribution…
Posing as international businessmen, the team lure Dale into a scam, convincing him to purchase the television studios that fired him in his showbiz heyday on their behalf. Will the temptation to get revenge on his old employers be enough to trick the greedy entrepreneur?
A spanner is thrown into the works, however, with the unexpected arrival of Ash’s 11 year old godson, Alfie (played by Sammy Williams). Will the aspiring grifter be a hindrance or a help?
Episode 6
Friday 17th February 2012, 9pm
Mickey’s found the ultimate mark in multi-millionaire businessman Madani Wasem (played by Abhin Galeya), who is ripe for a stock market scam. The stakes are higher than usual as Wasem is extremely dangerous and the kind of mark they usually avoid.
Mickey has his own reasons for taking the risk – he’s tired of grifting and is ready for retirement. The others are shocked but the prospect of a £10million jackpot is too good to turn down.
There is a surprise in store when Wasem’s broker turns out to be Stacie Monroe (played by Jaime Murray). She’s a useful insider but, when Wasem instructs his enforcer to kill Mickey after the deal is done, the very real prospect of death looms large over the gang.
It’s the end of the road for Mickey and the gang but will they go out in a shower of money or a hail of bullets?
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