cougar200012 Although I have never seen the British version of this series, "The Syndicate", and I have heard rave reviews, I was pleasantly surprised with this show and was sorry to see it was canceled so quickly. It offers a cast of relatively unknown "fresh" faces which is very welcome in a series like this. The actors and producers did a good job on this show at a time where it seems like networks are often quick to jump on the bandwagon for what else is currently considered a hit, whether it be a fantasy, western, crime drama, etc. It is nice to see a story line that has not been recreated on multiple TV shows. I am also continually disappointed with good shows being canceled after such a short period of time. I almost never watch live TV anymore, but rather catch shows online or on the DVR so my viewings aren't even counted. Have we not learned anything from shows like Arrested Development which were prematurely canceled? Why a show like this gets canceled while another one remains on air solely because of star names or time slot is beyond me. I would rather watch a good show with a lesser known cast than a bad show with a celebrity lineup. I hope they realize they made a mistake and bring the show back or at the very least offer the remaining 5 episodes already in the can for streaming....

jasctweddle-823-352043 I'm not a paid shill nor am I on drugs but I thought this was exceptional TV viewing. Neither have I seen the Syndicate, so am not able to compare it as a copied version of something else (although it made me think of the UK series "At Home with the Braithwaites" - which was fantastic.) Winning the lottery (or not)is a reality of our lives so this show is relatable to many. It has some humour and lots of heart. The characters were all middle to lower income folk with different situations (ex-con, single mom, childless couple, parents living with parents, happily married Latino, Asian student with a pre-arranged marriage looming) so they show a different perspective about their lives than some viewers may be exposed to first hand, and made them interesting. It also made you want them to win. The robbery in the first episode sets up the suspense value which seems critical to the success of many TV shows these days. The connection between the employees shows individual character flaws and strengths. You care about these people. They seem real even though you know they aren't. The acting here was very well done. What a shame this show didn't last. We didn't contribute to the ratings as we didn't even know it was coming. We found it by accident On Demand and were pleasantly surprised. We'll watch the second episode for sure but wish there were more to come.

SnoopyStyle The people at a small convenient store suddenly become millionaires after winning the lottery. Bob Harris (Isiah Whitlock Jr) got knocked out when the Korzak brothers (Stephen Louis Grush, Matt Long) schemed to rob the store. Samira Lashari (Summer Bishil) is trying to live her life without her old fashion father. Denise Dibinksy (Lorraine Bruce) has a slob of a husband. Leanne Maxwell (Anastasia Phillips) is a single mother with a secret. Antonio Clemente (Luis Antonio Ramos) got left out of the lottery.The pilot episode was absolutely awful. It was a complete mess. There was no need for it. The second episode was much better, but the damage was already done. ABC canceled it after only 2 episodes.The characters have some unlikeability problems, and the actors are all unknowns. This didn't really have a chance. They didn't really need to copy a British show. They already tried a lottery show back in 2006 and it didn't last much longer than this one. And back then the TV landscape wasn't as fractured.

Dr_Sagan Haven't see the original series called The Syndicate (BBC) but the whole premise looks familiar.Anyway, it's about a group, of people of the lower working class, who won 145 millions in Lottery. For everyone there is a twist though that prevent them from being happy with the money they just won. Personal problems, A LOT of bad decisions make them miserable.This a TV-show that may (or may not) have the message that Money isn't everything in life. But to tell you the truth with 25 millions each they could turn their life in a careless direction and never look back. The whole drama seems unnecessary and with that kind of money they could easily change their life, and if not anything else, move as far as they can.The production is OK. Performances are OK too. The pilot sets the mood and the subplots for the episodes to come. It tries to pass some messages about the human nature and our society, but seem kind of pretentious.Overall: Give it a chance