FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

efffigie I have never forgotten this show and its devastatingly real treatment of the lead character's gambling addiction that ruined his entire life. The pilot movie was good, John Sayles always is, but the show was honestly not only grimly funny but grim. I will never forget one especially tough episode in which Shannon scrapes enough money together to buy his teenage daughter an expensive bicycle, only to discover his gift can't compete with her new stepfather's gift of a new car; she refuses the bike. That was bad enough, but he rides the bike around for the rest of the show, and and at the end, exits a building... and finds the bike gone: it's been stolen. I can't forget Jamey Sheridan's demeanor of near-desperation and hopelessness, staring at a broken bike lock on a courthouse steps and regarding his equally broken life. This was a GREAT show, if often truly brutal; not really violent, but just brutal in it's depiction of someone laid completely low. The second season 'lightened it up' a bit and the show suffered for that; the first season was brilliant TV. Elizabeth Pena was so beautiful in this; the only time she's been more beautiful is in the equally forgotten JACOB'S LADDER. But Sheridan created a character any actor would murder to have inhabited; and it's been almost totally lost. Re-issue this. It's not a 'please' kind of thing: just re-issue it already.

Cheyenne-Bodie My favorite shows of the late 80's and early 90's were "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" and "Shannon's Deal". Independent film director John Sayles ("Lone Star", "Sunshine State") created this superb series, which kind of crosses "Perry Mason" with "The Verdict".Shannon is a former big time litigator who lost his job and his family due to a gambling addiction. But his teenage daughter still loves him, and is often around. Shannon now has his own low rent law firm where he handles small time clients. Shannon has trouble paying his secretary, who works part time as a waitress. (Shannon is also half in love with his amazing secretary.) Shannon gets around Philadelphia on a bicycle.Shannon's goal as a lawyer is to keep his clients out of court. I don't think we ever see Shannon in a trial. (The New York Times TV critic, who loved this show, thought Shannon was a private detective.)Beautiful Elizabeth Pena ("Lone Star") played Shannon's Della Streeet, who may be even smarter than Shannon. A loan shark's debt collector, who is into self-improvement via watching PBS, is Shannon's Paul Drake. Shannon helps the son of his friend on the force prepare for the law school entrance exams (until he learns the boy wants to be a cop like his father.) Miguel Ferrer plays a DA in some episodes. As far as I remember, we never see Shannon's ex-wife, who could have been an interesting character (Blythe Danner?).David Strathairn, who went to Williams with Sayles and is a member of his film repertory company, could have been a great Jack Shannon. But they came up with Jamey Sheridan, who was perfect. Sheridan really grew on you episode by episode. A great series lead. I still seek out Sheridan's work.I really think this show could have been a success if NBC had been more creative and persistent. Characters this appealing don't come along often. Maybe Jack and Lucy (Pena) should have moved out west and become regulars on "LA Law". They could have livened that show up. Arnie would have loved Lucy. As it is, "Shannon's Deal" is a candidate for "TV Too Good For TV".

Scatchard Shannon's Deal was a well-written, well-acted show. Jamey Sheridan was a perfect fit to play Jack Shannon, an attorney who was starting over with his own law office. The show played out more like a detective show than a typical show about a lawyer. Shannon was usually hunting down leads in an overcoat and even had the small office with the loyal secretary. It was created by John Sayles who also appeared in an episode.With so many shows being released on DVD hopefully Shannon's Deal can find it's way there as well. Until then I suppose we can take comfort in that Who's The Boss? season one box. It was a high quality show at a low quality time. No wonder it didn't last.If anyone has any episodes out there let me know!

skoyles This short-lived series was an acting tour-de-force by the under-appreciated Jamey Sheridan. Here is an actor who captured every nuance of the complex sympathetic Shannon struggling, as much as anything, to re-polish a very tarnished humanity. A fine series, still missed by all too few of us.