robert wagner

There's good casting and then there's great casting. NCIS has had a propensity for great casting when it comes to the father's of the core characters. Michael Nouri has been spot on as Ziva's autocratic Israeli father. Ralph Waite was a surprising, but superb, choice as Jethro's down to earth father.

Now, we've just heard the news that there's another pop coming to NCIS.

If you haven't read about the famous TV star chosen and you don't want to know about it, please, don't read any further. However, if you can handle casting without feeling like the story lines are spoiled, follow after the jump.

I have to say this right off the bat ... I love con jobs. Anything about 'em from movies like David Mamet's House of Games to books like 'Bringing Down the House'. Seeing a really deserving 'mark' getting hooked by 'the lure,' then getting drawn in by 'the roper' and to have the whole plan come together (a la Hannibal from The A-Team) is really satisfying. See how I know all the lingo? That's how cool I am, thus making me the biggest mark of all, because I'm arrogant and annoying -- although not rich, so maybe I'm safe.

Anyhow, AMC's continuing original series Hustle comes to Las Vegas this season (April 18th to be exact) and picks up Robert Wagner as a special guest star along the way. He stars as a collector of Hollywood memorabilia, and thus the con is on as Danny promises to bring him the Hollywood sign. Whoops.

Quotes of the panel:

• Someone asked the cast if they had ever been conned, to which Robert Wagner replied "Well, we're here ... aren't we?" Zing! Unfortunately I can't stop picturing him with an eyepatch and reporting to Dr. Evil.
• Robert Wagner was asked about clashing egos when working on a tv series, and he said he wished his was bigger so that he could impress co-star Jaime Murray. So calmly replied, "I told you darling, it's not the size of the trailer ..."

This is the type of news that makes me think a.) Hollywood doesn't know what its doing, b.) Producers have no imaginations, and c.) Big stars will do anything for a f***ing paycheck.

Will Smith, who did soooooo well bringing Wild, Wild West to the big screen a few years back, will take on the Robert Wagner role in an updated version of It Takes A Thief. Now, this was a very cool show. I loved it as a kid. But why do they insist on remaking these shows? It's not the premise/plot of a show that makes it great, it's the combination of a certain star at a certain time in TV history. (I've talked about this so many times on these pages I really don't have the energy to go into it anymore.)

I don't care who they have writing this or who they have directing it, I can tell you right now it's going to be lame. It has to be.