Thieves are usually the bad guys, the people we hate on TV ... but not with 'Scoundrels.'

ABC's new drama centers on a family of thieves, including mom Cheryl, played by Virginia Madsen, and schemer extraordinaire dad Wolf, played by David James Elliott. When Wolf gets thrown in the clink for crimes committed, Cheryl decides it's time for the whole family to quit the business and go legit. Apparently, that's not so easy for any of them. But according to Elliott, they're just a "typical American family ... every family's dysfunctional on a level."

I caught up with the stars to find out more about the show, and to hear how playing bad on TV has affected them in real life. Check it out here ...

If the comments section here is any indication, even though Smith was canceled rather quickly by CBS, it actually had a lot of fans. Of course, we didn't get 10 million comments, so "a lot" wasn't really enough.

TV Guide has a breakdown on why the show was canceled. It seemed like it could be a hit: West Wing/ER producer John Wells, big stars like Ray Liotta and Virginia Madsen, and lots of hype by CBS, but what happened? People have speculated that it was because the gang of crooks on the show weren't likable, but the magazine says that it was more the price of the show. Each episode cost about $3 million dollars!

I wonder how much that awful motorcycle chase with Simon Baker cost to film?

(S01E02) Dear Makers of Smith,

I just watched the second episode of your show, and while I think it's still good, I'm starting to fall out of love with it. Have you ever had that feeling?

Maybe it's not you, it's me. But I'm pretty sure it's you.

(S01E01) As I sat watching the premiere episode of Smith, I kept thinking the same thing: after Heist and Hustle and Thief, are people really going to want to watch yet another show about a gang of clever thieves who pull off elaborate robberies?

If it's based on quality, it shouldn't really be a problem. This is a good show. But we all know it's not just based on quality, there are about 9 other things that come into play when people decide to watch or not watch a TV show, and I wonder how viewers will calculate those other things in their head when deciding whether or not to watch it.