On TV

LAST year, Hustle breezed on to our screens like a breath of fresh air. Mind you, any series that doesn't feature coppers or medics as the leading characters is most welcome.

Hustle belongs to the honourable tradition of stories about honourable thieves. The five grifters, or con men (con people, strictly speaking, as one is an impossibly glamorous woman) doing the Hustle are a cross between Robin Hood and gentleman thief Raffles. They only steal from people who can either afford it or are objectionable.

Fears that the writers might have run out of cons by the end of the first batch of episodes were swiftly disproved by the return of the series that drips style like a leaky tap drips water. This time, they attempted to sell their victim a gold mine in central London.

It sounds ridiculous, but half the fun of the series is convincing both the person being conned and the viewer that it's all perfectly possible.

This opener had the added bonus of team leader Mickey Stone (Adrian Lester) trying to teach upstart hustler Danny Blue (Marc Warren) that his tricks of the trade were superior.

"He thinks what we do is easy, let's bring him down a peg or two," says Mickey, as Danny takes charge of the con. He doubts that the newest member of the team has the requisite "professional, cover-all-angles, never-get-caught-approach".

There were moments that you had to agree with him as Danny found himself out of his depth after betting Mickey 50p - hustlers never gamble with their own money - that he could pull off the elaborate scam.

This had to do with honour among thieves after property investor Howard Jennings sussed a fellow scam artist's little scheme and had him sent to prison. Jennings fully deserved everything that was coming to him, or rather being taken away from him. He was going to be deprived of half a million pounds, if I understood the scheme correctly.

Following what's going on isn't always easy. Danny, at the end of it all, muttered, "I still don't get it", although I confess that even I guessed the final twist when the shotgun was fired at the rat.

What matters is doing it with style. And Hustle has this in abundance, from the sharp suits and quick-fire patter to the flashy split screen editing. It's miles away from anything else that's on TV at the moment in terms of look and attitude.

Of course, con men aren't nice people and certainly not the social workers this series comes dangerously close to making them appear. But in contrast to all the grime and crime of other series, the return of these slick and quick-witted hustlers is to be welcomed with open arms - just make sure you keep your hand on your wallet when you greet them.