When was the last time network television produced a drama centered on the other side of the law?

Outside of a few premium-channel shows, post-Sept. 11 television has shied away from society's perpetrators and has taken a liking to cops, prosecutors and government agents. In what seems to be the network's hundredth new drama in the last nine months, NBC's latest cops-and-robbers dud, "Heist," should nevertheless be commended for trying to be different.

Unfortunately, different isn't always good, or in this case, even very original.

"Heist" follows a gang of sly criminals in pursuit of their next big sting. In typical fashion, Mickey O'Neil (Dougray Scott, "Dark Water") assembles a diverse group of crooks, each with their own specialties and quirks. In pursuit of them is Amy Sykes (Michele Hicks, "The Shield"), an uptight L.A. detective.

Mickey's group aims to knock off three Rodeo Drive jewelry stores just prior to the Academy Awards - because who wants stock jewelry when you can have Rose's pendant from "Titanic"? If this sounds familiar, it should. Change the setting to Las Vegas, the jewelry stores to casinos and the Oscars to a title fight, and we have "Ocean's Eleven" for television. But I'm sure that's purely coincidental.

Regardless of the parallels to any number of Hollywood blockbusters, the premise of "Heist" is more equipped for a feature film than a weekly drama. If the pilot is any indication of things to come, the writers will surely draw out the big heist longer than they should and include other spinoff jobs for as long as possible. This isn't the sturdy platform a strong weekly drama requires, but it remains to be seen what will be done to change it up in the long run - that is, if there is a long run.

While the plotline is shaky in its own right, a bevy of marginal performances and threadbare characters drives the show into an even deeper hole. Out of the entire gang of crooks, not one of them is captivating or unique.

The only character who has any potential is Detective Sykes, who Mickey spots stealing razors in the pilot. Crooked cops are nothing new, but all five-finger discounts aside, Sykes doesn't seem to be one. She does, however, bend the law, and while it's only hinted at in the pilot, NBC reps have said we can expect her to fall in love with Mickey.

What "Heist" has going for it are some decent action sequences. The pilot's cleverly conceived double robbery is enthralling and managed to rise above the stock setup that surrounded it.

Unless "Heist" is able to find some standout characters in its extensive cast, it seems destined to fail. The individual performances are unimpressive, and the premise alone doesn't seem to fit the medium. But then again, neither did a plane crash, and that seems to have worked well for another network.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Heist
Wednesdays at 10 p.m.
NBC