Set in Miami Beach in 1959, Starz advertises the story in this way:
As Ike Evans rings in the New Year at his luxurious Miramar Playa Hotel, Havana falls to Castro’s rebels. It’s a turbulent time in Miami, but it’s THE place to be. The Kennedys, the mob and the CIA all hold court here. And Ike, he’s the star of his hotel.
But everything comes at a price.
To finance his dream, he sold his soul to mob boss Ben “The Butcher” Diamond. Ike’s wife Vera, a former showgirl, and his three kids think he’s an honorable man, but he can’t break his pact with the devil. His life is a façade.
In fact, nothing at the Miramar Playa is what it seems. By day, it’s diving clowns and cha-cha lessons. By night, escorts have secret liaisons with husbands in the family cabanas, while Miami’s seedier residents and the law drift together to hear legendary singers, musicians and comics.
As Ike’s world threatens to implode, he fights for his family, and the Miramar Playa, in Magic City.
The pilot has plenty of action (you can view the first three shows at no cost on the Starz site). It also has a nice golden hue, similar to Mad Men, but the location (plenty of sun), cars, and architecture give the series a more upbeat setting, even if the main characters are still running around in dark suits. Compared to ABC's failed Playboy Club, Magic City comes across as a fresh story with interesting characters rather than the stereotypical characters of many programs (and I include HBO's Boardwalk Empire as a series that tends to ape rather than expand on the past). In fact, I was thinking the television-version of the mob was limited to dreary New Jersey, whereas Florida is so much more scenic. Can you picture the The Sopranos poolside in every episode? I think I will be watching more.
Update: I am happy to read in Entertainment Weekly that Starz has ordered a second season of Magic City.
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