By Gary Strauss, Elysa Gardner and Anthony Breznican, USA TODAY - Television

Dean Devlin is best known for producing Independence Day and The Patriot. But he makes his directing debut on the small screen with TNT’s Leverage. The series premieres Dec. 7 (10 ET/PT), then two days later moves to its regular Tuesday slot.

“It was so much fun — the frustrations of a creative producer got to explode in the director’s chair,” says Devlin, who also serves as executive producer and a writer on the series.
Timothy Hutton stars as former insurance company investigator Nate Ford, who recovered millions in stolen goods for his employer only to have the company turn down the claims for his now-deceased son. Ford turns into a modern-day Robin Hood; he assembles a team of grifters who steal from those who use wealth and power to victimize others. Says Devlin, “It’s like an old-fashioned caper movie.”

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