Written by Lauren Gibbs

Here’s how the PR folk describe the new web series The Bannen Way: THE BANNEN WAY is the highly-anticipated, sexy, fast-paced series starring Mark Gantt (“Ocean’s Eleven”); Vanessa Marcil (“Lipstick Jungle,” “Las Vegas”); Gabriel Tigerman (“Supernatural”); Michael Ironside (“Terminator Salvation,” Total Recall,” “Smallville”); Academy-Award® nominee Robert Forster (“Jackie Brown,” “Heroes”); and special guest star, Academy-Award® nominee Michael Lerner (“Entourage,” “Elf,” “Barton Fink”). The high-octane, slick new series follows Neal Bannen (Mark Gantt), a charming con-man and thief with a police chief for a father (Michael Ironside); a mob boss for an uncle (Robert Forster); and a penchant for fine women – like Madison (Vanessa Marcil), who wants to turn his life around and leave the criminal lifestyle once and for all. All Bannen has to do is complete one more job in order to pay off his debt to a notorious gangster…which just doesn’t work out as easily as he’d hoped. Here’s 10 things you need to know about The Bannen Way:

1. The Bannen Way is a series of webisodes following a slick, conflicted con man (the aforementioned Bannen), torn between his dad (who is police chief – of course he is) and his uncle (who is king of the con men – of course he is). Classic angel/devil, good versus evil. With a trampy girl sprinkled in whenever possible.
2. Bannen is riddled with not one, not two, but at least three addictions (alcohol, gambling & sex). Of course he is.
3. The show’s star, Mark Gantt (who is a dead ringer for Community’s Joel McHale) wrote the story with Jesse Warren. Which makes sense given the number of sex scenes he’s written for himself.
4. Killer supporting cast with Robert Forster & Michael Ironside (both of which you’ll recognize when you see them). They do their best to make the most of the lean dialog and silly plot twists revolving around a mysterious “box”. Killing me with the innuendo.
5. Vanessa Marcil does her very best Vanessa Marcil. Read: sassy, snarky, silly. Same as always.
6. Bannen talks to his dead mom’s ghost so that the audience is clear on the fact that he is damaged/has a heart.
7. If you’ve seen “Burn Notice” on USA, it’s like that, only rated R.
8. Bannen’s partners in crime are a couple of computer nerds (poor mans “The Big Bang Theory”) who do the bulk of the work. Their on the job perk? They get to watch Bannen and all of his, um, conquests, go at it through his go-go gadget video sunglasses.
9. The show features an impressive high production quality. From the cool intro (with a great track behind it) to the graphics and stunts, I just wish the story lived up to the pretty package.
10. Net-net: I want to like it, I really do. After sitting through all 11 episodes (each about 5-8 minutes), I should want to seek out #12. But I don’t. Much like repeats of Law & Order, shows like Cougartown or anything on VH1, it’s just not worth my time.

Watch the series at Crackle.com.

Tags: crackle, lauren gibbs, the bannen way