Burn Notice - The Closest Thing to Travis McGee

The hottest thing on my TV lately has to be Burn Notice. I was beaten over the head with promos for the second season while watching a House marathon on the USA Network over Xmas. The sight of Bruce Campbell decked out in a black suit carrying a shotgun shivered me timbers.

Lucking into the show like I did, I made a terrific discovery. This is the show that I had been wanting for years. This Miami-based action/drama fulfilled the long-held promise of another Florida-based series; John D. MacDonald's long-running Travis McGee books.

McGee is a boat bum from a little ways up the coast in Fort Lauderdale. Taking his retirement as it comes, McGee is a white knight disguised as a gin-swilling, tanned and introspective slacker. Over 21 books, McGee helped all manner of people who had been swindled, duped, or otherwise taken advantage of. He was often joined by his larger-than-life economist buddy Meyer and, on rare occasion, buxom dancer Chookie McCall. Rather than using a gun, McGee used his wits (and occasionally his fists) to make things right.

For years, various Hollywood companies tried to bring McGee to the screen--large and small. To date, there have been two failed adaptations: Darker than Amber (1970) and movie-of-the-week Travis McGee (1983).

While not based on John D. MacDonald's books, the spirit of Travis McGee lives in the heart of Burn Notice's protagonist, Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan). This former spy has been abandoned by his superiors in Miami--any man's paradise is his prison. Without employment or funds, Westen continuously falls into situations where he can earn a little scratch and make things right for the common man. He's joined by the swaggering Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell), a Lothario and beer enthusiast who keeps tabs on Westen for the FBI.

Unlike McGee, Westen has a steady love interest in Fiona (the painfully emaciated Gabrielle Anwar)--a former IRA agent with a love of guns who doesn't shy away from violence. Even more than Westen's profession, Fiona is the biggest difference between the McGee adaptations and Burn Notice. And, she's also the reason why Burn Notice works while the McGee adaptations misfired. Fiona is the perfect counterpoint to Westen. They're a couple but they're not a goo-goo eyed pair of lovebirds. Fiona gives Westen grounding and keeps him from being a pale imitation of James Bond.

Westen has his trappings. Like McGee's Plymouth Gin and houseboat, Westen has his yogurt and Charger. Westen narrates Burn Notice similar to the way MacDonald had McGee tell his tales. However, where McGee shared his observations about America in general, Westen shares secrets of covert ops and gives lessons in makeshift weapons that would give MacGuyver pause.

The chemistry between the cast of Burn Notice is remarkable. Other than a bad wig on Westen's mother (Sharon Gless) in the pilot episode, the show hit the ground running and hasn't looked back. It's one of the slickest and cheekiest shows I've seen in quite a while.

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For a taste of Burn Notice, check out the premiere to Season 2 below