Is CBS's "Cane" the New Cuban Sopranos?

Cane, well, this may be a love hate thing for me. I love Jimmy Smits, who plays Alex Vega, the adopted son of the Duque family patriarch. Pancho Duque, the patriarch is played by (Hector Alizondo). This is all very reminiscent of Dallas or Dynasty but remakes or pseudo remakes can still be entertaining.This gets more interesting because it also becomes a Cuban Sopranos. Jimmy Smits was a major character in NYPD Blue.

This particular spin has an excellent cast, Jimmy Smits and Hector Alizondo are joined by Rita Moreno (Amalia Duque, El Duque's wife) as well, so you have three major actors . The rest of the cast are pretty faces for the most part. I often wonder why not ordinary looking people or even unattractive people but that wouldn't be Hollywood. No one overweight or unattractive.

Along with the strong cast you get the twist and turns of what is the basis for this new feature program. Alex Vega is the adopted son of El Duque. Alex' sister was murdered by the rival empires, the Samuels, men and Alex was adopted by El Duque. In the first episode, Alex Vega is named head of the family business bypassing the blood son of El Duque who would have been next in line to take over the family business . The business was started when Pancho Duque came to South Florida from Cuba and built up an empire based on sugar and rum. Here's where that title, Cane, comes from, Rum coming from sugar cane.of course.The bypassed brother wants to sell out to the rival company and in a family meeting Alex says, "Sugar is the new oil".He convinces El Duque to keep the sugar fields the family owns rather than sell out to the criminally inclined rivals.

The Samuels henchmen break into Alex' house, there is black mail, intrigue, backstabbing,murder for hire and family in fighting.

Frank, the biological son, wants to sell out to the family's rival. This sets up the grounds for a interfamily feud as Alex wants to fight to keep and build the business. Oh and a few more twists Alex is married to Frank's younger sister, Isabel and Frank is sleeping with the enemy. So this will be the Alex-Frank feud.

There is another blood son, the youngest, Henry to add to the mix. He's the Playboy, South Beach club roaming factor. This gives the show some hot, smokey dance club moments and will be the setting for some big name acts to perform..

Vega (Smits) is the father of a seventeen year old son who takes a stand against going to MIT and joins the service in the first episode. He also announces his engagement. The next child is a teen age daughter who wants to hit the clubs her Uncle owns and a young boy who will be the a target of attempted kidnapping. Add to this the fact that Cane's wife (Isabel, daughter of El Duque, sister of Frank) announces her pregnancy and you see the soap opera layers forming. She is played by Paola Turbey. This aspect will appel to the younger crowd of TV watchers.

This is all taking place in Palm Beach County so the scenery is fabulous. For me, it also has more draw since I spend half the year in Florida. Heavy Latin music, hot dancing, mansions, all very attractive and a smattering of love scenes adds to the draw. The love scenes aren't explicit but they are good and just steamy enough without being blatant or tasteless. And if Jimmy Smits is in the scene I'll be watching.

Again, with the fabulous mansions and beautiful people with twisted family intrigue you're reminded over and over of the Dynasty, Dallas, Soprano feel. The acting is good enough to get you involved in the web of deceit, anger, and involvements that will make this into another evening soap opera. Also, this has a strong, well known cast to carry it.

Main Cast: Hector Alizondo, Rita Moreno, Paola Turbey, Eddie Matos, Nestor Carbonell, Polly Walker and of course, Jimmy Smits

It runs at 10 p.m. Tuesday on CBS.