For instance, Tommy is a good boy and upstanding citizen dragged into a life of crime by his family, drawing an obvious parallel to the classic film "The Godfather." It also features characters with colorful nicknames, like Louie Downtown and Joey Ice Cream (hints of "The Sopranos" and "Goodfellas"). In fact, the show borrows from "Goodfellas" most of all, with a chatty narrator, pop songs that provide dramatic accompaniment to the moments of violence, and stylish editing.
Yet, the show is all surface, and has hardly any of the depth of these works that inspired it. The show is co-created by Paul Haggis, who brought us the Oscar-winning movie "Crash," a solid, but overrated film that made its points about racism a little too easily.
"Donnellys" also feels a little too easy, with its reliance on our affection for mob movies and TV shows.
Yet, I can't completely dismiss it. There are moments that are genuinely affecting, such as Tommy's ill-fated love affair with nice girl Jenny (Olivia Wilde), who loves Tommy, but can't quite stomach his descent into crime. Also, the always-reliable Kate Mulgrew is on hand as the Donnellys protective mama who at least seems like a semi-original creation, rather than a Livia Soprano clone.
"Donnellys" is worth a look if you don't mind its constant borrowing from superior works, or if you've never seen a Scorcese film or a single episode of "The Sopranos."
"The Black Donnellys" premieres 10 p.m. tonight on NBC.