"The Thieves" is similar to a modern version of Robin Hood and "Ocean's Eleven", telling the story of a group of flying thieves with unique skills. Oscar winner Timothy Hutton plays the leading role. The play is directed by Dean Devlin ("Independence Day", "The Librarian"), written by John Rogers ("Transformers", "The End of the Earth") and Chris Downey ("The King of the Queens"), and co-produced by Devlin and Roger. TNT senior planner Michael Wright commented on the show after watching the pilot episode, "'The Urban Thieves' is a fast-paced, cleverly constructed, and humorous show; Timothy Hutton is an outstanding actor, and he and his partner perform very well: this is a breakthrough TV series, and I am very happy to work with Dean." In the play, Hutton plays Nate Ford, a platinum insurance investigator who recovers lost goods for his employer: after his company refused to pay insurance for his dying son, he quit his job and became a freelancer, and his first job was to recover stolen aircraft designs for an aerospace engineer. The stars of the show also include Beth Riesgraf (Alvin and the Chipmunks), Christian Kane (Angels, Legally Blonde), Aldis Hodge (Friday Night Lights) and Gina Bellman (The Enemy, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), who are all members of "Nate's Gang" in the play.