BY JILL ALPHONSO

STARHUB'S newly acquired channel from the United States, Fox, serves up mostly oldies but goodies, from Reaper to The Simpsons.

One new show that began airing last year in the US, and which first began its Singapore run on mio TV, is White Collar.

Smartly paced with snappy dialogue, the show follows the ups and downs of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Peter Stokes (Tim DeKay).

He works at the FBI's White Collar Crime and Fraud unit, but here's the twist: He's paired up with the fraudulent, smooth- talking, pretty-boy Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer), a criminal who Stokes has spent three years chasing.

In a Catch Me If You Can sort of plotline, Caffrey cuts a deal with Stokes.

He's released from prison to help solve crimes under the watchful eye of his former nemesis.

He's not free to run around, of course.

He wears a GPS tracking device with a 3km radius, which he ingeniously uses in the pilot episode to lead Stokes to the bad guys.

ODD COUPLE: Tim DeKay (Right) stars as an FBI agent whoe solves crime with ex-con Matt Bomer.

Now, what makes the show is the chemistry between the dynamic duo. Caffrey is a slick Rick who stands for everything that Stokes hates.

He loves the good life, and has used his charm and brilliance (his intellect is matched only by Stokes-, whose IQ is just a few points behind) to get by with dishonest means.

Soon after getting out from prison, Caffrey ensconces himself in the million-dollar Manhattan mansion of a well-to-do widow he meets at a thrift store.

This provokes much ire from Stokes, who feels that he doesn't deserve the good things in life: His wife (fleshed out elegantly by Tiffani Thiessen) and the few luxuries he allows himself.

DeKay portrays good-cop Stokes brilliantly, humanising the character with empathy, just enough vulnerability and a huge injection of heart.

And Bomer is incredibly winsome, with great comedic timing and flair for dialogue.

Put together, the two are a gold mine of snappy comebacks and tidy crime-solving.

They are supported by an excellent cast that includes Sex And The City's Willie Garson (remember him as Stanford?), who plays Caffrey's informant and friend.

In between all this is Caffrey's search for a missing girlfriend who may or may not be in trouble.

It's his need to find her that drives him, and she's part of his motivation to reclaim his past.

It's this longing that gives you the emotional hook, and may lead Caffrey to an unenviable end.

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