The Eighties Club
The Politics and Pop Culture of the 1980s
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Featured Series (M)
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| Magnum, P.I. (CBS, 1980-1988)
 Cast
Thomas Sullivan Magnum
Tom Selleck
Jonathan Quayle Higgins III
John Hillerman
T.C.
Roger E. Mosley
Orville "Rick" Wright
Larry Manetti
Robin Masters (voice)
Orson Welles (1981-1985)
Mac Reynolds
Jeff MacKay
Lt. Tanaka
Kwan Hi Lim (1982-1988)
Lt. Maggie Poole
Jean Bruce Scott (1982-84, 1986-88)
Agatha Chumley
Gillian Dobb (1982-1988)
Asst. D.A. Carol Baldwin
Kathleen Lloyd (1983-1988)
Ice Pick
Elisha Cook, Jr. (1983-1988)
When Donald P. Bellisario first pitched the idea for a new series called Magnum, P.I., about a Vietnam vet turned private eye who lived in the guest house of a wealthy estate while conducting his investigations, he had in mind Los Angeles as the setting. But CBS had just wrapped up 12 years of the highly successful crime drama Hawaii Five-O and had some very expensive production facilities sitting idle in Hawaii, so the decision was made to move Magnum to the islands. The rest, as they say, is history. The new series became every bit as popular as the previous one had been. Male viewers envied Magnum's living arrangements -- he got to swim in the sea off Oahu's north shore, drive a red 308 GTS Ferrari, walk beaches adorned with bikini-clad babes and hang out at an expensive private club. And all he had to do was provide security for the estate of novelist Robin Masters, who was never around, and put up with Robin's stuffy manservant Higgins, who was always around. Female viewers were attracted in droves to the show by the good looks and charisma of series star Tom Selleck.
An officer in naval intelligence during the Vietnam War, Magnum has a couple of wartime buddies who are available to assist him on his cases. Theodore "T.C." Calvin runs a helicopter charter service called Island Hoppers while Rick owns a Honolulu nightclub. (Early on in the series, Rick will sell the nighclub and become operating manager of Robin's private club, the King Kamehameha.) Minor characters include Ice Pick, a shady figure who is a friend of Rick's and a source of information about criminal activities on the islands; Assistant District Attorney Carol Baldwin, a friend of Magnum's; and Agatha, an Englishwoman and acquaintance of Higgins'. Mac Reynolds is a naval lieutenant stationed at a nearby base; he's killed in a 1982 episode but a conman who looks just like him shows up two years later. And of course there's Zeus and Apollo, two Doberman Pinschers who obey Higgins' voice commands -- and chase Magnum all around the Masters estate.
After seven seasons the producers of the series, anticipating cancellation, decided to end the show with a two-part finale in which Magnum is shot and goes to heaven. But CBS renewed for an eighth season, and we learned that Magnum had only dreamed of dying and going where good detectives go. The series' real finale, in May 1988, aired as a highly-rated movie in which Magnum is reunited with his young daughter (he was married briefly in Vietnam), quits the private eye business, and goes back into the Navy. Rick is married (we think) and Higgins is unmasked as Robin (or so it seems!). The series closed with a total of 162 episodes. Talk of a Magnum reunion movie, which began almost immediately after the end of the series, continues to this day.
Born 29 January 1945 in Detroit, MI, Tom Selleck attended the University of Southern California on a basketball scholarship. He was a member of the California National Guard and was activated during the Watts riots of 1968. Studying acting at The Beverly Hills Playhouse, Selleck got his start as a ruggedly handsome 6' 4" model before landing some commercials and then small parts in TV series (such as Charlie's Angels, The Rockford Files and Marcus Welby, MD) and feature films (like Myra Breckinridge, Midway and Coma.) He appeared in six failed series pilots and was turned down for the lead role in the series Vega$ (it went to Robert Urich) before striking gold with Magnum, P.I., which made him a household word. He won an Emmy but, due to conflicting schedules, missed out on playing Indiana Jones in Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark. During hiatus, he tried to jump-start his film career, appearing in such movies as High Road to China (1983), Lassiter (1984) and Runaway (1984), but it wasn't until Three Men and A Baby (1987) that he had a big screen hit. Still, movie star status eluded Selleck, despite solid performances in projects such as Quigley Down Under (1990). He has gotten a better response by appearing in some quality made-for-TV westerns like Last Stand at Saber River (1997) and Crossfire Trail (2000).
It surprises many fans to learn that John Hillerman, who plays the oh-so-very-British Higgins, was born in Denison, TX (12.20.32). He attended the University of Texas and then launched his acting career with guest spots in TV series like Mannix and Hawaii Five-O. He earned a reputation as a solid character actor in such films as High Plains Drifter (1972), Paper Moon (1973) and Chinatown (1974). He won an Emmy in 1987 (Best Supporting Actor) for his work in Magnum, P.I., and was nominated three other times. Born in Los Angeles (12.18.38), Roger E. Mosley (T.C.) guest starred in Kung Fu, Baretta, Starsky and Hutch and other series during the '70s, and had roles in such films as McQ (1974) and Semi-Tough (1978) before joining the cast of Magnum, P.I. Chicago-born Larry Manetti (7.23.47) had guest-starring roles in The Streets of San Francisco and Emergency and a recurring role (Lt. Bob Boyle) in the World War II series Baa Baa Black Sheep.
Tom Selleck's first TV appearance was as a college senior on The Dating Game (1967).
John Hillerman won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in 1982, while Selleck won a Golden Globe (Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series - Drama) in 1985. Magnum, P.I. was nominated for a total of 17 Emmy Awards, including three nominations for Outstanding Drama Series.
Series Highlights
Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii (12.11.80): In the series premiere, Magnum sets out to clear the name of his best friend, who has been accused, posthumously, of being a drug dealer.
No Need To Know (1.8.81): Higgins' old commander comes to Robin's Nest for a visit -- but doesn't tell anyone he's being hunted by the IRA.
The Curse of the Kamehameha Club (2.19.81): When a native curse is put on the club it seems that everything starts to go wrong. Lew Ayres guest stars.
J. "Digger" Doyle (4.9.81): Magnum is miffed when Robin Masters hires a beautiful security specialist when it seems that someone is trying to prevent him from publishing a new novel. Erin Gray guest stars.
Billy Joe Bob (10.8.81): Magnum's Texas-born client seeks revenge when he learns that his wayward sister has been murdered.
Memories Are Forever, Pts 1&2 (11.5.81): Magnum discovers that his wife, whom he thought died during the Vietnam War, is very much alive -- and suspected by Vietnamese secret police of leading a plot against her government.
Mad Buck Gibson (11.26.81): Magnum is hired by Mad Buck's ex-wife to keep the hellraising novelist alive long enough for her to collect alimony. Darren McGavin and Vera Miles guest star.
Ki'i's Don't Lie (10.7.82): A.J. and Rick Simon travel to Hawaii to retrieve a native artifact for a client -- and cross swords with Magnum. Gerald McRaney, Jameson Parker and Morgan Fairchild guest star.
Past Tense (10.21.82): T.C. and his chopper are hijacked and forced to participate in a daring prison escape.
Mr. White Death (11.18.82): Academy Award winner Ernest Borgnine stars as an aging wrestler who hires Magnum to find his long-lost son.
Faith and Begorrah (4.28.83): John Hillermann does double duty as Higgins and Higgins' illegitimate half-brother, an Irish priest by the name of Father Paddy MacGuinness.
Home From the Sea (9.29.83): A boating accident leaves Magnum fighting for survival and reliving his childhood relationship with his father, killed during the Korean War.
Squeeze Play (11.17.83): Robin Masters makes a wager with the publisher of a sleazy magazine -- and puts Robin's Nest and the King Kamehameha Club on the line.
Operation: Silent Night (12.15.83): Magnum, T.C. Rick and Higgins are stranded on an island that the Navy plans to use for gunnery practice.
Holmes Is Where the Heart Is (3.8.84): A former British secret agent -- and an old friend of Higgins' -- shows up in Hawaii thinking he's Sherlock Holmes. Patrick Macnee guest stars.
I Witness (5.3.84): Higgins, Rick and T.C. all witness a robbery at the King Kamehameha Club -- and all have very different accounts of the event.
All For One (1.31.85 & 2.7.85): In this two-parter, Magnum and the guys join a team of mercenaries setting out to free an American from his Vietnamese captors. Robert Forster guest stars.
The Kona Winds (10.10.85): Magnum falls in love with a married woman who tries to kill herself after witnessing her husband commit murder.
Going Home (10.31.85): After 13 years, Magnum goes home to Virginia to attend his grandfather's funeral and is reunited with his family
Rapture (11.28.85): While scuba-diving, Magnum sees a boy swimming 100 feet below the surface -- and identifies the boy as someone who died in a boating accident five years ago.
Mad Dogs and Englishmen (1.23.86): When Higgins is fired for stealing from the estate, Magnum investigates -- and discovers there's much more going on than meets the eye.
A Little Bit of Luck, A Little Bit of Grief (4.6.86): Friendships are tested when Rick wins the lottery while Magnum and T.C. try to keep open a club for underprivileged children.
Murder by Night (1.14.87): A 1940s murder case involves some characters who bear a striking resemblance to Magnum, Higgins, T.C. and Rick. Filmed in black and white.
Resolutions (5.1.88): In the series' final episode, Higgins reveals he isn't Robin Masters, Rick is scheduled to get married, and Magnum, reunited with his daughter, rejoins the Navy.
 Manimal(NBC, 1983)
 Cast
Jonathan Chase
Simon MacCorkindale
Brooke McKenzie
Melody Anderson
Ty Earle (pilot)
Glynn Turman
Ty Earle
Michael D. Roberts
Capt. Nick Rivera
Reni Santoni
To most, Dr. Jonathan Chase seems like a mild-mannered and sophisticated young professor who teaches animal behavioral science at New York University. He knows so much about animal behavior, in fact, that the police use him as a consultant on the use of animals in criminology. Only a few people realize that he has some amazing special powers, inherited from his father -- namely, the ability to turn himself into animals, from a panther to a hawk and more. He uses these powers to hunt down criminals and right wrongs. The people who know Chase's secret are Tyrone Earle, his hip black assistant -- Chase and Earle are both Vietnam vets -- and a police detective named Brooke McKenzie, who discovered his talents quite by accident at just about the same time that she discovered she was attracted to him. Let's just say Chase had a certain animal magnetism.
Brought to us courtesy of NBC, which was running third in the network sweepstakes at the time, Manimal failed to catch on, and lasted a mere eight episodes in the Fall of 1983. It's likely that NBC was inspired by the success of CBS with The Incredible Hulk (1978-1982). The scenes in which Chase turned into an animal were not bad for the time, but they were expensive, and the same ones were used over and over again; the novelty soon wore off, and viewers quickly abandoned the show. In spite of its short lifespan, Manimal has become something of a cult classic. In 1984, a Manimal Annual was published (see cover, above.) In 1998 Jonathan Chase and daughter Teresa tangle with a time-traveling Jack the Ripper in an episode of the syndicated series Nightman.
Born 12 February 1952 in Cambridge, England, Simon MacCorkindale dreamed as a child of being an air force pilot, like his father, but poor eyesight forced him to change his plans. Graduating from high school, he became a drama student at London's Studio 68, went on to appear in regional theatre, and then made his West End debut in Pygmalion (1974). His big film break came when he was cast as the murderer in Death on the Nile. In addition to acting he became an accomplished stage director. Following Manimal, MacCorkindale spent two years in the Falcon Crest cast as Greg Reardon, directing several episodes of that primetime soap, as well. In 1987 he returned to England and founded his own production company. In the early '90s he co-starred with Christopher Plummer in the successful USA Network drama Counterstrike, and after that had a recurring role in Poltergeist: The Legacy. Canadian-born Melody Anderson had starred as Dale Arden in 1980's Flash Gordon before joining the Manimal cast; during the '80s she appeared in a number of made-for-TV movies, including Policewoman Centerfold (1983), Beverly Hills Madam (1986) and Deep Dark Secrets (1987).
Episodes
Manimal (9.30.83) -- 90-minute series pilot.
Night of the Scorpion (10.21.83) -- Doug McClure guest stars.
Female of the Species (10.28.83) -- Rick Jason, Laura Cushing (as the Wolf Girl) guest star.
High Stakes (11.4.83) -- Jonathan helps a beautiful horse breeder whose prize stallion has been stolen by a rival. Tracy Scoggins guest stars.
Night of the Beast (12.17.83) -- Jeff Corey and Robert Englund guest star.
Others: Ilusion (10.14.83), Scrimshaw (12.3.83), Breath of the Dragon (12.10.83)
Max Headroom(ABC, 1987)
 On the cover of Newsweek
April 20, 1987
Cast
Edison Carter/Max Headroom
Matt Frewer
Theora Jones
Amanda Pays
Bryce Lynch
Chris Young
Blank Reg
William Morgan Sheppard
Dominique
Concetta Tomei
Murray
Jeffrey Tambor
Ben Cheviot
George Coe
Ashwell
Hank Garrett
Edwards
Lee Wilkof
Lauren
Sharon Barr
Ms. Formsby
Virginia Kiser
This innovative but short-lived science-fiction series had its origin in Britain, where in 1984 the producers of a music video program decided to create a computer-generated host, whom they named Max Headroom. (The Headroom character was not actually computer-generated, but rather was played by actor Matt Frewer.) The story of Max Headroom was made into a well-received feature-length, made-for-TV movie, and a few years later Lorimar acquired the rights to the character for a TV series. Fourteen one-hour episodes were produced, and the series premiered on 31 March 1987.
The action took place in the near future, and the setting was a generally grim urban landscape inundated with television screens upon which thousands of networks vied for viewers. Max Headroom was created by Channel 23's young whiz kid, Bryce Lynch, and modeled after ace reporter Edison Carter when the latter was injured during an investigation. Edison's memories were downloaded into this virtual construct; the name was derived from Edison's last memory before his injury -- a sign that read "max headroom" (maximum clearance.) Max took on a life of his own and continually popped up on TV screens. But the hero of the series was Edison, an intrepid journalist, a man of integrity who was aided by his beautiful assistant, Theora, in a never-ending quest for the truth. Blank Reg, an aging punk-rocker who ran an independent network called Big Time, also occasionally assisted Edison.
In 1987 Coca-Cola unveiled New Coke, and chose Max Headroom as spokesman for its massive advertising campaign. Though New Coke was a bust, the commercials featuring Headroom -- and his famous tagline, "Catch the Wave" -- were critically acclaimed. (Eventually Coca-Cola bowed to popular demand and brought back the "original" Coke, though consumers soon realized that the formula had been altered, with corn syrup substituted for sugar.)
On 19 November 1987, a local Chicago news program was interrupted by a pirate broadcast featuring a bogus Max Headroom, whose antics included mooning the viewing audience. The pirate broadcast reappeared later that night on another local channel. The Federal Communications Commission was not amused, and launched an investigation.
Though it was cancelled after only one season, Max Headroom had earned a cadre of devoted fans, thanks to its striking vision of the future, above-average scripts, and special effects. And, of course, Max himself became an Eighties icon.
The Episodes
"Blipvert" (3.31.87): Ace Channel 23 reporter Edison Carter is injured while investigating commercials that cause viewers to explode, and is replaced by a computer simulation called Max Headroom.
"Rakers" (4.7.87): Promoters want to legalize "raking" -- combat on skateboards -- so that it can be shown on Channel 23.
"Body Banks" (4.14.87): People who are trying to keep an old woman's mind alive want to steal the technology that created Max.
"Security Systems" (4.21.87): Edison Carter investigates the attempted takeover of the largest security firm in the world.
"War" (4.28.87): A rival network has acquired exclusive coverage of the destruction wrought by a terrorist outfit called The White Brigade.
"Blanks" (5.5.87): The Blanks -- people who have managed to avoid appearing in computer records -- are trying to destroy the whole computer network.
"The Academy" (9.18.87): Blank Reg is sentenced to death on a game show, while Edison tries to find out who's hacking into Channel 23's satellite transmissions.
"Deities" (9.25.87): The Video Church is recording the brain waves of its members for a future resurrection.
"Grossberg's Return" (10.2.87): Channel 23 learns that a rival network has developed a program by which viewers can tune in while they sleep.
"Dream Thieves" (10.9.87): A street bum dies after selliong his dreams to a group called Mind's Eye, and Edison investigates.
"Whacketts" (10.16.87): Viewers seem dangerously addicted to the silliest game show in history.
"Neurostim" (4.28.88): The Zik-Zak Corporation's new Neurostim bracelet, free with every purchase of a Zik-Zak product, can make all your dreams come true.
Lost Tapes" (unaired in US): A secret school for Fringe children is raided by the Metrocops.
"Baby Grobags" (unaired in US): A baby, born by means of a high-tech pregnancy program run by Ovu-Vat, mysteriously disappears.
Miami Vice(NBC, 1984-1989)
 Cast
Det. James "Sonny" Crockett
Don Johnson
Det. Ricardo Tubbs
Philip Michael Thomas
Lt. Martin Castillo
Edward James Olmos
Det. Gina Navarro Calabrese
Saundra Santiago
Det. Trudy Joplin
Olivia Brown
Det. Stanley Switek
Michael Talbott
Det. Larry Zito
John Diehl (1984-87)
Izzy Moreno
Martin Ferrero
Caitlin Davies
Sheena Easton (1987-88)
This gritty action series was a trend-setter that changed TV drama forever, made Don Johnson a sex symbol of the 1980s, and for a time had a remarkable influence on men's fashion. Blending the exotic elegance of the Gold Coast with the seamy byways of the Miami underworld, and propelled by a rock music soundtrack and innovative visual effects, Miami Vice earned numerous Emmy Award nominations (15) and enticed a whole host of top-notch guest stars to back the dynamic duet of Johnson and co-star Philip Michael Thomas. Sonny Crockett (Johnson), is a hard-edged undercover vice cop who lives on a sailboat called St. Vitus' Dance and has a pet alligator named Elvis. Tubbs (Thomas) is a New York cop who comes to Miami in search of his brother's killer, a drug lord named Calderone. Hip, smart and dangerous, Crockett and Tubbs make an effective team as they prowl the mean streets and glamorous beaches in the former's black Ferrari Spider (replaced later in the series by a white Ferrari Testerossa) or the coastal waters in a Wellcraft 38 Scarab speedboat. They are backed up by Detectives Gina Calabrese (Saundra Santiago) and Trudy Joplin (Olivia Brown), as well as Detectives Stan Switek (Michael Talbott) and Larry Zito (John Diehl). Being a vice cop is a risky business; Crockett's first partner, played by Jimmy Smits (who would go on to star in L.A. Law) is killed in the pilot, and his superior, Lt. Lou Rodriguez (Gregory Sierra) dies early on in the line of duty, replaced by the dour, taciturn ex-intelligence officer Lt. Martin Castillo (Edward James Olmos.) Midway through the series, Zito is killed off as well.
Legend has it that the concept for Miami Vice was born in the office of NBC chief Brandon Tartikoff, who one day made a note that read: "MTV cops." Critics decried the series as too violent and so stylistic that it often sacrificed substance. But the show was quick to catch on with TV audiences; it was usually in the Nielson Top Ten for much of its second and third seasons, and won three Emmy Awards. It also spawned a plethora of tie-in merchandise, including two bestselling soundtrack albums, a computer game and several books. Numerous celebrities jumped at the chance for a guest starring role -- Little Richard, Glenn Frey of The Eagles, Eartha Kitt, Miles Davis, Phil Collins, Red Nugent, James Brown, Isaac Hayes and Sheena Easton (who had a recurring role as Crockett's wife), as well as Barbara Streisand, G. Gordon Liddy, Roberto Duran and Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca. In addition, a great many up-and-coming actors appeared in the series, among them Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, Laurence Fishburne, Annette Bening, Bill Paxton, Wesley Snipes, Liam Neeson, Michael Madsen and John Turturro.
Don Johnson (b. 12.15.49, Flat Creek, Missouri) made his professional acting debut in Your Own Thing, a rock musical production at San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre. He won a full drama scholarship to the University of Kansas. His big screen debut was in 1970's hippie drama The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart, which was followed by The Harrad Experiment (1973) and the sci-fi cult classic A Boy and His Dog (1975). But in the early days, Johnson was perhaps best-known for his stormy relationships -- it was said that at age 16 he moved in with a 25-year-old woman, and later seduced his college drama teacher. In addition, he was married twice to actress Melanie Griffith and had a child with actress Patti D'Arbanville. Following the tremendous success of Miami Vice, Johnson's big-screen work included Sweet Hearts Dance (1988), Dead-Bang (1989), The Hot Spot (1990) and Guilty As Sin (1993). In 1996 he launched a new TV series as San Francisco cop Nash Bridges, which proved to be as big a hit as Miami Vice. Philip Michael Thomas (b. 5.26.49, Columbus, Ohio) had appeared in several obscure films and TV-movies, including Come Back, Charleston Blue (1972), Black Fist (1976) and The Dark (1979) before landing the role of Ricardo Tubbs. Subsequently, he has been unable to duplicate the success he enjoyed with Miami Vice, starring in made-for-TV productions, including the German-made Extralarge series of cop thrillers. Thomas has five children by three live-in girlfriends.
Miami Vice was as famous for its sound as it was for its look, incorporating past and present rock'n'roll tunes into nearly every episode, a technique routinely copied in both television programs and feature films ever since. Songs included Lionel Richie's "All Night Long," Tina Turner's "Better Be Good To Me," Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild," Billy Idol's "Don't Need A Gun," U2's "Desire," Bryan Adam's "Heat Of The Night," Glenn Frey's "Smuggler's Blues," Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" and Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight," to mention but a few. The original "Miami Vice Theme" by Czech-born composer Jan Hammer became only the third television theme to top Billboard's Hot 100, where it remained for one week in November, 1985. The first soundtrack album was the #1 LP in the U.S. for eleven weeks, making it the most successful soundtrack album of all time. Glenn Frey's "You Belong To The City," another track on the first album, peaked at US#2.
Miami Vice won three Emmy Awards: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - Edward James Olmos (1984-85); Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (1984-85); and Outstanding Art Direction for a Series (1984-85).
Don Johnson made five pilots for NBC -- all of them rejected -- before appearing in Miami Vice.
Prior to composing the "Miami Vice Theme," Jan Hammer was a pianist for the Sarah Vaughan Trio, worked with the likes of Carlos Santana and Neal Schon, and formed a jazz group in 1971 called the Mahavishu Orchestra as well as the rock group Hammer in 1979.
The famous black Ferrari Spider driven by Sonny Crockett in the first two seasons was actually a Corvette modified using a Daytona kit.
The president of NBC-TV appeared in one episode of Miami Vice -- as a bartender.
   Series Highlights
Pilot (9.16.84)--Miami vice cop Sonny Crockett reluctantly teams up with New York policeman Ricardo Tubbs to solve several murders linked to a powerful Colombian drug lord.
Hit List (10.19.84)--Tubbs races to save Crockett and his family from an assassin hired by Calderone.
No Exit (11.9.84)--Crockett and Tubbs help federal agents stop an arms dealer from selling stolen Stinger missiles. Bruce Willis guest stars.
Give A Little, Take A Little (12.7.84)--Crockett goes to jail rather than reveal the identity of a confidential informant.
Score (1.11.85)--Crockett and Tubbs pose as pimps to nab some bad cops who are extorting money from high-class hookers.
Smuggler's Blues (2.1.85)--Crockett and Tubbs pose as smugglers and go to Cartagena to make a drug buy in order to bust a group of kidnappers preying on drug smuggling operations.
The Home Invaders (3.15.85)--Castillo comes down hard on Crockett's mentor, the man in charge of an investigation into a series of violent residential burglaries.
Evan (5.3.85)--Assigned to bust an arms dealer, Crockett discovers that an old acquaintance, an ATF agent, is in deep cover as the dealer's associate.
Prodigal Son (9.27.85)--Crockett and Tubbs go to Manhattan, where Colombian drug smugglers are killing federal agents.
Bushido (11.22.85)--Castillo joins Crockett and Tubbs in trying to protect the Russian wife and child of a renegade CIA agent. Dean Stockwell guest stars.Directed by Edward James Olmos.
Back in the World (12.6.85)--A former war correspondent warns Crockett that an officer who smuggled drugs during the Vietnam War is operating again in Florida. G.Gordon Liddy, Patti D'Arbanville and Iman guest star.
Phil the Shill (12.13.85)--Phil Collins stars as a clever con artist who is playing a dangerous game by scheming to rip off cocaine traffickers.
Trust Fund Pirates (5.2.86)--Crockett and Tubbs enlist the aid of a smuggler in their search for pirates who waylay contraband-laden ships.
When Irish Eyes Are Crying (9.26.86)--A Scotland Yard inspector insists that Gina's new love is actually an IRA terrorist. Liam Neeson guest stars.
Cuba Libre (1.23.87)--Crockett and Tubbs must foil a plot by Cuban commandos to assassinate an important diplomat.
By Hooker By Crook (3.20.87)--A murder witness happens to work for a madam who is also Crockett's lover. Melanie Griffith and Vanity guest star.
Like A Hurricane (10.20.87)--Crockett is assigned to protect a recording star who is witness to a payoff scandal, and falls in love with her. Sheena Easton guest stars.
The Rising Sun of Death (12.4.87)--The death of an executive and the arrival of a Japanese investigator alerts Castillo to the presence of the Yakuza in Miami.
Mirror Image (5.6.88)--A concussion leaves Crockett thinking he really is his alter ego, Sonny Burnett, and he goes to work for a drug dealer. Chris Cooper guest stars.
Heart of Night (11.18.88)--Castillo must protect his ex-wife from a drug lord who wants to kill her and her new husband.
Victims of Circumstance (5.5.89)--A group of Holocaust survivors attempt to bring a Nazi war criminal to justice.
Moonlighting(ABC, 1985-1989)
 Cast
Maddie Hayes
Cybill Shepherd
David Addison
Bruce Willis
Agnes Dipesto
Allyce Beasley
Herbert Viola
Curtis Armstrong (1986-89)
Virginia Hayes
Eva Marie Saint (1987-88)
Alex Hayes
Robert Webber (1987-88)
David Addison, Sr.
Paul Sorvino
Richard Addison
Charles Rocket
Maddie Hayes is a glamorous and successful fashion model who discovers that her accountant has been playing fast and loose with her millions, forcing her to sell off some business investments, including a private investigation agency called City of Angels. The agency is run by the glib and dashing David Addison, a former bartender who loves R&B and lives by the motto "Live fast, die young, and leave clean underwear." Addison convinces Maddie to join him in solving a big case involving murder and millions in smuggled diamonds, and she agrees not to shut down the firm, which is renamed the Blue Moon Detective Agency. David and Maddie don't exactly make the perfect business partners. He's definitely blue-collar while she's high-class; she wants him to get serious and he urges her to loosen up. But they do turn out to be an effective crime-solving team, and romance slowly blossoms. At the end of the first season David finally gets a kiss from Maddie, and by the end of the second season they're intimate (in a parody of the film Body Heat.) In 1987 Maddie is pursued by yuppie Sam Crawford (Mark Harmon) and in 1988 she becomes pregnant with David's baby -- a pregnancy that ends tragically in a miscarriage.
Created by Glenn Gordon Caron, this one-hour romantic comedy-action series starred Cybill Shepherd as the elegant Maddie Hayes and Bruce Willis as the wise-cracking David Addison. Shepherd had exploded onto the Hollywood scene with a role in 1971's The Last Picture Show, and had also appeared in Daisy Miller (1974), The Lady Vanishes (1979) and the short-lived primetime TV soap opera The Yellow Rose (1983) before accepting the Maddie Hayes role. Raised in New Jersey, Bruce Willis went to New York to become an actor, and was working as a bartender when a casting director picked him for a bit part in a movie. He worked as an extra in films like The First Deadly Sin (1980) and The Verdict (1982) and made a guest appearance on Miami Vice as a gunrunner before landing the David Addison part, for which he earned an Emmy. In 1987 he recorded an album, The Return of Bruno, featuring the single "Respect Yourself," which climbed to #5 on Billboard's Top 100.
Enhanced by splendid writing, unorthodox plots and the screen presence of its stars, Moonlighting became one of ABC's biggest hits in the Eighties. But it ran into production problems early on, including the much-publicized battle between Shepherd, Willis and Caron (who left the show before the last season.) Shepherd's real-life pregnancy in the middle of the series' run forced Willis to carry much of the workload for half of the fourth season, and after his tremendous success with the 1988 blockbuster action flick Die Hard, Willis was ready to leave television for a film career. In addition, the series produced continual cost overruns, and the fact that ABC never got 22 episodes in a season -- there were a total of 66 episodes during the four-year run -- was probably a factor in the network's decision to cancel the show when, in 1988-89, its ratings declined.
Moonlighting also starred Allyce Beasley as Agnes, the Blue Moon Detective Agency's daffy receptionist and Curtis Armstrong as Herbert, clerk and would-be-gumshoe. (In the 1980s, Armstrong would also appear as wacky characters in comedy films like Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer.) Robert Webber and Eva Marie Saint appeared occasionally as Maddie's parents, while Paul Sorvino did likewise as David's father. Charles Rocket had a recurring role as David's irresponsible brother Richard. The series theme song, sung by Al Jarreau and written by Jarreau and Lee Holdridge, enjoyed much radio play. There was a soundtrack album and a book, Moonlighting Magic, about the series' stars. After cancellation, Willis would go on to become one of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers, while Shepherd never managed to recreate the success she enjoyed with Moonlighting.
 The Moonlighting soundtrack, including songs by
Al Jarreau, Cybill Shepherd, Bruce Willis, Percy Sledge and Billie Holliday
Series Highlights
Pilot (3.3.85)--David Addison sets out to prove to investor Maddie Hayes that his detective agency can make money, or else she will shut the agency down.
The Next Murder You Hear (3.19.85)--The host of the Heartbreak Hotline radio talk show fakes his own death so that he can run away with his boss's wife.
Next Stop Murder (3.26.85)--A top mystery writer stages a mock murder on a train, but Maddie and David have to solve a real murder when the writer turns up.
Brother, Can You Spare A Blonde? (9/24/85)--David's brother Richard finds a briefcase full of money in his car and thinks it's his lucky day -- until the owner of the briefcase, a drug dealer, comes looking for his loot.
Money Talks--Maddie Walks (10.8.85)--Maddie learns that the accountant who stole her money is running a casino in Buenos Aires, and persuades David to help her get her millions back.
The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice (10.15/85)--Maddie and David visit a nightclub where an unsolved murder occurred back in the 1940s, and then both dream their own versions of what really happened.
The Bride of Tupperman (1.14.86)--Alan Tuppermann is looking for a wife, and hires Maddie and David to find a woman who meets his list of qualifications.
Every Father's Daughter Is A Virgin (2.18.86)--When Maddie's parents come to town she learns that her mother suspects her father is having an affair.
The Son Also Rises (9.23.86)--When David attends a reception to meet his father's new bride, he is shocked to discover that she's an old girlfriend.
Symphony In Knocked Flat (10.21.86)--A night at the symphony propels Maddie and David into the middle of a plot to assassinate a Russian boxer. Don King guest stars.
Atomic Shakespeare (11.25.86)--Maddie is Kate and David is Petruchio in this witty rendition of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.
The Straight Poop (1.6.87)--Entertainment reporter Rona Barrett goes to the Blue Moon Detective Agency to find out why there aren't more new Moonlighting episodes.
Blonde on Blonde (2.3.87)--David follows a woman he mistakes for Maddie to a hotel room where he's knocked unconscious in a fight with a stranger -- and wakes up to find the man he fought is dead.
Sam & Dave (2.10.87)--David goes to Maddie's house to tell her that he loves her, only to discover that she has a house guest -- an old friend from college named Sam (Mark Harmon.)
To Heiress Human (5.5.87)--Maddie and David try to cope with the fact that they've slept together and at the same time solve the case of a wealthy man who fakes his death to prove his daughter's fiance is a fraud.
A Trip to the Moon (9.29.87)--Maddie's dreams about the possibilities of married life with David resemble The Honeymooners series.
Cool Hand Dave, Parts I & II (11.17.87 & 12.1.87)--When a pregnant Maddie goes to Chicago David sets out after her, but ends up taking a detour -- straight to prison, when he's mistaken for a convicted felon.
A Womb With A View (12.6.88)--Right before Maddie's miscarriage, the baby in her womb is visited by an angel named Jerome.
Between A Yuk and a Hard Place (12.13.88)--The case of a man who killed his first wife and who is falsely accused of killing his second ends in a hot air balloon chase over the Mojave Desert.
Lunar Eclipse (5.14.89)--In the final episode, David sacrifices his own happiness to reunite a woman with her husband. Virginia Madsen guest stars.
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