Hart to Hart

This is a highly entertaining series featuring suspense and adventure, but above all the constantly romantic relationship between the married couple, the Harts, around which this story revolves. It's a wonderful series for both mystery and romance.

Jonathan and Jennnifer Hart are a pair of engaging amateur detectives. The dashing Jonathan is a self made millionaire and CEO of his company, Hart Industries. His gorgeous wife, Jennifer, has had her own career as a freelance journalist. Now much of their time is spent globe trotting and acting as amateur sleuths, investigating with apparent ease cases of murder, theft, and espionage. Apart from that, they enjoy their mansion home, the company of their loyal butler, Max, and their cute little dog, Freeway.

The two stars have a great on screen chemistry. Robert Wagner brings charm and charisma to the role of Jonathan Hart, and the beautiful Stephanie Powers is perfect as his wife, Jennifer. Lionel Stander portrays to perfection Max, the couple's butler, cook, and chauffeur, who is very proud of his employers and valiantly tries to keep their lives sorted out for them.

The glamorous couple's jet setting lifestyle and assorted encounters with danger & intrigue make for an engaging program. As with all amateur sleuths, murder follows these two wherever they journey. However, it's their constant flirting and loving banter that make the show. These two literally can't seem to get enough of each other! How refreshing to witness a married couple so obviously in love. Although they enjoy the luxurious benefits of Jonathan's wealth, they seem to be a pair with their priorities straight in life.

Between the mostly comedic Moonlighting and the dark, gritty crime shows of the 21st century like CSI and Criminal Minds, crime series' like this portrayed the scathing wold of diabolical crime and murder without being too grim and intense, unlike crime shows of the past couple decades. Wagner's Jonathan Hart was a superhero level fighter, and also a refined gentleman, very manly, but too humble, dignified, and willing to show his feelings to be macho and Jennifer was just as plucky, self-reliant and quick-witted; the quips and cute jokes made this show much more lighthearted than other crime shows, especially today's. Their laid-back, fun-loving butler gave a good amount of the laughs with his comedic deliveries. They were very wealthy and lived a glamorous lifestyle but didn't lose sight of what mattered in life and wouldn't hesitate to help anybody. Which is why they were amateur detectives in the first place. Their wealth, plucky resourcefulness, and street smarts gave them clearance to go on any caper and often made them targets for the nefarious villains. I have wondered why they never had children, I did think that was somewhat sad: one time there was a young boy who claimed to be Jonathan's son, a situation that came together by one of Jonathan's old loves and an unstable father where they were both very kind, devoted and protective parents who grew attached to the boy in season 1. Another attractive quality of the show is their cute little shaggy dog and how he was written as one of the family and one of the detectives. Most shows don't seem to write animals as that versatile and central to the story unless the show is about the animal. The episodes write suspense together nicely with creepy two-faced characters and setups and the culprits evil deeds and preying so close by all the noble, likable heroes.

"This is Jonathan Hart, a self made millionaire, this is Mrs H., she's one hell of a lady...My name is Max, I look after the two of them, because when they met, it was moider!"

The Harts were this super rich glamorous couple who solved crimes with a wink and a nod and the sarcastic comment from their butler, Max and his thick New Jersey accent. Both Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers were the king and queen of American television at that time and their performances were so relaxed, so confident and oozing charm that you couldn't help be swept along with the show. And Stefanie Powers is one of the most gorgeous and charismatic actresses ever to grace the small screen (and would still blow her younger counterparts away to this day).

What I think sets "Hart to Hart" apart from "The Thin Man", is the sexual playfulness of Jonathan and Jennifer. These two couldn't keep their hands off each other, and amidst investigating a murder or an art theft, they'd be nibbling each others ears, or fondling their knees or groping each other in a hot tub. There's a voyeuristic quality about this show, as their flirtatious dialogue and just what Jonathan was doing to Jennifer under those hot tub bubbles got the mind going. Some have said that part of the show was the best bit. If the Harts have left a legacy, it was to make viewers want to try kissing underwater.

Maybe I'm easily pleased but Hart to Hart was a wonderful show. Perhaps I would only admit to watching it after drinking a huge quantity of beer but it was very watchable indeed.

The lovely Stefanie Powers was Jennifer Hart, Robert Wagner was Jonathan Hart. Their butler was Max played by the late Lionel Stander. Together, they travelled around the globe always attracting the attention of the wrong people. There was plenty of action and intrigue but despite all the danger, Jonathan and Jennifer loved each other and everything was held together by their butler Max.

It wasn't the best show ever but it'd be hard to find someone who didn't enjoy it.

He was a handsome millionaire. She was a well-know journalist. Their hobby was murder. What a beginning! The Harts were, of course, Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers. And the show was an update of "Thin Man" movies. But thanks God, plots were better in the show. Behind all that was creator (and best-seller novelist) Sidney Sheldon who also wrote some scripts in the show. The show was excellent, specially for a very good acting and good scripts. And no forget that wonderful sense of humour! Lionel Stander was the housekeeper Max and Freeway (that was also kidnapped in one episode) was Hart's dog. This is one of my favourite 70's crime and mistery show. Better than Charlie's angels, Kojack, Columbo, etc. It had the same kind of magic I found years later with "Remington Steele".