Scarecrow and Mrs. King

The cable network TVLand recently had a promotion weekend that Scarecrow and Mrs. King was part of. I was so excited to see a few episodes, but it made me wish that the series was on DVD even more!

Scarecrow and Mrs. King was a great series about an unsuspecting housewife who gets pulled into undercover spy work with a reluctant and then fully accepting spy. It's a little hokey, but great overall. Kate Jackson plays single mom, Amanda King and Bruce Boxleitner plays spy, Lee Stetson. The show was really all-inclusive, action, romance and comedy all in one.

The sexual tension in the 1st two seasons is a little like the dynamic between Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepard in Moonlighting.

As a teenager this was one of the few evening shows that I could watch with my mother. Every Monday night at 8pm we would watch this show and then "Kate & Allie". During the mid eighties gritty crime dramas like "Hill Street Blues" and "Miami Vice" were dominating the popularity poles I looked forward to the light spirited romantic spy show "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" (S&MK).

First of all "The Agency" Lee Stetson worked for never could make up it's mind what type of government agency it was. At times it was like the FBI, at other times it was like the CIA and still other times like the NSA and U.S. Marshals. "The Agency" would investigate foreign espionage, transport witnesses, provide security for people and events and conduct overseas investigations. What an agency!!!

The plots usually involved the Russians and U.S.S.R.. A typical plot would find Lee Stetson (Agent Scarecrow)in over his head and the only person who could bail him out would be the civilian temporary help Amanda King. Despite all the other trained agents like Francine Desmond who was always more worried about looking good before she went on an assignment. Let us not forget Billy Melrose, this shows version of Oscar Goldman from the "Six Million Dollar Man". He could always be counted on to show up right after the nick of time just like Oscar Goldman.

The criminals always were clean cut middle aged yuppie types with horrible accents. Just about every show I can remember ends with Scarecrow and his obvious double chasing and beating up the bad guys while Amanda King almost innocently saves the day by using her skills she developed as a housewife and mother.

Despite the cheesy story lines and settings this is a very enjoyable show. Right always triumphed over wrong. The entire case acted well together and over the 4 years the viewers grew to know and like them. The relationship between Lee Stetson and Amanda played out well. The first 2 years with them feeling each other out. The third dealing with their desire to move forward and not knowing how. The fourth with their marriage and how they concealed it from everyone.

During the last season the writing began to suffer. First of all you can only have so many episodes with Soviet espionage and sabotage. Secondly, Mrs. King after 4 years could not longer be viewed as an innocent civilian and her innocent charm was fading. Finally, it was nice to see the relationship progress between Mrs. King and Scarecrow but once they were married like most shows of this type the tension that kept the audience captivated was gone. It was clear the show would not be back for a 5th season when Amanda was taken out of the episodes because the actress that portrayed her had breast cancer and the show was moved from Monday night to Friday night. Given all these changes the 4 year time frame was just about right for this shows run.

Lastly, this show was a nice diversion from the ordeals of everyday life. Hopefully as shows that are released in DVD form continue to become available this one will one day come out in DVD format.

Scarecrow and Mrs. King is a wonderful show, with a simple theme. It has very enjoyable acting and some surprising story lines. Although some plots and cinematography remind you it is in reruns, and was in fact filmed during the mid eighties, you will enjoy following the plots and the relationship of Scarecrow (Lee Stetson) and Amanda King. It's a fun show that a family can enjoy together.

I remember watching this show on CBS Monday nights before Kate and Allie and Newhart. I thought the show was great with Charlie's Angel, Kate Jackson, playing single mother, Amanda King, in the Washington D.C. area. Somehow, she manages to mingle with Bruce Boxleitner's character. He plays a Washington spy/agent for the FBI or was it CIA. I don't remember. I remember Beverly Garland playing Amanda's mom on the series. I thought this series had humor, great acting, and intelligence. The Scarecrow and Mrs. King should be out on DVD eventually. I think Kate proved that she was no more Charlie's Angel and this series displayed her acting abilities as well. I miss shows like this and it was set somewhere other than Los Angeles or New York. Maybe they never actually filmed in D.C. except for the regular shots, this show was always entertaining to watch for family hour.

I do love this show, for its sheer entertainment value. It's a little idealistic and perhaps stretches credibility at points, but so what? I don't always want to be educated when I watch TV, nor do I particularly like being grossed out verbally or visually, as the newer shows push the envelope ever farther in search of ratings... Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner might not consider SMK their best work, but I think they discount their fan base. I loved Bruce in this, and in Babylon 5, a lot better than any of the drippy made for TV movies he made with his wife (sorry Melissa!) I wish Scarecrow and Mrs King would come out on DVD so I'd have a chance to watch it again. Maybe this time I'll hate it! But I doubt it. April 2005