Remington Steele

I loved Remington Steele back in the 1980s and videotaped many of the shows. I recently found those tapes again and have been watching them more critically this time around. I still love most of the shows, but now I think I understand why. Where else can you find a show nowadays where the star of a show is a bright, independent-minded entrepreneurial woman who finds a bright, warm, sensitive, and gorgeous man that pursues her more for her mind than her body? Where else can you find a show nowadays where the female lead deals with feminist issues and doesn't allow herself to be sexually exploited or even to take issues of sex and commitment lightly without being naive or a prude? Looking back on it, there was more romantic comedy than mystery or drama in most of the shows, but the main characters were very appealing, as was their dilemma. I'd love to see more shows like it on the air today.

The DVD release of this show has allowed me to go back and visit an old favorite. I had not seen the episodes since their very first run, so I was curious if I would still like the show and still derive the enjoyment from it that I remembered the first time through. Well, good news: the show was just as good as I remembered it, and had held up well for being 20 years old. Pierce Brosnan displayed the charm that made him one of my favorite TV stars, and his chemistry with Stephanie Zimbalist was still excellent. The shows themselves are extremely well-written. Unlike shows on TV today, this show didn't talk down to you; the characters were sophisticated and spoke like they were well educated, not like they hung out at the bar all the time. The wit hasn't been lost, either; I laughed through many of the episodes I watched. This was like catching up with an old friend. I can't wait to see the second season!

Remington Steele is one of my favorite TV series. It had everything: fun, romance, mystery, suspense, and three great leading actors, Stephanie Zimbalist, Pierce Brosnan and Doris Roberts. They were a winning combination. I would love to have the entire series on DVD. Although, I have some complete episodes on video tape, tapes wear out, and I'm hoping for a DVD set to preserve such a wonderful series for posterity.

Stephanie Zimbalist played Laura Holt beautifully. She was a character I admired, a woman striking out on her own, even though she initially had to use deception to get her business on track. Pierce Brosnan was charming as the mysterious con man. Who can forget the wild antics of Doris Roberts as Mildred Krebs, especially the time she was involved in the Steele, Inc. scheme to open a chain of Remington Steele agencies without the knowledge of Laura or Steele?

This is a series that MUST find a place on DVD shelves everywhere.

Remington Steele was the big door Opening for Pierce Brosnan's career during the 1980s, at the time he wasn't very known and this launched the unknown Irishman into stardom, if you're a fan of movies you'll love listening to Mr. Steele reference so many classic movies, and if you are a Bond fan check this show out.

Here's a little known fact. Remington Steele obsessives, like myself, cannot bear to even mention the unfortunate 5th season of this series. To cut a long story short, male lead Pierce Brosnan was on the brink of being officially declared the new 007 (replacing Roger Moore) but NBC ordered more Remington Steele episodes and Timothy Dalton got the licence to kill instead. Brosnan returned to TV for a shortened, unsatisfying 5th season.

So, if we ignore the fifth and concentrate on the previous four seasons, what do we have? An excellent series, very much of its time, with a premise that just wouldn't stand up today! Can you imagine a show in these politically-correct days where a woman invents a male boss to attract business? Stephanie Zimbalist starred as Laura Holt, the woman behind the man – an attractive, spunky, fiercely independent private investigator. Pierce Brosnan played the handsome and mysterious thief-with-no-name turned eponymous super sleuth. The sexual chemistry between Laura Holt and Remington Steele was the driving force of the show but it had so many other plus points too. The first episode (License To Steele) sets the tone which future shows followed: an exciting mystery, tight plotting, fine script, a stylish feel and explosive sexual tension between the two protagonists. This was an absolute pre-requisite in the 1980s. Everyone was either doing it, or nearly doing it, or talking about doing it: Cheers' Sam and Diane, Moonlighting's Maddy and David, Scarecrow and Mrs King's Scarecrow and Mrs King(!) and Laura Holt and Remington Steele were no different! The writers of Remington Steele delighted in torturing their audience, keeping us guessing as to when the two would finally consummate their on-again, off-again rocky-romance as they ran around solving crimes. The series finished in 1987 but the plethora of websites dedicated to it and fan fiction inspired by it, is testament to its enduring appeal. Remington Steele? 100% pure class.