Hardcastle e McCormick

I loved the series, even with the continuity problems, when it first aired and my opinion hadn't changed over the years. When VEI released the first season in Canada, I was overjoyed. I highly recommend this series and the DVD set to any and all fans of relationship series. Although HARDCASTLE & McCORMICK is a typical Cannell production with car chases galore, at the heart the theme of the series was friendship, that between Milton Hardcastle and Mark McCormick. It was where the series was heading when it was cruelly cancelled, despite being more than high enough in the ratings to be renewed. It has truly aged well and can be enjoyed again and again.

This show pretty much was an update on classic legends like the Lone Ranger and the Cisco Kid with a little bit of Dirty Harry thrown in. This also came out at a time when shows like "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Knight Rider", which featured good looking young men with fast cars were all the rage. Brian Keith pretty much buried his old character of "Uncle Bill" with his wild characterization of Milton Hardcastle. He made this show fun to watch and it was one of those shows from the mind of Stephen J. Cannell that had lots of action but really didn't take itself too seriously. Also, Daniel Hugh Kelly provided enough beefcake to keep the ladies interested. This was definitely one of the wildest shows of the 1980's.

A gold standard for 80's tv. What works here is the mix of action comedy. A character driven show of a con and Judge who solve mysteries and fight crime. There is great stunts, cons, action sequences, and comic character clashes. The by the book Judge vs the slick con with a good heart are great characters. My all time favorite episodes of Hardcastle and McCormick had great humorous moments like: The time Mark tries to be a stand up, or the house party that went out of control, and the time Mark and the Judge got involved with the CIA. The acting mixed well with the comedy which pushes into a exciting adventure is the golden formula for TV bliss. For a more mature audience than Night Rider, or the Dukes, but with all the same fun. I think that car was Hardcastle and McCormick trade mark. 10/10 I wish we would have repeats on cable. Please never make a remake and ruin Hardcastle and McCormick. 10 stars

Hardcastle And Mcormick is of the forgotten shows of the 80's, and while The A Team, Knight Rider and Airwolf are more remembered Hardcastle and Mcormick had it all great story lines, two great leading characters, a awesome car and a catchy theme tune. I'ts the story of a retired judge who teams up with ex con to go after the criminals who got away when he was a judge, its a typical 80's style action series that I enjoyed and grew up with. Along with the actors though the car was definitely the star of the show, OK maybe it didn't talk like kitt but the red coyote was one hot car. I would really like to see one of the TV channels repeat this great show as most other 80's shows have been constantly repeated.

I grew up in the '80s watching many of Stephen J. Cannell's programs, and still consider Hardcastle and McCormick to be one of the best of its genre. The episodes were fun to watch as most were an equal blend of action, drama, and humor. Brian Keith (as retired judge Milton C. Hardcastle) and Daniel Hugh Kelly (as ex-con Mark McCormick) played to each other's acting strengths, and their on-screen chemistry was one of the main things that elevated this series. The dialogue was crisp, and the two tough-yet-intelligent lead characters were well-defined, once the writers settled on their backgrounds (Hardcastle's home state was changed in the first season from Kansas to Arkansas, and Mark claimed to be from both Florida and New Jersey, although that could have been in keeping with his character's lack of stability). In addition, the judge's age and his length of time on the bench seemed to change each season. It also appeared that Mark spent his two years of incarceration in every prison in southern California, although San Quentin was the location first mentioned in the pilot episode, and the one most frequently referenced. The men's constant (although often good- natured) bickering and competition seemed to be the foundation of their friendship, which was regularly mentioned lightly and sometimes showed in grander gestures, such as in the episode where McCormick sells his beloved race car in order to raise enough bail money to get a framed Hardcastle out of jail, or the one where Hardcastle risks his prestigious law career by assisting Mark's dead-beat dad in stealing some wire-tap tapes from a government safe to bargain for the release of a kidnapped McCormick.

The series had its flaws, as did most of the macho, shoot-em-up, action shows of the time period, but what it lacked in realism and consistency it made up for in originality and heart. This series is a great addition to the other classic television shows now available on DVD, such as The Greatest American Hero and Starsky and Hutch.