Miami Vice

Although made for television this show portrayed a real street presence not often found in the public domain. Having lived through this period and witnessed, first hand, the "drug culture," and its effect on the population, the program stands as a warning to those who want to experiment, the nightmare to the general population, and the ever-present danger and bravery of the police who try to cope with this never-ending misery. The daily antics of Crocket and Tubbs, the characters they meet, the villains and the heroes of their streets,make the reality palatable while at the same time shrouding their discomfort with humor, e.g., Izzy, material breaking down, glitzy surroundings. Well worth watching many times over.

I won't bore you with what I think are the best episodes, but season 2 was where I started watching it originally as a kid and I've revisited the show again on DVD just recently some 25 years later

The things that strike me now are that Don Johnson is a damn fine actor, Jan Hammers music was and is awesome, and the show had a noticeable upturn in production values from around about 'Yankee Dollar' onward - from that moment we have real on-set undubbed dialogue, proper location ambiences, camera shots onboard speed boats. It really does get awesome from here. I just watched the episode and loved it

You can tell that Mann is primed and ready to get into film work at this point and really had honed his skills as a Producer

All I can tell you is if you've never seen it, watch the show. It has Edward James Olmos who went on to star in my other favourite TV show of all-time 'Battlestar Galactica'. Don Johnson who really should be recognized for his acting talents imho and some of the coolest music you will ever hear in a TV show in Season 2. I'm definitely not talking about the pop music btw, but the Jan Hammer tracks - if you like vintage retro synths you will absolutely love it

While some of the fashion styles might seem silly now, interestingly Miami Vice had a huge influence on popular culture and fashion during the 80's rather than vice versa. I still think Sonny and Crocket look slick most of the time, but some of the extras do look like aliens from outer space, and the shorts are Bjorn Borg short!!! The 80's were a pretty crazy decade

Great show. Brings back a lot of memories seeing it again, and very satisfying that Michael Mann went on to become one of the best movie Directors of all time with films like 'Manhunter' and 'Heat'

Ah. This brings back memories.

One of the seminal TV shows of the 80's it is sadly remembered more for it's style, music and fashion content than anything else. Which is unfair as it was also brilliantly acted. Then there is the scream of it's being "unrealistic" due to the fact the cops are wearing armani designer lables and driving a ferrari...WHOLY wrong. The characters are supposed to be undercover cops posing as drug dealer playboys. To have them driving a ford and wearing second hand costumes and cop uniforms would be unrealistic as drug dealers tend be very stylish and showing off thier wealth like a peacok. Urgo the Organised Crime Buerau Vice unit have to fit in. Ussually well written (irellevant of if or not it's the first two seasons gritty realism or the remaining three seasons which were more formulaic).

Season One started off with a pilot that is extrememly lame. And indeed while enjoyable the earlier episodes which followed weren't up to much either. But then along with the (shock) death a lead character early in the season and a new theme tune the show found it's foot. Thanks to the American viewing public for sticking by the show in it's developmental stage. Once Season 1 gets going properly it's a rollercoaster ride of spills and thrills which looked flashy and also delivered plot and characters that kept your attention. Best Episdoe: "Hit List" (aka: Caulderone's Return Part 1). Worst Episode: "Give A Little Take A Little".

Season 2 is more of the same really. Characters are developed more but the plotlines and style remain the same. Best Episode: "Definitley Miami". Worst Episode: "Tale Of The Goat".

Season 3 Shows an definite change of tact for the show. But it works incredibly well and is IMHO the best of the lot. The actors have grown into their characters by this point and can make them totally convincing and sympathetic. The voilence is as action packed and sizling as ever. And the look on Don Johnson's face when his ferrari Daytona gets destroyed is an amazingly comical moment. Best Episode: Too may to choose from really but Johnson's sanity slipping on a case in "Shadows In The Dark" is amazing stuff up there with Pacino and DeNiro in the acting stakes "Forgive Us Our Debts" comes a very close second. Worst Episode: "Viking Bikers From Hell".

Season 4 is the least of the bunch. The stories try to return to a more realistic style but fail totally in their delivery. There are a few good moments but for the most part the stories get very boring. Also someone had the bright idea to cancel Miami Vice and slip a new show called "The Adventures Of Sonny Crockett" on in it's place. In this new show where Crockett and Tubbs were equal partners in the show and the rest of the OCB crew were FAR more than extras who had plenty to bring to the table. in this season we're greeted to a show where Tubbs is reduced to nothing more than a sidekick and the rest of the the OCB are also rans with the exception of some very poor filler episodes. Best Episode: "Mirror Image". Worst Episode: Too many to choose from but "Death And The Lady" is the lowest of the low with only a memorable guest appearence by Paul Guifoyle (sp?) Better known nowadays as Brass in C.S.I. playing a seriously weird villian.

Season 5 is my second fave season after Year 3. Everyone is back on a level playing field again as "The Adventures Of Sonny Crockett" are canned after one season and Miami Vice returns. Jan Hammer takes his music with him to pastures new but Tim Truman arrives with some amazing and atmospheric work for the season that I personally consider to be the best of the bunch when it comes to the music. The realism is out the window with the producers realising that the previous years "high drama" approach had been a complete failure it was time to make sure the final year was a hard hitting full on gunfest. There are OCCASIONAL breaks from this with a couple of comedy episodes "The Lost Maddonna" works brilliantly with Micheal Chiles -I THINK that's his name- from The Shield playing a New York art detective in a genuinley amusing episode. However "Miracle Man" is dire beyond words and is actually painfull to watch making it the worst MV episode. There is some effective character work in there too and the plots while aiming towards a big finish still come across well. The first episode resumes where Season 4 finished with Crockett suffering amnesia believing he really IS a drug dealer and putting on a brilliant "villian" performance. The cliff hanger ending ot the season opener is IMHO the BEST TV cliffhanger ever shown with Crockett (still on planet memory loss) and Tubbs going at it. The story arc is resolved in the seasons best offering "Redemption In Blood". The rest of the season focuses on the other members of the OCB and makes it obvious Crockett is burned out with it only being a matter of time before he either quits the Police Force or gets himself killed. Thankfully the show saw sense to finish while it was ahead and while the final story "Freefall" does not have a great plot the story OOZES in atmosphere and has a sense of farewell to it that is brilliantly realised in the final scene where Crockett and Tubbs bid each other farewell. Best Episode: "Redemption In Blood". Worst Episode: "Miracle Man".

Maybe one day people will remember the show for the reasons it deserves more than the style and the music. I can but hope.

This classic ground breaking series followed two very different Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami.

It holds up, the characters are still as endearing as they were back then. The first season has its faults mainly the abrupt cutting between scenes (due to planned adverts) but also at times the writers or directors don't seem to know how to finish a scene before the next as with many of the shows of the time. New comers may find this a little jarring and frustrating as this has been finely tuned in modern quality TV shows.

The first season has some rough episodes but of the 22 they are the few and far between. The characters are great and the acting is decent for the most part. The meeting of the both leads is great, Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas), a New York street cop collides with James "Sonny" Crockett (Don Johnson) Former football star and 'Nam vet' now undercover detective. It's good to watch their friendship grow through good and bad times. The supporting cast are on fine form, notably Det. Gina Calabrese (Saundra Santiago) and Lt. Castillo (Edward James Olmos) who becomes their new boss a few episodes in.

Its fitting that the exposition isn't forced and you need to take note to what the characters are saying. Many of the cast are while not major stars are veteran bit part actors who have familiar faces. In addition, as well as the many guest stars including Bruce Willis it's surprising how many of the supporting cast are stars now, for example Ving Rhames.

Even after being viewed through 80's rose tinted glasses and overlooking some cheese - it encapsulates a fanciful nostalgia, the clothes, the cars, the boats, soundtrack and even Miami itself. The style and panache of Crockett and Tubbs sums it up, but that's not to say the locations, story lines and character are not without a dark side, prostitution, kidnapping, murder and drugs (mainly heroin) to name a few. These maybe sanitized slightly due to censorship of the time but there's enough to give it an edge especially for the time.

Restrictions and the unkindness of time aside, like the Equalizer, from its motion picture shooting style and production/wardrobe design, to the landmark music Miami Vice is as entertaining today as it was back then.

I know that I never got to see Miami Vice when it was out but I know it did end a year after I was born. I got to see the show on DVD and I thought it was just classic and cool! From the way the show is made it looks more like a movie than a TV-series. The show revolves around two cops, Detective James "Sonny" Crockett (Don Johnson) and Detective Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) and their adventures solving crimes around Miami! Stubble-faced detective Crockett lived in a sailboat guarded by his alligator Elvis. His partner Tubbs was a black New York cop looking for his brother's killer. Together they took on the Florida drug world. The show influenced men's fashions toward Italo-casual and interior decor toward the Memphis look. This show aired on NBC from 1984-1989 and lasted 5 seasons and I was amazed my this real neat series when I first watched it especially on the way it was made and such, plus I think Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas are one cool and memorable TV team to remember. I remember that 5 years later after Miami Vice ended, Don Johnson did another detective series called "Nash Bridges" which lasted 6 seasons on CBS! If you like this series then you would also like Nash Bridges!

User Rating: 10/10

BOTTOM LINE: A FANTASTIC SERIES!