Scarecrow and Mrs. King

I watched this series all the time when I was little. Bruce Boxleitner is a great actor and really shines as the star, Scarecrow. As I watch it nowadays I feel that he must have enjoyed this series a lot, as he seems so natural and comfortable in his role. This is a cute, endearing show based on a simple premise. The first few seasons are especially great to watch, as the contrast between Lee and Amanda is most striking before their romantic relationship develops. (The fourth and fifth seasons are not quite as interesting, but they're inevitable) It's kind of a Lady and the Tramp story set in Washington, DC, with Lee being a charismatic government spy/ladies man, and Amanda a sweet, suburban single mother. What makes this duo so charming is the culture clash between their two worlds. He is forever "burdened" by her ineptness when it comes to government work, and she is always critiquing his lifestyle and trying to get him to live more like a normal, "real person".. Their unlikely partnership leads to plenty of fun and adventure for the audience, and eventual romance that is (fortunately) postponed for as long as possible. The writers and producers seem to know exactly what the viewers want, the guy and girl who like eachother but can't say it or deal with it, and end up tiptoeing around the issue for three seasons... except for the occasional hint or inuendo, executed with perfect style. "Charlie's Angels" fans will have fun seeing Kate Jackson in this different, motherly role, and I think most females will find it very hard to resist the boyish and talented Boxleitner. His skill with dialogue delivery is beyond compare. This series is a classic, great for anyone who likes a little action, humor and romance. It's best seen from the beginning, so you can really appreciate the relationship between these two TV greats.

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.

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.

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

I watched this show when I was a little girl. And it soon turned up to be one of my favorite shows ever: the leading characters are great, and they interact in the cutest way.

Kate Jackson plays Amanda King, the most ordinary, suburban mother whose greatest hope is a special discount at the grocery store.

Bruce Boxleitner plays Lee Stetson, a secret agent who loves being a spy and being a Don Giovanni.

Their meeting happens at the train station, when Lee is forced to ask Amanda for help. From that day,these two become the most unlikely pair of secret agent, and more than often Lee wonders just what the hell Amanda is here for: she has no clue about anything concerning spies, guns, or secret weapons. On the other hand, she has a lot of common sense, and she uses a special intuit that more than once saves them both.

As seasons pass by, Lee and Amanda develop a very special friendship, that eventually turns into love. It takes three whole years, though, to see them show their feeling for each other. And this, for fans (or for me at least), was like a secret hope, just like what happened for X-Files ten years later.

Technically speaking, this show is just like any other 80s TV show: poorly directed, badly edited and with stunt over-using (most of the time causing embarrassing shots where anyone could see it wasn't them!). It was set in DC, but filmed in California, so they mixed long-range shot of DC monuments with street shots of the WB lot. Bruce and Kate acted pretty well, Bruce being the best of the pair and giving on the whole a very charismatic portrait of Lee (which caused a lot of women to fall for the actor AND the character - as I did!). On the last season, though, Kate Jackson cut her appearances on the show due to a sudden illness, and after a few episodes without Amanda the show stopped. Too bad they didn't get a chance to film a decent end to a very nice show.

I recommend it to those who suffer old-times nostalgia, and to those who haven't forgotten Bruce Boxleitner in his glory days. Plus it has a great theme tune!