The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries

Looking back at the Hardy Boys episodes, it is amazing that they could get by with such poor scripts and mediocre acting. But one has to remember that the entire success of these shows was based on the teen idol appeal of Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson. These boys weren't acting; they were performing acts of S & M (standing and modeling). As long as those blow-dried, pouffed-out hair don'ts were perfect with every hair in place, nothing else mattered. It is amusing to note that the boys still had perfect hair after deep sea diving, laying comatose in a hospital, and having the %$# kicked out of them. The vision of Shaun running through a fire engulfed room with soot on his face and perfect hair stretches credibility to the limit. What is even more ridiculous is how the Hardy Boys were crammed into very tight pants, leaving NOTHING to the viewers' imagination. Even the most brain-dead preteen could quickly figure out that Shaun dressed to the left and Parker dressed to the right. (And neither boy had anything to be ashamed of in that department.) The Nancy Drew episodes were less popular in their day, but the acting and writing was far superior to that of the Hardy Boys. Unable to play the teen idol card, Pamela Sue Martin actually had to act, and her talents in that department were almost as sizeable as what the Hardy Boys were not hiding in their pants. Pamela was also much less preoccupied with perfect appearance. She actually allowed her clothes to get dirty and her hair did occasionally get messed up. But Martin's most astounding feat was climbing up ladders, running down alleys, and jumping across rooftops in 3-inch heels. This makes her a much bigger super-heroine than Wonder Woman.

I just finished watching "The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries" Season One DVD set. I must admit that I had a great time with the series. Sure, this stuff is pretty simplistic, but it's fun. The show is really pretty tame and the mysteries aren't very involved. It would probably be a good watch for the whole family.

Highlights of the first season include - Richard Kiel in The Mystery of the Haunted House, Shaun Cassidy singing in a couple of the later Hardy Boys episodes, Jamie Lee Curtis and Robert Englund in The Mystery of the Fallen Angels, and the way a couple of the episodes, particularly The Mystery of the Whispering Walls and The Disappearing Floor, were put together. Good stuff!

I'm probably a little more biased in favor of "The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries" than some would be. In 1977, I was 13 and fit perfectly into the shows demographic. Back then, I thought this stuff was better than sliced bread. Ahh, the memories.

It is difficult to introduce the concepts of mystery and investigation to a youngster through television today. Most current detective shows offer up unnecessarily gruesome storylines to paint a bleak portrait of the lives of cops chasing criminals. That is where 'The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries' proves to be so different- as do other detective shows of that era, like 'Murder, She Wrote', - except that THB/NDM was tailored to appeal to teenaged audiences. Every episode presents an intriguing, yet innocent mystery that is solved by the respective young detective (or 'part-time investigator') using logical deduction and the occassional gut feeling. The sequence of investigation depicted is exactly as described in the books, thus making it the perfect show for Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys fans. The actors play the eternally-beloved title characters well, and there are only a few fairly negligible departures from the original storylines that in my opinion, only increase the viewers' enjoyment. There is also a certain quality to the writing of the dialogues that can induce a wave of nostalgia in anyone familiar with the books. Every episode in the entire series focuses mainly on the case at hand, and never dwells too long on the characters' personal lives. Their eccentricities and quirks come out while they work, therefore making them all the more real and relatable.

I remember seeing this on TV in the early 90`s. This is a great show. In the beginning they where just hobby detectives, but in the last season they worked full time as detectives. I love the stories, the clothes and hair, and most of all the title theme. This show should be made into a complete dvd collection! One of the best shows of the 70`s! I give this 9 out of 10!

We watched this on the new cable as kids, and loved every moment. What prepubescent kid didn't. Parker Stevenson and teen-idol Shaun Cassidy in the boy-detective lead roles of Frank and younger brother Joe. Then soon introducing the Poseidon Adventures, Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew. It all worked and flowed brilliantly. Parker was already a seasoned young actor, and Shaun played his own role well. Not to mention the Powers included his vocal talents later into the series. The guys played well off each other. And when coupled with Nancy on certain episodes, the three truly meshed.

Watching it today as an adult, most of the episodes flow decently enough, though some scenes or dialogue appear to drag in certain places. But that may well have been the original editing. Overall, this classic '70s series has retained its original charm, and is well worth watching and re-watching.