"Moonlighting" is a tv show that I loved in the 80's. Though I kind of view it in two phases: 'Before the Hook-up' as opposed to 'After the Hook-up'. The 'Before' shows were brilliant and incredible television.. the 'After' were crazy and almost campy at times. In retrospect, they were both charming phases in the their own way, but I'll take move of the 'Before' any day of the week.
For anyone that might have missed "Moonlighting".. here's the premise:
Bruce Willis played David Addison who partners up with Maddie Hayes played by Cybill Shepherd. Maddie is a former model and owner of the agency. She was swindled by her investment adviser, who took off with all her money and left her with only the detective agency. I think the show was incredible because of the chemistry between David and Maddie, which is kind of funny, considering that at the time, rumor had it the two of them couldn’t really stand each other in real life. But you know what they say, there’s a fine line between love and hate, and the show worked great until the two characters finally consummated their relationship. Then the craziness began..
Overall, I highly recommend re-watching this lost gem!
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oneyedwilly
The Dread Pirate Rewind....
Member # 8730
posted
i would like to see this show again as an adult as my mum loved it and i would watch it with her after growing pains on a wednesday night. I really liked Bruce Wilis in it and had a slight crush on cybil...i was only 12 or 13. It was a good show.
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The intro is a bit like 'Midnight Caller'. A lot of 80's shows used that still-frame-in-motion type opening.
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Kash
Kash : Aha! He'll save every one of us...
Member # 297
posted
Great write up, brilliant show. I haven't seen every episode so would definitely re-visit this classic series.
quote:Originally posted by logan5: "Some walk by night... some fly by day..."
The music always gives me pangs on nostalgia.
The intro is a bit like 'Midnight Caller'. A lot of 80's shows used that still-frame-in-motion type opening.
'Midnight Caller' reference, one of my favourite shows of all time.
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Muffy Tepperman
Leopard-print Leotard Wearer.....
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I've actually just watched this start to finish......and I have a novel I could write....so it's my next agenda in the next few days to give my much needed input I loved this show!!!
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posted
Well i'd seen Moonlighting back in the 80's.....although it's one of those I couldn't have told you now about any of the episodes. I was too young.
So I just recently watched them all start to finish and here's my rant why I believe it was such an awesome show!
First off the obvious David and Maddie's chemistry.........the opposites attract scenario.
many say it was the actual chemistry between stars Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepard that helped that chemistry along and i'd have to agree. The show had an awesome writer.....David's quick lines and Maddie's reactions. Bruce delivered those lines masterfully and Cybil's facial expressions reacted so brilliantly!
David always seem to say the sleaziest things but he always got my laugh and you couldn't help but love him anyway.
In one episode he was going through Maddie's underwear drawer and says something of the sort "for future reference I like this" holding up a negligee then Maddie replies "good! you can borrow it!" gets me laughing out loud every time
Another awesomeness of Moonlighting Breaking the fourth wall:
at first I was a little like what??? but then it started to win me over and become so hilarious and well done.......the characters often made jokes about the writers, the network, talking in character that this was a tv show. "don't gang up on me....I don't write this stuff"
alot of episodes were the same setup.....get a case, bicker.....silly car case, run after the criminal, solve the case......they were so inventive and funny and had new laughs every time though..........also Moonlighting had many unique shows.......B&W throwback with an intro by Orson Welles "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" "Atomic Shakespeare" a tale of taming of the shrew with elaborate costumes.
Ok so many say the show "jumped the shark" when Maddie and David consummated their relationship.........I'm actually wondering if alot of other things could have been the factor....here's my breakdown:
Bruce Willis broke his neck in a skiing accident. Cybil got knocked up. The tv writers strike of 1988. Creator Glenn Gordan Caron left the show due to difficulties in production.
I myself got annoyed with all their "relationship" back and fourths and serious conversations......it was too soap opera like and not what the show was about and what made it so great......David and Maddie could have been together and it could have been the same great show if all these other factors weren't going on in my opinion........so my last diddy........the thing that kept me watching towards the end????
Curtis Armstrong and Allyce Beasley!!!
Dipesto and Burt! two great sidekick characters........the quirky David and Maddie........even spawning some of their very own episodes.
I do love season five Moonlighting returned to the humor and slapstick from the first seasons.........although it got cancelled in the midst I believe as the Series Finale seemed rushed
hope I told my cool opinons without giving things away??? but i'm with Valley it's well worth a re watch now some 20 years later.....it hasn't lost it's charm and for 80's lovers it's an awesome flashback of the things we appreciate!
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Valley Dated Julie From 'Valley Girl' (allegedly!)
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Muffy.. that was an awesome posting! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
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Muffy Tepperman
Leopard-print Leotard Wearer.....
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Thanks Valley! It really was awesome watching it start to finish....I got them all from Netflix and sometimes I couldn't wait for the next dvd's to arrive I could easily buy them and revisit them in a few years all over again!
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aTomiK
.... has green eyes as well....
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posted
Fantastic post Muffy! I own that seasons 1&2 set and i hope that i´d have more time to watch these great 80s tv-shows.
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Kash
Kash : Aha! He'll save every one of us...
Member # 297
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What a post, Muffy! The last word on Moonlighting.
Posts: 2041 | From: The Ice Planet Hoth | Registered: Jul 2001 | Site Updates: 0
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posted
Moonlighting was a fantastic show overall. The first season was good but maybe a little awkward. It did get better every week though. The second season was marvelous, perfect writing and chemistry. Third season started to go downhill a bit as they strayed from the original format. The fourth season was a disaster, Maddie was out of town for most of it. Then, in the fifth and last season they recovered quite a bit of ground, it was pretty good, unfortunately it was too late.
The chemistry between David and Maddie is well known, but I thank god for Herbert Viola. Bert was hilarious and delivered some of my favorite moments of the show. It was great when he serenaded Agnes with Marvin Gaye's 'Sexual Healing' and I loved when he'd go toe to toe with his co-worker and arch nemesis, MacGillicuddy. He always came through with the laughs.
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kevdugp73
He's eating after dark again....
Member # 5978
posted
Dang....I passed on several seasons in a discount bin a while back...$5 each, as I only vaugly remembered the show. Now that everyone is talking about it...wish I could "REWIND" and scoop them. For some reason, at a later date, I bought season five for $5...it was the only one there, and I must have been in a different frame of mind, thus bought it. No sense staring with season five I assume, so I'll have to track the others down....
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Great post Muff. It confirms what I remember about the show. You're probably right about it 'jumping' because of many factors happening at once. Curtis was the star to me, too!
Now I want you to review the 'Sledgehammer' DVD's!
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Muffy Tepperman
Leopard-print Leotard Wearer.....
Member # 1551
posted
Logan I put Sledgehammer in my Netflix and I will give it a try......you know what's totally weird??
I've never seen that site before ever.....a few weeks ago I tried to buy music off it and you can't because apparently the site is for sale??? weird that you just found it in a search for Sledgehammer??? have you ordered off it before?
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posted
Never ordered off it before, just used it for illustration purposes.
Sledgehammer / Midnight Caller / The Highwayman were all staples of my late-night 80's TV viewing. Back when they used to turn off the TV at a certain time!
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posted
Just had a nice conversation with Muffy about this show. I've never seen one episode but remember it. I would love to see it. All seasons are available on netflix to rent. I'm interested! I basically skimmed through this topic so that I didn't read too much of what happens in detail.
Great write up, Valley. Thanks for the breakdown.
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'Midnight Caller' reference, one of my favourite shows of all time.
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I could easily buy them and revisit them in a few years all over again!
