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Miami Vice

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Miami Vice was a popular television series (five seasons on NBC from 1984-1989) starring Don Johnson (James "Sonny" Crockett) and Philip Michael Thomas (Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs) as two Miami police detectives working undercover. A motion picture based on the series is currently planned for release in 2006.

Television series

In the early 1980s, the head of NBC's Entertainment Division, Brandon Tartikoff, reportedly wrote a brainstorming memo that simply read "MTV cops". The result was Michael Mann's production of Miami Vice.

While the series had many regulars, it focused primarily on two lead characters. James "Sonny" Crockett, a former University of Florida college football star (wide receiver), who became a police detective after a tour in Vietnam; as the series begins he is a vice officer with an elaborate cover, including a Ferrari Daytona Spider (the car used on the show was actually a modified Chevrolet Corvette), a Cigarette racing boat, and a sailboat on which he lives with his pet alligator Elvis. Ricardo Tubbs, a former New York police detective, travels to Miami on a mission involving a personal vendetta against Calderone, the man who killed his brother, and after teaming up temporarily with Crockett in the pilot episode, follows his advice to transfer to "a career in southern law enforcement", joining the Miami department and becoming Crockett's permanent partner. Tubbs often poses as Rico Cooper, a rich out-of-town buyer, with Crockett posing as Sonny Burnett, serving to broker his deals with criminals, thus setting them up for arrest.

The storylines of the series differed from those of police shows from earlier decades, simultaneously reflecting the more glitzy and gritty feel of 1980s culture; cocaine trafficking and culture, for instance, were common themes in many episodes, and the graphic, casual violence and the relatively exotic, subtropical urban setting of Miami (the series was shot on location) were significant departures from most earlier cop shows. The locale gave the series a pronounced internationalist Latin American and Caribbean flavor, which occasional location shoots in Latin America intensified.

The truly revolutionary aspects of Miami Vice, however, lay in its music, cinematography, and imagery, which made large segments of each episode resemble a protracted music video. As Lee Katkin, one of the series' directors, once stated, "The show is written for an MTV audience, which is more interested in images, emotions and energy than plot and character". These elements made the series into an instant hit, and its first season saw an unprecedented number of Emmy Award nominations. While the first few episodes contain some echoes of cop show convention, the producers soon abandoned them and fully developed the trademark Vice style. One key to the complete transformation was the early introduction of the Vice Division's new commander, former DEA agent Lieutenant Martin Castillo (Edward James Olmos in an Emmy-winning performance). Distant, imposing, and utterly competent and professional, Castillo was an intriguing character with a somewhat mysterious background and a highly distinctive style that perfectly counterbalanced the flamboyancy of Crockett and Tubbs.

The series was noted for its innovative use of music, particularly countless pop hits of the 1980s and the distinctive, synthesized instrumental music of Jan Hammer, who was also responsible for the title theme. Many famous pop stars of the 1980s, among them Glenn Frey (along with his apropos hit "Smuggler's Blues"), Phil Collins, and Sheena Easton, supplied music for the show as well as guest-starring in various episodes. Many other famous names appeared on the series as well. Willie Nelson once guest-starred as a retired Texas Ranger, Miles Davis once played a pimp, and G. Gordon Liddy added a realistically political edge to two episodes by starring as a politically-motivated drug runner. Ted Nugent also guest-starred as a drug dealer. Other notable appearances include now well known stars such as: Bruce Willis, Wesley Snipes, Liam Neeson, Bill Paxton, Chris Rock, Steve Buscemi, Julia Roberts, Melanie Griffith, Benicio Del Toro.

The show had a huge influence on (men's) fashion at the time, arguably inventing the "T-shirt under Armani jacket"-style. Pastel colors dominated the series in clothes as well as in architecture. Crockett's perpetually unshaven appearance sparked a minor fashion trend, inspiring men to wear a small amount of beard stubble, also known as five o'clock shadow, at all times.

Many episodes of Miami Vice were filmed in the South Beach section of Miami Beach, an area which, at the time, was blighted by poverty and crime. Scripts for some episodes were loosely based on actual crimes that occurred in Miami over the years. (Example: "Out Where the Buses Don't Run", 1985.)

Personal issues also arose: Crockett divorced from his wife Caroline early in the series, and later his second wife Caitlin (Sheena Easton) was killed by a criminal. In the three episodes "Mirror Image", "Hostile Takeover" and "Redemption in Blood", a concussion caused by an explosion caused Crockett to believe he was his undercover alter ego Sonny Burnett, a drug dealer. Tubbs had a running, partly personal vendetta with the Calderone family, a member of which had ordered the death of his brother Raphael, a New York City police detective.

In the first seasons the tone was often very light, especially when comical characters such as Noogie and Izzy appeared. Later on, the content was almost always quite dark and cynical, with Crockett and Tubbs also having to fight corruption. Typically the darker episodes had no tag sequence, each episode ending abruptly immediately after a climax that almost always involved violence and death, often giving the episodes, especially in later seasons, a despairing and sometimes nihilistic feel despite the trademark glamour and conspicuous wealth.

Miami Vice was one of the best-known shows of the 1980s, and it had a huge impact on the decade's popular fashions as well as setting the tone for further evolution of police drama. Series such as Homicide: Life on the Street, NYPD Blue, and Law & Order, though much more realistic and vastly different in style and theme from Miami Vice, followed its lead in breaking the genre's mold.

The firearms

In the pilot episode, Sonny used a Sig-Sauer P220 in .45 caliber. During the first two seasons, he used a Bren Ten which was a stainless steel 10mm. It was manufactured by Dornhaus and Dixon, but it was prone to parts breakage and magazines were hard to get and cost over $100 a piece. The company went out of business after about a year. Starting with the third season, Sonny used a Smith & Wesson 645 in .45 caliber. Smith & Wesson had just introduced this new model, which was made of stainless steel. He carried it in a Galco Miami Vice Holster. Smith & Wesson discontinued that model and replaced it with the model 4506. It was this gun that he used for the last season. If you want a good view of the Bren 10, watch the "Glades" episode and also the "One Way Ticket" episode. Sonny also carried a backup gun which was a Detonics CombatMaster in .45 caliber. It can be seen in the bar scene shootout in the "Prodigal Son" episodes. He carried it in an ankle holster on his left leg.

Ratings

  • 1984-1985 season: # 28
  • 1985-1986 season: # 9
  • 1986-1987 season: # 22
  • 1987-1988 season: # 29
  • 1988-1989 season: # 34

2006 film

File:Tubbscrockettvice2006.jpg
Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell as Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs and James "Sonny" Crockett in Miami Vice
Main article: Miami Vice (film)

The film adaptation of Miami Vice will be released in North America on July 28, 2006. Michael Mann, co-creator and executive producer of the television series and director of such films as Heat and Collateral, will write and direct. Colin Farrell will play Crockett, and Academy Award winning actor Jamie Foxx will play Tubbs.

Cast of original 1984-1989 series

Many famous artists guest-starred in Miami Vice, for example Gene Simmons, Phil Collins, Frank Zappa, G. Gordon Liddy, Glenn Frey, David Rasche and Ian McShane. Lee Iacocca of the former Chrysler Corporation also made an appearance. Also a number of stars before they were stars made appearances including Bruce Willis, Julia Roberts, Chris Rock, Ed O'Neill, Liam Neeson and Benicio del Toro.

DVD Release

The first two seasons of Miami Vice have been released on DVD by Universal.

See also

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