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Moonlighting

It really was just a ripoff of Remington Steele wasn't it? Of course Remington Steele being the better show. With a prettier lead.

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by Anonymousreply 68June 3, 2020 6:20 AM

But Stephanie Zimbalist never went anywhere, did she?

by Anonymousreply 1August 1, 2015 12:22 AM

Remington Steele was actually kind of boring.

by Anonymousreply 2August 1, 2015 12:23 AM

So fuckin stupid. But hey TV is not supposed to be taken seriously right? So knowing this, I choose 'Moonlighting".

by Anonymousreply 3August 1, 2015 12:28 AM

I never watched Remington Steele because the commercials made it look dribblingly moronic. Why was it better than Moonlighting? I mean what made it better?

by Anonymousreply 4August 1, 2015 12:34 AM

I liked the first few seasons of Moonlighting. But like so many series, it went off the rails.

by Anonymousreply 5August 1, 2015 12:42 AM

R4 It was funny show , but not as funny as 'moonlighting'. On Remington Steele, they really got along, not like "Moonlighting: Those two characters tore each other apart. (I bet it was b/c they really didn't get along off camera) which made for better delivery. And really the best one I thought was Pierce Brosnan on RS. He had really great physical comedy to boot. OMG, I'm showing my age....

by Anonymousreply 6August 1, 2015 12:43 AM

R5

Agree.. Totally off.

by Anonymousreply 7August 1, 2015 12:48 AM

Pierce was prettier than Cybill too.

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by Anonymousreply 8August 1, 2015 12:50 AM

It's funny, because with all the backstage drama that was written about Moonlighting, Remington Steele was far worse. Stephanie and Pierce despised each other. Stephanie couldn't stand the attention Bronson was getting and Pierce thought she was a stone cold bitch. Doris Roberts said despite the affection she had for both of them, it was a miserable set to work on.

Bruce and Cybill had their moments, but there were at least able to remain cordial to one another on the set.

by Anonymousreply 9August 1, 2015 12:50 AM

I can't bear to watch it anymore because it shows a clean and fun LA before the Victim Cultures stuffed the city with Mexicans, Chinese and Armenians, and killed it, as they kill everything they touch.

by Anonymousreply 10August 1, 2015 12:51 AM

R10

Oh yea, you are so right. The years of nothing but coke heads..

by Anonymousreply 11August 1, 2015 12:54 AM

I really love the sophistication in the writing of Remington Steele. It was multilayered. I didn't see it until my vaginal mesh station started playing it. It holds up pretty well. I'm at the point where they wrote out the cute blond guy. Or more like he just stopped showing up.

by Anonymousreply 12August 1, 2015 12:56 AM

The cute blond guy is James Reed -- maybe he went off to do North and South?

by Anonymousreply 13August 1, 2015 12:58 AM

R9

I know right? Yet it never showed it's ugliness on film. I remember college male geek roommates who loved this show. Internet was just not available yet.

by Anonymousreply 14August 1, 2015 12:58 AM

It's interesting how Pierce went from TV to the big screen and scored big for a while as James Bond, and Bruce Willis got Die Hard. Few TV stars these days make it in the movies for very long like these two gents.

by Anonymousreply 15August 1, 2015 1:13 AM

Pierce Brosnan's beauty just wasn't fair.

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by Anonymousreply 16August 1, 2015 1:21 AM

[quote]I can't bear to watch it anymore because it shows a clean and fun LA before the Victim Cultures stuffed the city

"Clean and fun." Oh you mean pre 18th and 19th century before your ancestors brought disease and war.

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by Anonymousreply 17August 1, 2015 1:25 AM

R16

lololololol...omg I know, he was so so cute, fuckin bean pole, but adorable none the less. It was sickening how good looking he was back then.

by Anonymousreply 18August 1, 2015 1:26 AM

I'm disappointed that they hated each other. It sure looked like they were having fun. Oh well. A very young Pierce

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by Anonymousreply 19August 1, 2015 1:31 AM

I used to love this show during its original run. Tried watching it again a couple of years ago and lost interest after one episode.

by Anonymousreply 20August 1, 2015 1:33 AM

R20...lolollol

omg thats fuckin hilarious thanks for the laugh! Oh shit, too funny. Time has changed no doubt.

by Anonymousreply 21August 1, 2015 1:37 AM

Remington Steele all the way. And I have always suspected Stephanie was a lesbian, very tomboy, not ever married I think and not seen with men much. Doing stage work now.

by Anonymousreply 22August 1, 2015 2:17 AM

R22 Fuck Stephanie; she was an asshole, all that gossip about her in the 80's is slowly seeping into my clueless brain as I munch on eight pieces of mozzarella sticks w/dipping sauce, thanks to this silly willy thread.

by Anonymousreply 23August 1, 2015 2:28 AM

The pilot was written without an actor as Remington Steele. Stephanie was going to be the only lead. When the network saw the pilot, they insisted a real Remington Steele be cast. I imagine she didn't like that.

by Anonymousreply 24August 1, 2015 2:34 AM

R24 Jesus, Stephanie cant we all just get along?

by Anonymousreply 25August 1, 2015 2:41 AM

Does she ever find out anything about his real identity on RS?

by Anonymousreply 26August 1, 2015 3:03 AM

My Mom watched both Remington Steele and Moonlighting. My older sister told me he was called "Remington Steele" because he was really a steel robot and I was disappointed he never did any cool robot stuff.

by Anonymousreply 27August 1, 2015 3:53 AM

In the plot the name was picked to make him sound mach and elegant at the same time. Remington came from the men's razor and steele...well figure it out. He was a conman who figured out they were running a con and one day showed up at the office and said hi I'm Remington Steele.

by Anonymousreply 28August 1, 2015 3:56 AM

I liked both shows but it was very obvious that the Moonlight duo despised each other. On Remington Steele, I loved the idea that the Brosnan character was a lover of old movies and every episode he would find a comparison to an old movie.

I was sorry, though, to see the Murphy Michaels character (James Read) go.

by Anonymousreply 29August 1, 2015 4:10 AM

I just found Laura Holt to be less emotional and so over the top. It makes for an easier watch. Cybill's style of acting on Moonlighting was to always be mad at something. Stomping feet and flaring nostrils. Plus RS had actual cases.

by Anonymousreply 30August 1, 2015 4:13 AM

Ah, back when unrelenting sexual harassment in the workplace was funny sitcom-fodder. Those deluded females who thought they were independent, when really they needed to be picked up and thrown over the right guy's shoulder and ravished? [dumb idea for boys AND girls to hold onto]. For the record, I liked both shows at the time. Then later was pretty grossed out by some of the subtext. I remember how in an episode of RS, her house got blown up and "Remington" was comforting her. "If you asked me now, I couldn't say no" to which he replied "I wouldn't ask now" or along those lines. How gallant, momentarily letting up on the unrelenting coercing her to have sex when she was vulnerable!

Yeah I sound like some SJW frau here [I'm not but whatever] but really, between these shows and Cheers, the overplayed "joke" of pressuring someone to sleep with you for YEARS doesn't seem so funny now, it comes off more like the "you owe me sex because I want you and eventually I will wear you down" of the icky cotton ceiling b.s. of the hetero white male Men's Rights/Trans brigade, which is too much like the frat boy-idiot simplistic notion of "consent". It's not that it's ugly so much as that it's a really dumb message about romance that isn't exactly the road to a healthy relationship. How many people took these cues and wasted time chasing after someone who just wasn't interested?

To be momentarily romance-stricken, I think the "Remington" part came from her awesome old-school manual typewriter, didn't it?

by Anonymousreply 31August 1, 2015 4:34 AM

Oh Jesus Christ R31 do you watch the Flinstones and bitch about the talking dinosaurs? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

by Anonymousreply 32August 1, 2015 4:42 AM

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

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by Anonymousreply 33August 1, 2015 4:51 AM

I liked both shows but remember Moonlighting more. For a split second, Moonlighting was in my opinion the best show on TV at the time. The writing, acting, music, directing and the chemistry between Bruce and Cybill were all top-notch. But Cybil and Bruce ruined it with their egos so the show quickly deteriorated. I watched the DVDs again and it amazes me how quickly the show disintegrated.

by Anonymousreply 34August 1, 2015 4:52 AM

🌃🌌

by Anonymousreply 35August 1, 2015 5:14 AM

Just saw this interview on Youtube from 1990. Connie Chung asks Cybill if she and Bruce didn't get on. She answers politely but then Connie says she spoke to Bruce who didn't want to say anything about Cybill as he had nothing nice to say and that he knew some juicy, nasty stories that one day would come out. Cybill looks a bit blindsided by it but maintained composure. So did Bruce ever reveal these "nasty" stories? Has he written an autobiography yet? They must have put it behind them as on one of the Moonlighting DVDs years later they were hugging and chatting like friends on the DVD extras. Full interview at link but link goes to the bit about Bruce.

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by Anonymousreply 36August 30, 2015 10:28 PM

Bruce Willis,.young,.was sex on a stick in Moonlighting. In a working class 1980s way. That chest hair.

by Anonymousreply 37September 18, 2015 1:04 AM

Pierce Brosnan remains one of the few big stars who've publicly told they've been in a relationship with another man.

by Anonymousreply 38September 18, 2015 1:45 AM

[quote]between these shows and Cheers, the overplayed "joke" of pressuring someone to sleep with you for YEARS doesn't seem so funny now, it comes off more like the "you owe me sex because I want you and eventually I will wear you down" of the icky cotton ceiling b.s. of the hetero white male Men's Rights/Trans brigade, which is too much like the frat boy-idiot simplistic notion of "consent".

Hey -- that's true!

by Anonymousreply 39April 24, 2016 7:30 PM

Are you kidding, op? Moonlighting was fucking hilarious. It had some of the best writers.

by Anonymousreply 40April 24, 2016 7:45 PM

Remington Steele.

by Anonymousreply 41April 24, 2016 8:00 PM

Moonlighting was a very witty, fun show due to a great writing staff and actors who fit the roles perfectly. Remington was your average formulaic detective show. No comparison and I liked RS, but Moonlighting broke the mold.

by Anonymousreply 42April 24, 2016 8:01 PM

Moonlighting just became so fucking ridiculous.

by Anonymousreply 43April 24, 2016 8:01 PM

It clearly comes down to Doris Roberts vs. Allyce Beasley.

by Anonymousreply 44April 24, 2016 8:03 PM

R44 that is the toughest call.

by Anonymousreply 45April 24, 2016 8:05 PM

I preferred Miss Wolf, or was it Miss Fox?

by Anonymousreply 46April 24, 2016 8:09 PM

The first few seasons were indeed great. Cybill and Bruce has such chemistry together.

R37 Yes, Bruce was very sexy back then (also in the first few "Die Hard" movies). He was not conventionally handsome, but his sex appeal made up for it. Too bad he later became a total asshole.

Funny people bringing up Brosnan. He was one of those conventionally handsome guys, yet never did anything for me.

by Anonymousreply 47April 24, 2016 8:34 PM

I liked both shows as a kid.

by Anonymousreply 48April 24, 2016 8:38 PM

[quote]Moonlighting just became so fucking ridiculous.

Which was an asset to the show IMO. The "Taming of the Shrew" episode and the musical dream sequence set to Billy Joel's "Big Man on Mulberry Street" and the general comedic sensibilities of the show made it better than other procedurals like Remington Steele.

by Anonymousreply 49April 24, 2016 8:45 PM

Both Moonlighting and Remington Steele relied on the tired old "Will they or won't they?" premise of their leads falling in love, but to me Remington Steele was more Hart to Hart while Moonlight was more of a comedy show.

by Anonymousreply 50April 24, 2016 8:50 PM
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by Anonymousreply 51April 24, 2016 9:01 PM

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

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by Anonymousreply 52April 24, 2016 9:10 PM

I watched both shows.

Remington Steele was the better show. In particular, being a fan of old movies, I loved how each episode led RS to see a comparison to some old film

Moonlight was great at the beginning, but it became apparent very quickly that the duo on that show detested each other and were not skilled enough actors to hide their dislike.

From what I hear the duo on RS were not friends either, but it never became as apparent as it was on Moonlighting, even up to the end. Given that Stephanie Zimbalist was to be the star on that show, it must have been tough to find that Brosnan became the breakout star, but it never really showed on the shows.

I've always liked Zimbalist who did some really good made for TV movies. In particular, I am thinking of the fine "Caroline?".

by Anonymousreply 53April 24, 2016 9:23 PM

I liked Zimbalist when she played the evil babysitter. In the Babysitter. She was fucking William Shatner who was married to PATTY DUKE! Their daughter was Quin Cummings. It had Datalounge everything.

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by Anonymousreply 54April 24, 2016 9:29 PM

I think I am r49's twin. The two episodes of Moonlighting he mentions are my two favorite episodes from either show. Both series were good. But Remington Steele was formulaic and there was much less chemistry between the leads.

Moonlighting was fun and took chances. And had Miss DiPesto and Booger!

by Anonymousreply 55April 24, 2016 9:39 PM

Moonlighting had more brilliance but its failures were more catastrophic. RS was consistently okay.

by Anonymousreply 56April 24, 2016 9:43 PM

Zimbalist also had another good role during the era of tv movies where she plays the daughter who returns after many years and tries to teach the disabled younger daughter while sparring with the stepmother.

by Anonymousreply 57April 24, 2016 9:57 PM

[quote] Zimbalist also had another good role during the era of tv movies where she plays the daughter who returns after many years and tries to teach the disabled younger daughter while sparring with the stepmother.

That was "Caroline?".

by Anonymousreply 58April 24, 2016 10:14 PM

The woman in Moonlighting was better-looking than that Zimbalist chick, and pictures and fashion and hairdos looked better in the 90s than in the 80s, Moonlighting is visually easier to watch than Remington.

by Anonymousreply 59April 24, 2016 10:17 PM

Remington Steele was consistently a good show but the second and third year of Moonlighting were excellent and groundbreaking for television.

by Anonymousreply 60April 24, 2016 10:26 PM

The wheels fell of Remington Steele, too, at the end. The first three seasons were great, but then, like Moonlighting (and many other shows), it got really bogged down by the Unresolved Sexual Tension. The 4th season was not good, and ended with an angry Laura marrying Steele, to prevent his deportation. Then, there was the awful 5th "season", due to NBC fuckery -- three 2-hour episodes, aired as M.O.W.s. Featuring Jack Scalia a secret agent/romantic interloper; a nasty, tenacious INS agent trying to prove the marriage was fraud; and Steele learning that Efrem Zimbalist was his father, all along.

Nobody wanted to be there (except maybe Scalia & the guy playing the INS agent). NBC had cancelled the show. Pierce Brosnon was slated to be the next James Bond (in Living Daylights), and Stephanie Zimbalist had been cast as the female lead in a new sci-fi film, RoboCop. Then, Warren Littlefield, reversed the cancellation, and Remington Steele went back into production. Brosnan & Zimbalist had no choice; they were contractually obligated to five seasons of Remington Steele, and had to back of the films. Timothy Dalton got Bond, Nancy Allen got RoboCop.

Didn't hurt Brosnan in the long run, obviously -- he still got to play James Bond several years later, not to mention a hundred other roles. But if I were Stephanie Zimbalist......I would still want to wring Warren Littlefield's neck, with my bare hands. Two sequels!! Video game voice overs, etc..

by Anonymousreply 61April 25, 2016 3:20 AM

The little short guy who played the secretary's boyfriend (they solved a few cases together) was, what? The guy in the mailroom?

by Anonymousreply 62April 25, 2016 5:15 AM

Yeah, I'm sure Robocop would have launched Zimbalist into another stratosphere career-wise.

by Anonymousreply 63April 25, 2016 6:40 AM

Zimbalist had more than Robocop lined up. The unexpected renewal fucked it all for her. It kind of took the wind out of her sails. By the time it was over a couple other "it girls" had appeared.

by Anonymousreply 64April 25, 2016 9:41 PM

How come this show never made it in reruns? Not enough episodes or what? Did Bruce buy all the tapes and burn them or something?

by Anonymousreply 65June 3, 2020 4:02 AM

I think the fact there was only a total of maybe 65 episodes hurt its chances for syndication.

by Anonymousreply 66June 3, 2020 4:47 AM

R67 some of the earlier stand alone episodes would hold up well in syndication I would think (they actually ran it on Lifetime for a couple of years), but once it became more of a saga of them breaking up and making up, that’s not gonna age well.

by Anonymousreply 67June 3, 2020 6:07 AM

It was also syndicated on Bravo for a little while in the early 2000s.

But the main problem it didn't get a good run was that it was well under the amount of episodes needed for a good syndication deal despite running for 5 seasons. Most shows that ran that long on network TV amassed over 100 episodes back then.

The show was notorious for how long it often took to shoot an episode and there would often be several weeks (or sometimes even more) in between new episodes. Especially the last few seasons.

by Anonymousreply 68June 3, 2020 6:20 AM
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