What was Hart to Hart about?

I don’t know what they did but when they met it was murder!

They were one of the precursors in the shift of culture from sex and freedom to money and monogamy. I remember it as one of the first tv shows that focused on the glamorization of wealth. Dallas, Dynasty and Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous happened around then too. It went from jiggling tits and feminist message of Charlie’s Angels to the perfect life of wealth and marriage.

The were pretty.

It was a "Thin Man" knock-off: Wealthy couple continually becoming involved in mysteries and becoming amateur private eyes.

For the fans

For the fans

They were private detectives. But filthy rich.

My brother and I loved this show when we were kids. I have no idea why. Never made the Thin Man connection.

All about the dog

It was huge in Germany.

[quote]It was huge in Germany.

But then, so was David Hasselhoff.

It was about Stefanie Powers whining, "JOOOOONAAAAATHAAAAAN!" loudly every five minutes.

It was about Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner getting so rich on part ownership that he had to murder her instead of losing half of the Hart to Hart millions to her in the divorce.

R13 you reminded me - when Natalie Wood died I was so confused. I thought she played his wife on Hart. I couldn’t distinguish Stephanie Powers from Natalie Wood. Admittedly I was 12 - but even now I can see why I confused them.

Stephanie was fucking hot lush William Holden for yonks

"She's... GAWWW-JUSSSSS!"

They were hot. I was so in love with Stephanie Powers hair. and little Freeway. awwwww.

Moi-der, r1...not murder. Rhymes with goiter.

We used to call it Hard to Fart.

Because we were very mature.

They were heart surgeons Rose.

The weirdest idea of 70s and early 80s fantasy crime dramas was the Older Male Sexless Pixie Assistant: David Doyle on "Charlie's Angels," John Hillerman on "Magnum PI," Lionel Stander on "Hart to Hart".... he had no life or sexuality of his own, and existed only to trade banter with the detectives. I guess Nancy Walker (and then Martha Raye) on "McMillan and Wife" w as the female variant of this character.

^^ well, arguably, the Angels didn’t have much of a personal life in the show very often, either. There wasn’t time to delve into all of the 4 main characters’ bedroom antics.

Hart to Hart was about a rich husband and wife crime solving duo.

Please tell me Netflix is going to make a gay update titled, “Cocke to Cocke”. I can hear the opening monologue: "This is my boss, Joanthan Cocke, a self-made millionaire, he's quite a guy.”

"bedroom antics"???

what R4 said. It was the thing to do at the time in the 70's-80's. A wealthy smart person/people with too much time on their hands solves crimes or act as private eyes; kinda like Monk , Jessica Fletcher, and Father Dowling.

I have to say I love Stefanie Powers , and I am surprised Datalounge hasn't made fun of Ed Harris' episode.

Speaking of Murder She Wrote , I saw Bill Maher on an episode and god damn was his New Yawk accent thick and boy was he hairy !!

Ed Harris, telegraphic psychopathic menace.

I watched it because I found Robert Wagner hot.

[quote] The weirdest idea of 70s and early 80s fantasy crime dramas was the Older Male Sexless Pixie Assistant: David Doyle on "Charlie's Angels," John Hillerman on "Magnum PI," Lionel Stander on "Hart to Hart"....

And then there was Doris Roberts on Remington Steele. Not male, but rather sexless.

You know, the way they met was very Fifty Shades of Grey. She (Stephanie Powers) met him (Robert Wagner) when she, a reporter, interviewed him. Their kink was being amateur sleuths who were uber rich and able to get themselves in all sorts of murderous trouble while still looking fabulous. I don't think their relationship would have lasted long without their adrenaline, amateur sleuth hobby. Or at least it would have been a rather stereotypical one where he is busy being a self-made millionaire and she being his bored trophy wife who let the old butler do errands while she gets it on with the pool-boy or the gardener.

I masturbated to Season One Jonathan Hart!

(By Season Two, he was looking too old.)

It was dubbed in France (like every other foreign TV show) and they even wrote a preposterous French theme song.

"Joo-naa-than Hart, who-ho-ho... Jenneeeefer Hart, who-ho-ho..."

Pour l'amour du risque

Cuore e batticuore

[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.]

" It went from jiggling tits and feminist message of Charlie’s Angels"

Ah, yes. Charlie's Angels was initially titled "Jiggling Tits and the Feminist Message," but then they hired Jaclyn Smith.

The title was cumbersome enough with just Farrah and Kate Jackson on board, so....

[quote]when Natalie Wood died I was so confused. I thought she played his wife on Hart. I couldn’t distinguish Stephanie Powers from Natalie Wood. Admittedly I was 12 - but even now I can see why I confused them.

That's funny, r14, because I always mixed up Powers with Jill St. John who Wagner started dating while Wood was still waterlogged.

The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel still shows reruns of Hart to Hart.

A perplexing trait of Hart to Hart was that the murder victim (or the wrongly convicted perp) was always one of their personal friends or associates. After a few years they must've had no-one left. And you'd think must've been looking pretty dodgy to the cops!

[quote]In September 2015, Deadline Hollywood reported that NBC had made a script commitment to a Hart to Hart remake series featuring a gay male couple. Written by Christopher Fife and produced by Carol Mendelsohn and Julie Weitz, the new series is described as "a modern and sexy retelling of the classic series that focuses on by-the-book attorney Jonathan Hart and free-spirited investigator Dan Hartman, who must balance the two sides of their life: action-packed crime-solving in the midst of newly found domesticity." A similar project had been announced more than a decade earlier in 2002, with Alan Cumming attached to star in a series being developed for ABC that was being touted as a "gay Hart to Hart". Titled Mr and Mr Nash, the planned series featured a gay couple, both interior designers, who "stumble upon a murder each week", but it never went into production.

r24 I hope so.

They had a Mercedes station wagon, which made me want one, too.

I remember the Harts were introduced as "wealthy industrialists" but their industry was never mentioned. A snippet burned in my head was of them getting ice cream cones while discussing a case. A call or an epiphany or some such occurs and they have to leave the ice cream shop. And she tosses the entire cone in the trash having enjoyed maybe one lick without a second thought. To a young gayling that was the quintessence of class and wealth -- to order something then pitch it in the bin.

[quote] I thought she played his wife on Hart. I couldn’t distinguish Stephanie Powers from Natalie Wood.

Funny you say that. I always thought that Jill St. John looked like Stephanie Powers.

Stephanie Powers was a knockout with a sexy voice.

H2H also went feminist in the intro credits. The first season, Max said, "This is Mrs. H, she's gorgeous! What a terrific looking lady!"

The second season changed it to: "This is Mrs. H. She's one lady who really knows how to take care of herself!"

Originally it was all about Jennifer's looks but then it changed to her being a feisty crime-fighter as well.

How come almost no one in this thread can spell STEFANIE Powers name correctly?

Bitch, try and get them to spell MY name right!

Ha, I thought it was Stefanie and when I saw Stephanie above my comment, I changed it.

Their estate is on the market for $28 M. I've only seen a few episodes but I love how massive their fireplace was. Listing links are not working.

Hart to Hart was created and written by Sidney Sheldon. I had read some of his books before this tv show. He mostly wrote about strong women who prevailed. Hart to Hart was one of the first shows that the male lead treated his wife/partner as an equal. And she was just as smart and charming as he was. And yes they had money and Max the dog was cute.

[quote](By Season Two, he was looking too old.)

To whom did you masturbate then, dear? Inquiring minds want to know.

I moved on to Gonzo Gates and Fielding Carlyle, r51.

All three, Natalie Wood, Jill St. John, Stephanie Powers, together.

The house reminds me somewhat of the Sharon Tate house.

It was produced by Mart Crowley, author of "The Boys In the Band." He was a good friend of Natalie Wood, and I'm sure that had something to do with his involvement in H2H.

Off topic, I know, but everyone always talks about Natalie's acting ability or beauty or bizarre death. No one ever mentions that she was one sharp cookie,

I've read that teachers from studio schools who taught a couple of generations of child actors stated that she was virtually the only one who was genuinely talented in math.

About 48 minutes.

[quote]r53 All three, Natalie Wood, Jill St. John, Stephanie Powers, together.

Was that back in whore school?

Does anyone remember the episode where Max goes undercover dressed as a woman even though no one asked him too and there was no reason for it. And then at the end of the episode the Harts are in the kitchen and he wanders in, dressed as a woman again, and says he’s going out on a date. Presumably with a man.

Natalie Wood, Stefanie Powers and Jill St. John (Wagner's current wife) were all in the same dance class together as kids.

It was about 46 minutes, sans commercials.

It was about 46 minutes, sans commercials.

It was about 46 minutes, sans commercials.

[quote]All three, Natalie Wood, Jill St. John, Stephanie Powers, together.

Who's the queen on the right?

I think there's nothing left to say - -

R64, Paul Lynde

Vera Hruba Ralston, R64

Stefanie had some pipes....

My hair, ya dumb cunt.

I always used to get Jill St. John confused with the St. Bernard down the street.

I used to get the Stephanies confused. Stefanie Powers, Stepfanie Kramer, Stephanie Zimbalist. They looked nothing alike, but I could never remember who had the weird spelling.

Max wasn’t the dog, R50 although with his face I could see where you would be confused.

Don’t forget me R71!

Oh Stephonknee at r73, we wouldn't confuse you with ANY other Stephanie, either by spelling or by face (or genitalia).

{R72} Oh, you are right! Funny my memory thought of Max as the dogs name.

The dog was named Freeway.

[quote]They looked nothing alike, but I could never remember who had the weird spelling.

That would be me.

So, the clips from the opening sequence, with them racing in the hills and her fluffing her hair aboard the private jet, is that the pilot? I want to watch that episode.

R50, what I remember most about Sidney Sheldon books was the sex scenes. Back in the early 80s, there was no internet porn and I’d skim through my mother’s paperbacks for graphic sex scenes. Sheldon always delivered a few.

And then there was “Lace”...

R78, yes, I believe all of those scenes in the opening credits (racing through the hills, Jennifer fluffing her hair) all came from the pilot episode.

[quote]Were they spies or did they solve murders or something?

In the summer of 1979, when they first released PR photos of Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers posing together in the lead-up to the premiere of "Hart to Hart," there was one pic I remember of Stefanie holding a gun. Given what the show turned out to be, I always wondered if they changed the premise of the show from professional spies to just a wealthy married couple who just happened to always find themselves caught up in the middle of murder and mayhem.

So, the only way to get the first season is to order the DVDs. Only the second season is available to stream/purchase. Oh well.

- r78

So the picture at R53...

In the group of girls, Natalie is at the far left, Stephanie is the shortest one on the far right and Jill is next to Stephanie.

Did I get that right?

I wonder who the other 3 girls were?

Me too R79, Jackie Collins was always good for tasteless smut as well.

Believe it or not, Stefanie is the chubby girl on the far right. She thinned out a lot.

I was able to get the whole series and am now done with the first season. I've taken a few notes regarding Hart Industries...

Hart Industries is "a conglomerate of more than 20 interlocking corporations". So far, it's made up of:

Electronics Division Movie Studio Shipping Line Textiles Division Chem-o-Cal Chemicals Empire Line which owns and operates 3 sister cruise ships

The Japanese wanted a franchise and after receiving tickets to a meet and greet with Ann-Margret in Las Vegas, they were able to agree on a price.

The episode that stuck with me is the one with Lois Chiles' guest appearance.

In he last 2 weeks I randomly caught 2 different episodes guest-starring Dana Kimmel from Friday the 13th 3D. Who was fucking her - Wagner or Powers?

I used to masturbate to Robert Urich in Vegas!

"Vegas" was the show with Linda Grainger, right?

I thought it was a show about a lesbian hospice

There was supposed to be a gay version of Hart to Hart about 5 years ago. I guess it never got earmarked. We spec'd that Van Hamis and Eric Sheffer Stevens would have perfect as Jonathan and Jeremy Hart.

Stefanie had great hair on the show, I guess they had to use huge rollers to get that look.

R49 I know that house. In the 60's it was owned by Fred and Kay Wordon. Fred was a research doctor in the neuropsychiatric lab At UCLA. Kay Wordon became famous for her sculptures. She used to do kids playing and you can see her work all over the mansions of Beverly Hills. My dad worked for him as an electronics engineer. I have been there, the grounds are gorgeous. I think it is on about 52 acres. They were old money and Kay was always involved in causes for the poor. Nicest people. I have the pics from the listing.

Wow r94 That's cool. Googling them brought up some old photos at the house.

Season 2 divulged only two additional entities of Hart Industries:

Hart Toy, spelled HARTOY

The Double Hart Ranch, the largest in whichever state it's in

What is up with Max's smoking? He smokes everywhere, while doing everything. It's very generous of the non-smoking Harts to allow him to chain smoke cigars inside their home, but he seriously carried out food on a silver platter with a cigar in his mouth just above it.

A young Joanna Cassidy was a fantastic villain.

Hart to Hart was about a brother/sister team of professional matchmakers. Their last name (Hart) was a play on the word "heart" which can mean love, passion, or both!

In the pilot episode, the sister needs a heart transplant, so that gave even more meaning to their last name "Hart". And, by coincidence, the girl who dies in a hit-and-run accident and donates her heart to the sister, her mother ends up being a client, and the Hart to Hart team finds the mother a new husband (which helps her forget about the death of her daughter.)

So there's a lot of humor in it. But the show also dealt with heroin addiction. And it was also the first network TV show to deal with consensual BDSM, as well as video dating.

I always got Lionel Stander mixed up with Ernie Borgnine.

Also got Stefanie Powers mixed up with Stepfanie Kramer.

They always ended each episode in bed....sharing pyjamas. He wore the bottoms she wore the top.

About the most romantic thing I could imagine when I was 10.

As a young gayling of the '70s, I thought "Switch" era Robert Wagner was the handsomest man on tv. But by the time "Hart to Hart" came on, he no longer appealed to me. I guess my tastes had changed.

To what had your tastes changed? The Ramones?

This guy has to be around here somewhere. He's some Hart to Hart superfan who somehow got into the Hart's estate when it sold back in 2014 and filmed everything. He even filmed the driveway going up the mountain and it just seems to go on forever, so it really makes sense that they always say "come up" when someone buzzes the intercom from the gate.