Tuesdays nights on NBC 25 years ago was a triple bill of action and adventure. Starting off the night was the high octane live-action cartoon called THE A-TEAM.
THE A-TEAM premiered in January 1983 and was an instant hit. Mr. T. quickly became a household name and o culture icon. I was never a fan of the show due to it's hyper-military theme, even though the violence was so over-the-top, it was more a comedy than war show. The series ran for 4 seasons in its Tuesday night berth and was eventually replaced by the much mellower
MATLOCK in 1986. Team leader George
Peppard passed away in 1994 and plans for a feature film version have been announced, and cancelled and then re-announced.
At 9PM, RIPTIDE came from the same producers as THE A-TEAM, and co-starred Perry King and Joe Penney as two old war buddies who ran a detective agency from a boat. The show
benefited from its
timeslot and became a ratings champ for two seasons, until a little
detective show called MOONLIGHTING came along on ABC. RIPTIDE sailed away in 1986, never to be heard from again.
Finishing up the evening was REMINGTON STEELE, a quirky detective show from
MTM that premiered two years earlier. The show introduced audiences to future James Bond, Pierce Brosnon and to rumored lesbian Republican Stephanie
Zimbalist. The enjoyable series, which I watched on a regular basis, followed the adventures of Laura Holt (
Zimbalist) the "brains of the operation" and
Remington, the pretty face who was basically a con man who fit the tuxedo. Doris Roberts was featured as their
assistant Mildred. The show was a moderate hit, running for four full seasons and ending in 1986. Then the producers of the Bond film franchise offered Pierce the dream role of 007, creating tons of publicity. Suddenly NBC was interested in a
fifth season of the show, and Brosnon lost the lead in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS to Timothy Dalton. The final season was a series of two-hour TV-movies set in exotic locales. Nine years later, Pierce finally became Bond, replacing Dalton. He later appeared in many film roles, including being terribly miscast in MAMMA MIA.
Zimbalist has kept an extremely low profile in recent years. I wonder why? Tomorrow: the Wednesday line-up.
At night time, old reliable DIFF'RENT STROKES was back at 8PM, as future DESIGNING WOMEN and UN-WORKOUT star Dixie Carter joined the show as Mr. Drummond's new wife. She had an annoying bowl-cut sporting son played by the unfortunately named Danny Cooksey. NBC dropped the once-hit at the end of this season, with ABC rescuing it and pairing it with WEBSTER for it's final and eighth year.
At 8:30, the incredibly talented Nell Carter was back for a fourth season of the incredibly mediocre GIMME A BREAK. The show sailed along for another three years weathering the death of co-star Dolph Sweet and the addition of Rosie O'Donnell. Child star Joey Lawrence later became quite a hunk.
At 9PM, it was time for PARTNERS IN CRIME. I love Lynda Carter and I like Loni Anderson a lot. Then I should have really liked PARTNERS IN CRIME - shouldn't I have?
This "high concept" mystery series told the story of Carole (Lynda) and Sydney (Loni), who had nothing in common but an ex-husband! Carole is a former society matron, who is now flat-broke and trying to make a go at it as a photographer. Sydney is a con-man's daughter, a thief and she also plays the bass! When their shared ex is murdered, he wills his private investigation agency to them both! Of course after they solve his murder, they decided to become private eyes together. What a wacky idea for a TV series - TWO fishes out of water and one Odd Couple!
I remember being excited when this show was announced (I must have been high) - and then being embarrassed about watching it. Luckily the curvaceous co-stars escaped this mess to do better work. Lynda went on to great small roles in films like SUPER TROOPER and SKY HIGH and, er Loni resurfaced in continuing rolls on shows like NURSES, THE MULLETS and SO NOTORIOUS , but I'll always treasure her for starring in THE JAYNE MANSFIELD STORY.
At 10PM, came HOT PURSUIT, the tale Jim (Eric Pierpoint) and Kate Wyler (Kerrie Keane), an upper-middle class couple that gets in over their head when Kate is framed for murdering her boss and sentenced to prison. Turns out, the grieving widow (the fabulous Dina Merrill) orchestrated the murder using a look-a-like for Kate! Jim and Kate then go on the lam to bring the widow Estelle to justice. This FUGITIVE-like series was fun to watch, but never made it through the season. Tomorrow: Sundays and Specials!
