Moonlighting (TV series)
"Moonlighting" is a television series that aired on ABC from March 1985, created by Glenn Gordon Caron. The show follows Maddie Hayes, portrayed by Cybill Shepherd, a former high-fashion model who finds herself financially ruined and left with only her home and the struggling Blue Moon Detective Agency. At the agency, she partners with David Addison, played by Bruce Willis, whose charismatic and laid-back demeanor contrasts sharply with her by-the-book approach. This dynamic creates an engaging tension that evolves into romantic intrigue throughout the series.
Initially, "Moonlighting" garnered moderate success, ranking twentieth in its first season before rising to ninth place in the 1986-1987 season. The series received critical acclaim, winning multiple awards, including an Emmy for Willis and Golden Globes for both lead actors. Known for its innovative storytelling, the show frequently broke the fourth wall and experimented with various visual styles, including a black-and-white episode and a Shakespearean-themed installment. Despite its popularity, the show faced challenges due to the resolution of the central romantic tension, scheduling conflicts, and the departure of its creator. Ultimately, "Moonlighting" left a significant impact on television by blending comedy and drama, paving the way for future "dramedies."
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Moonlighting (TV series)
Identification Television comedic drama series
Creator Glenn Gordon Caron (c. 1954- )
Date Aired from March 3, 1985, to May 14, 1989
Combining the silliness of sitcom comedy, the suspense of a detective series, and sexual tension between the two main characters, Moonlighting was an innovative and critically praised television series. The show, with its mix of comedy and drama, produced a new television genre: the “dramedy.”
Moonlighting was created and written by Glenn Gordon Caron for former high-fashion model turned actress Cybill Shepherd. The premise of the show was that Shepherd’s character, Maddie Hayes, a successful high-fashion model, had retired from modeling, only to discover she had been cheated out of all her assets except her home and the Blue Moon Detective Agency. The unsuccessful agency employed only a secretary and one detective, the wisecracking, street-smart David Addison. Addison was played by Bruce Willis, an unknown selected from more than three thousand actors who had tried out for the part. The initial conflict between the straight-laced, by-the-book management style of Hayes, determined to make the agency a success, and the laid-back, instinctive style of Addison quickly developed into a sexual tension.
Introduced by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) as a midseason replacement in March, 1985, the series tied for twentieth place in the Nielsen ratings that year. In the 1986-1987 season, it rose to ninth place and was nominated for a number of awards for both comedy and drama. Willis won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical, both in 1987. Shepherd won Golden Globes in 1986 and 1987 for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical.
Critics praised the series for its innovations. Characters, particularly Addison, would often “break the fourth wall,” by speaking directly to the audience. One episode was filmed in black and white, adopting a film noir style; another was a feminist take on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, in which the characters dressed in Elizabethan costumes and spoke in iambic pentameter. Playing to a media-conscious audience, the content of the episodes was full of references to 1980’s pop culture. Although many television viewers loved the variety of visual and sound techniques employed in the series, they were more attuned to Maddie and David’s relationship, wondering when they would, to use Addison’s words, “get horizontal.” The March 31, 1987, episode, titled “The Big Bang,” was announced by a half-page ad in TV Guide, stating “No more between the lines. Tonight’s between the sheets.” An estimated sixty million viewers tuned in, surpassing the numbers for the Academy Awards, but the episode marked the beginning of a downward spiral for the show. Caused in part by the dissipation of the sexual tension between its stars, the show’s decline also resulted from scheduling problems caused by Shepherd’s pregnancy, as well as the departure of series creator Caron.
Impact
Unlike most other quality television shows of the 1980’s, Moonlighting did not employ a large ensemble cast. The show centered on the relationship of the two major characters, whose fast-talking, wisecracking repartee enchanted its audience. As both an hour-long comedy and a drama, its fun and serious nature paved the way for “dramedies” of the future.
Bibliography
Joyrich, Lynne. Re-viewing Reception: Television, Gender, and Postmodern Culture. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1996.
Thompson, Robert J. Television’s Second Golden Age: From “Hill Street Blues” to “ER.” Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1997.
Williams, J. P. “The Mystique of Moonlighting.” Journal of Popular Film and Television 16, no. 3 (1988): 90-99.