Remington Steele

With oodles of dashing, masculine charm, Pierce Brosnan is one of my very favorite actors, who ranks, in my polls, at the #2 position as being the best James Bond, ever. (And, nope, Sean Connery is not my #1 choice)

Here in the TV Series "Remington Steele", Brosnan (in his pre-Bond days) never failed to pour on the charm and put in a captivating performance as the show's title character.

In "Remington Steele" our hero is teamed up with the always-alluring P.I., Laura Holt. And, together this dynamic duo scrupulously fights vicious crime and corruption with a fine sense of style and (sometimes comic) flair - Always making certain to never mix business with pleasure. Well..... Almost never.

The DVD release of this show has allowed me to go back and visit an old favorite. I had not seen the episodes since their very first run, so I was curious if I would still like the show and still derive the enjoyment from it that I remembered the first time through. Well, good news: the show was just as good as I remembered it, and had held up well for being 20 years old. Pierce Brosnan displayed the charm that made him one of my favorite TV stars, and his chemistry with Stephanie Zimbalist was still excellent. The shows themselves are extremely well-written. Unlike shows on TV today, this show didn't talk down to you; the characters were sophisticated and spoke like they were well educated, not like they hung out at the bar all the time. The wit hasn't been lost, either; I laughed through many of the episodes I watched. This was like catching up with an old friend. I can't wait to see the second season!

The 007 films are no doubt fun, but their attempts at comedy (which are admittedly not their focal point) are sad compared to the physical comedic ability and the facial expressions Brosnan exhibited on "Remington Steele." And Zimbalist was a great co-lead, as opposed to in other shows, where the female played second string. I believe this show's premise would still work today, tweaked a bit to satisfy those people still fighting for that one amendment - what was it? The main things that wouldn't work would be the hairstyles and the clothing - but those will probably come back in a decade or two. At any rate, this show is a classic.

Re-visited 'Remington Steele' recently, now with more time on my hands with a much needed calmer period after intensive studying, and it is every bit as good as remembered. Had memories of it being brilliant for most of its run before running out of steam in the last season, those recollections proved to be correct. 'Remington Steele' is a very good show and for much of the run more than that, but it deserved a better final season.

Visually, 'Remington Steele' has a very elegant and stylish look throughout, very 80s but strikingly so. Love the slickness of the photography and the beautiful locations, editing is also succinct and the costumes, hair and make-up are both appealing on the eyes and nostalgic. The music has a slinky jazziness to it, never overbearing the action or being discordant with it while having presence and energy. Not easy to forget the main theme either.

The writing is beautifully balanced and cleverly written. The comedy is witty and sophisticated while the romance is both sensual and bubbly, the chemistry between Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist is irresistible. The mysteries are fun and suspenseful and with rarely if ever a rushed or draggy moment, or anything that comes over as ridiculous (excepting the Season 3 finale perhaps).

Brosnan is charismatic, suave and charming and he handles the comedic and serious sides beautifully. Zimbalist is at her loveliest here and her most sparkling, while Doris Roberts is a sheer delight. Zimbalist's real life father Efrem Zimbalist Jnr is suitably commanding.

With so many positive attributes, it feels sad that Season 5 doesn't live up to the rest of the show. There are shows with worse final seasons, like 'Lost' and the US 'House of Cards', but it was disappointing enough to bring things down a little. The energy doesn't sparkle as much and the central chemistry is underused and too hostile.

A triangle is also attempted, but that feels shoe-horned, not of much use and makes one like Laura less), the characters aren't as interesting or well written with development being ignored and there is too much Tony, an irritating character and the show's low-point. Am in two minds as to whether it worked for me or not that 'Remington Steele' ended on an unfinished note.

In conclusion, hugely enjoyable but ended disappointingly. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Remington Steele was the big door Opening for Pierce Brosnan's career during the 1980s, at the time he wasn't very known and this launched the unknown Irishman into stardom, if you're a fan of movies you'll love listening to Mr. Steele reference so many classic movies, and if you are a Bond fan check this show out.