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[sdiegolo78]

On 3/11/2024 at 5:09 AM, ViceFanMan said:

This is long, but I’ve tried to break it up into easier to read, smaller paragraphs. 

So, I’ve decided to again, after many years, go through one of my other favorites growing up (besides MV & various others)…the wild & shocking SILK STALKINGS (1991-1999)!

When I say wild & shocking…for television at the time, it was! The early 90s was when cable networks started to really branch out, and started creating & producing their own shows…instead of just airing reruns of previous shows from the original main networks (CBS, NBC & ABC). The USA network was one that really “took off”, and I don’t know how many shows they created during the 90s…but, it was a lot!

But, one of the first and most shocking & provocative was Silk Stalkings…which was a play-on-words, as it was a sarcastic or snide reference to ‘silk stockings’…meaning the murders, victims, and suspects were sex related, and not your old fashioned roll-in-the-hay variety either! 

This show was all about “kinky” with a capital K (for the time), and lots of the plots, scenes, and murders were so perverted & bizarre that the show was not allowed to be aired even in prime time! It had to be aired late-night, at 11:00 (10:00 central). It started out on both USA and CBS—as part of their “crime time after prime time” lineup idea.  However, in 1993 CBS did away with that, and SS became solely & specifically a USA series.

Even the intro was the most wild and fascinating yet to-date…with quick clips of sex, assassination, poisoned champagne, strangulation, deadly tarantulas, drowning naked ladies in pools, and perverted murder…all revolving around a mysterious, sexy blonde (portrayed by model Avalon Jones). This was to give viewers the idea or “feel” for what the show would be about…but were not actual scenes from episodes.

Like MV at the beginning, I was fascinated & intrigued with SS…in high school it was one of, if not, my favorite show/s! In my opinion SS was the 90s answer to the 80s success of both MV & Hunter (1984-1991), another popular cop/crime drama starring Fred Dryer & Stepfanie Kramer, and created produced by Stephen J. Cannell—who also helped create & produce SS!

SS was all about color & wild sets…instead of the soft pastels of MV, the “sizzling” & bright neon colors was the focus of SS. They took the style of sets further than any show up to that time (and I still think they’d catch your attention pretty quick today)! Even the police station was styled with neon lights and multiple rooms or portions were styled as supposedly looking down the barrel of a gun and/or sniper’s rifle, lol!

But, despite the wildness of sets & wardrobe…there was a definite chemistry & connection with the cast. There was a depth & “realism” that helped counterbalance the wild styles & colors, as well as had you loving, relating to, and enthralled with the main characters.

In Palm Beach, Florida, the rich, elite, & powerful like to flaunt their wealth, party hard…and sometimes kill! The show, and for the first 4 1/2 seasons starred Rob Estes & Mitzi Kapture as Chris Lorenzo & Rita Lee Lance…homicide partners…but, best friends as well. They are without a doubt one of the best on screen “couples” on television!

As the show progressed, so did their relationship.  SS became the highest rated & most popular cable series on television! That was a huge deal at the time…as the 3 original main networks primarily still ruled everything in TV world.

But, from MV to SS…nothing lasts forever. In 1995, and partway into Season 5, Rob Estes & Mitzi Kapture decided they wanted out…he wanted to do other things, and she was wanting to take time off to spend time with her husband & help care for her first child, as she was pregnant at the time.

I won’t go into much detail, as for those who haven’t seen it or don’t know (get the DVD set)…but, their exits aren’t “roses & candy” (one a little on the Zito side, if you know what I mean , and the other sort of on the “Freefall” side & left open-ended).

But, the show continued on…the first cast replacements (last half of Season 5) didn’t go over well…no big shock there.  So, with the last 3 seasons (Seasons 6-8), they brought in actors Chris Potter & Janet Gunn-(who had previously guest starred in some SS episodes), as Tom Ryan & Cassandra “Cassie” St. John—who were now not only being partnered together…but, were ex-spouses as well!

However, they actually did have good chemistry, too and fans became interested with them as well…the popularity rose again, and again the show went on till the end of the decade. But, they never quite matched Chris & Rita. At the time I was so angry & upset over how Chris & Rita ended on the show, that I originally refused to watch Tom & Cassie. But, years later I got the DVDs of the entire series, and have since watched them. I do enjoy them on the show as well, but Chris & Rita will always be my favorite stars.

But, back in 99 USA went through some changes and SS was somewhat unexpectedly cancelled! Season 8 ends on a cliffhanger, and they planned on coming back for Season 9 to conclude it…but, that sadly never happened.

However, the show was amazing, and dared to push the proverbial “envelope” even further than MV had…it’s totally worth watching/getting if you haven’t already! Like MV, there’s episodes you’ll probably not care for…but that’s the case with any show that goes longer than 2 seasons. I truly wish this series would get a Blu-ray release…like MV, in HD this show would “rock” all over again!    

I kinda liked this! Haven't seen many episodes though. I found Janette Gunn more attractive than Mitzi Kapture. She was hot!
The intro was one of the best I ever watched in a TV show.
I think that show was the 90s Miami Vice for the visual, fashion and scenery (albeit shot in San Diego) and Hunter for having male and female detectives. Overall, quality of writing was a mixed bag. In fairness, the better episodes were the first four seasons.

[ViceFanMan]

14 minutes ago, sdiegolo78 said:

I kinda liked this! Haven't seen many episodes though. I found Janette Gunn more attractive than Mitzi Kapture. She was hot!
The intro was one of the best I ever watched in a TV show.
I think that show was the 90s Miami Vice for the visual, fashion and scenery (albeit shot in San Diego) and Hunter for having male and female detectives. Overall, quality of writing was a mixed bag. In fairness, the better episodes were the first four seasons.

Fully agree…although I thought Mitzi Kapture was hot, too!  But, so was Janet Gunn!!

The only issue I have is how they ended both sets…very tragic with one, and we were left open-ended with the other. But, the show was unexpectedly cancelled, so that’s what left Gunn & Potter “hanging”.

However, the visuals, chemistry between the stars, episodes, and wild starting theme were superb! 

[sdiegolo78]

Anyone remember this?

Probably not as popular as our beloved MV and other iconic 80s shows. I came across a few episodes on YouTube and man, I so dig it!
For one the stunts are spectacular, so was Heather Thomas .  Lee Major is a great actor and needless to say he's the one carrying the show. He also got parts in the show for those he had previously worked with. For instance, there's an episode with Lindsay Wagner from Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman.

Still formulaic as most shows of the time (most of times you see Colt, Howie and Jody doing a stunt start for a movie, then 'Big Jack' barges in to ask Colt to go find the bail jumper of the week, bad guy gets apprehended, final joke end of show) but each story was completely different and you'd get the plot twist more often than not.
If you watched at least a season, you'd notice a lot of recycled actors for bad guy of the week and whatnot, especially from other Glen A Larson productions.
Speaking of which, there's a great cameo from Tom Selleck in a season one episode set in Hawaii:
 

Just finished season 1 which i downloaded from BitTorrent and there's the whole season two on YouTube    

[sdiegolo78]

9 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

Fully agree…although I thought Mitzi Kapture was hot, too!  But, so was Janet Gunn!!

Well, matter of taste
 

 

10 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

The only issue I have is how they ended both sets…very tragic with one, and we were left open-ended with the other. But, the show was unexpectedly cancelled, so that’s what left Gunn & Potter “hanging”.

yeah, one of those cliffhangers in TV history...pretty much like the ending of the V series.

 

 

11 minutes ago, ViceFanMan said:

However, the visuals, chemistry between the stars, episodes, and wild starting theme were superb! 

yes, i liked the chemistry between the couples and the bickering . I think it was a Stephen J. Cannell production...the guy who brought us the A-Team and Hunter!

[ViceFanMan]

58 minutes ago, sdiegolo78 said:

Well, matter of taste
 

 

yeah, one of those cliffhangers in TV history...pretty much like the ending of the V series.

 

 

yes, i liked the chemistry between the couples and the bickering . I think it was a Stephen J. Cannell production...the guy who brought us the A-Team and Hunter!

Correct! Stephen J. Cannell helped create & produce Silk Stalkings…as well as Hunter, A-Team, and many, many others! 

They should have at least allowed SS to do a finale episode to tie things up, instead of just canceling it without any conclusion. But, it is what it is.