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Simon & Simon

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Simon & Simon
Title screen from Season 1
Created byPhilip DeGuere
StarringGerald McRaney
Jameson Parker
Mary Carver
Eddie Barth
Jeannie Wilson
Tim Reid
Joan McMurtrey
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons8
No. of episodes157
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseNovember 24, 1981
 –
January 21, 1989

Simon & Simon is a 1980s detective television series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker.

History

Originally a 1978 pilot called Pirate's Key set in Florida, when the show was picked up by CBS, the characters' home was changed from Florida to San Diego, California where the show's storyline remained for the course of its eight year run 1981 to 1989 on CBS.

The show was almost canceled in 1982 due to low ratings. However, CBS decided to give the series another chance and moved the show to Thursday nights at 9 PM following Magnum, P.I.. Simon & Simon became a hit after that and continued to draw ratings for the next several seasons. Simon & Simon actually had a crossover with Magnum, P.I., on the Magnum double episode "Ki's Don't Lie" and in the Simon & Simon episode "Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend" (both in 1982).

Simon & Simon moved to Saturday nights late in its run, and the ratings dropped considerably. CBS canceled the series at mid-season and did not air its final episodes; it wasn't until the show was sold into syndication that those episodes finally aired.

Premise

The show revolves around polar opposite brothers Rick (McRaney) and A.J. (for "Andrew Jackson") Simon (Parker). Rick was a United States Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and had much more street sense, while A.J. went to college and had book smarts. Rick preferred things that were viewed by his brother as lower-class, like pickup trucks (Rick's Dodge Power Wagon is notable for its dull paint and large metal bumper used in one episode to crush the engine of a car), while A.J. took care of his money and could afford to be more fashionable (A.J. often drove a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, and later, a customized Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and also drove a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS convertible in the two-part episode, Pirate's Key). A.J. was a practicing Catholic, while Rick was not. Rick lived on a boat in A.J.'s yard. A.J. always brushed his teeth before retiring for the night. Rick gargled raw sewage before going to sleep, or more accurately passing out drunk. A.J. preferred to first try to do things by the rules while Rick was much more of a free spirit, using a classic P.I. type of justice. Even their guns are different-Rick has a 44 Magnum and A.J. has a.357 revolver. The two went into business together, running a private detective service; the contrasting ways that the brothers went about their investigations and the subsequent conflicts between them provided much of the story each week, in addition to the plots of solving the cases. Although the premise in the series is that Rick is older and A.J. is younger, in fact McRaney and Parker were both born in 1947 with only a 4 month age difference.

Cast

  • Gerald McRaney as Richard "Rick" Simon
  • Jameson Parker as Andrew Jackson "A.J." Simon
  • Mary Carver as Cecilia Simon, their mother
  • Eddie Barth as Myron Fowler (episodes 1–36), A.J.'s ex-boss and their more successful competitor
  • Jeannie Wilson as Janet Fowler (episodes 1–43), Myron's daughter. She works for her father, attends law school and helps the Simons from time to time, much to her father's annoyance. In the later episodes, she works as a lawyer in the Prosecutor's office.
  • Tim Reid as Lieutenant Marcel Proust "Downtown" Brown (episodes 43–127), the Simons' friend in the police department
  • Joan McMurtrey as Lieutenant Abigail Marsh (episodes 128–157)

Guest stars included Eddie Albert, Richard Anderson, Darlene Carr, Michael Constantine, Olivia D'Abo, Patti Davis, Gene Evans, Fionnula Flanagan, Kathy Garver, Don Gordon, Don Grady, Kevin Hagen, Alan Hale, Jr., Robert Lansing, Kay Lenz, Anne Lockhart, Gary Lockwood, Kip Niven, Tom Simcox, Olan Soule, Guy Stockwell, Harry Townes, Ray Walston, Stuart Whitman, and James Whitmore, Jr. John Vivyan made his last screen appearance on Simon and Simon before his death in 1983.

Theme Music

For the first season, the song "Best of Friends" performed by the Thrasher Brothers served as the theme song for the series (with the exception of the fourth episode entitled "A Recipe For Disaster," which briefly debuted the second theme song written by Barry De Vorzon[1] and Michael Towers). More specifically, the instrumental version of "Best of Friends" appeared at the beginning of each episode (with short clips of the instrumental version occasionally appearing within episodes, even after the first season) and the lyrical version appeared at the conclusion of each episode.

At the beginning of the second season, the second and more recognizable instrumental theme song composed by Barry De Vorzon[2] (who had previously composed the theme to the 70s police drama, S.W.A.T.) and Michael Towers was permanently inserted. The theme consists primarily of a bottle-slide electric guitar lead (or "hook") with a saxophone interlude and remained until the last episode of the final season.

Broadcasters

Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again (1995)

This reunion movie premiered on February 23, 1995. Some years have passed and a now married A.J. works in Seattle as an attorney. Rick stops by to visit en route to delivering an expensive yacht. The trouble starts when the yacht is hijacked—with mom Cecilia on board.

DVD releases

On October 10, 2006, Universal Studios Home Entertainment released the first season of Simon & Simon on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.

In Fall 2008, Shout! Factory acquired the distribution rights through an agreement with Universal and will release Season 2 on February 10, 2009.[3]

DVD Name Ep # Release Date
Season 1 13 October 10, 2006
Season 2 23 February 10, 2009

References

  1. ^ Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.. Retrieved on 2008-08-12.
  2. ^ Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.. Retrieved on 2008-08-12.
  3. ^ Lambert, David (10/01/2008). "Simon & Simon - Could Simon & Simon be Un-Stalled on DVD? We've Got the Scoop!". TVshowsOnDVD.com. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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