Remington Steele

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.

Remington Steele is one of my favorite TV series. It had everything: fun, romance, mystery, suspense, and three great leading actors, Stephanie Zimbalist, Pierce Brosnan and Doris Roberts. They were a winning combination. I would love to have the entire series on DVD. Although, I have some complete episodes on video tape, tapes wear out, and I'm hoping for a DVD set to preserve such a wonderful series for posterity.

Stephanie Zimbalist played Laura Holt beautifully. She was a character I admired, a woman striking out on her own, even though she initially had to use deception to get her business on track. Pierce Brosnan was charming as the mysterious con man. Who can forget the wild antics of Doris Roberts as Mildred Krebs, especially the time she was involved in the Steele, Inc. scheme to open a chain of Remington Steele agencies without the knowledge of Laura or Steele?

This is a series that MUST find a place on DVD shelves everywhere.

Here's a little known fact. Remington Steele obsessives, like myself, cannot bear to even mention the unfortunate 5th season of this series. To cut a long story short, male lead Pierce Brosnan was on the brink of being officially declared the new 007 (replacing Roger Moore) but NBC ordered more Remington Steele episodes and Timothy Dalton got the licence to kill instead. Brosnan returned to TV for a shortened, unsatisfying 5th season.

So, if we ignore the fifth and concentrate on the previous four seasons, what do we have? An excellent series, very much of its time, with a premise that just wouldn't stand up today! Can you imagine a show in these politically-correct days where a woman invents a male boss to attract business? Stephanie Zimbalist starred as Laura Holt, the woman behind the man – an attractive, spunky, fiercely independent private investigator. Pierce Brosnan played the handsome and mysterious thief-with-no-name turned eponymous super sleuth. The sexual chemistry between Laura Holt and Remington Steele was the driving force of the show but it had so many other plus points too. The first episode (License To Steele) sets the tone which future shows followed: an exciting mystery, tight plotting, fine script, a stylish feel and explosive sexual tension between the two protagonists. This was an absolute pre-requisite in the 1980s. Everyone was either doing it, or nearly doing it, or talking about doing it: Cheers' Sam and Diane, Moonlighting's Maddy and David, Scarecrow and Mrs King's Scarecrow and Mrs King(!) and Laura Holt and Remington Steele were no different! The writers of Remington Steele delighted in torturing their audience, keeping us guessing as to when the two would finally consummate their on-again, off-again rocky-romance as they ran around solving crimes. The series finished in 1987 but the plethora of websites dedicated to it and fan fiction inspired by it, is testament to its enduring appeal. Remington Steele? 100% pure class.

The casting of Pierce Brosnan as Remington Steele, private investigator, and Stephanie Zimbalist as Laura Holt, the private investigator who conjured up the name in order to get her business moving. After all, a woman private investigator did not fare well in the world. Remington Steele pops up and there is obvious chemistry between the two characters. Steele is charismatic, charming, and seductive while Holt is more straight and lacks a sense of humor at times. There is no question that Steele steals the scenery right out from under her. Anyway, the two cast mates do have chemistry. The addition of Doris Roberts before she was known as Marie Boyle on Everybody Loves Raymond gave her a supporting role. This show was light but not as a feather nor dark or too serious. It had a comedy and drama mixed in together which was why it worked for 5 seasons in the golden age of television.

Way back when TV shows actually told good mysteries and didn't just show "reality" we had a little gem called "Remington Steele." Starring Pierce Brosnan (pre-Bond) and Stephanie Zimbalist the show revolved around a detective agency. The twist was "Remington Steele" was a made up character in the show. Laura Holt (Zimbalist's role) invented him because a name like that on the door brought in the business. Of course when Brosnan shows up and sort of "becomes" Remington things get very interesting. The first season really has some great shows in it and the chemistry between the leads is wonderful. I highly recommend the show to all mystery and detective fans who like shows that make you think a little - and are fun too!