...I just got to when it comes to "Riptide". I hadn't seen the show since it's original airing back in the mid 1980's, and while browsing on Amazon, I saw the season one DVD set for $8.99. I decided that, at that price, I couldn't pass it up. Since I was an adolescent when I originally viewed the show, I wasn't sure whether I'd still like it or if it will have suffered with age and become "cheesy" and unwatchable. I'm happy to say that after watching the first 13 episodes of the show, I'm glad I took the plunge again.
The show is fresh and vibrant and gleans with a cheeky, almost child-like essence. The stories are interesting, gripping, and best of all, action-packed and exciting. It's no mystery why the show is so good; it was created by Stephen J. Cannell, one of the greatest television writers in history and creator of such hit shows as "The A-Team", "The Rockford Files", and "21 Jumpstreet". The characters, as in all Cannell creations, are interesting and likable, and pop off the screen in a larger-than-life way.
"Riptide" centers around the Pier 56 detective agency run by friends Nick Ryder (Joe Penny), Cody Allen (Perry King), and Murray "Boz" Bozinski (Thom Bray). Nick and Cody are your typical p.i. jock-types who rely on their strength and machismo, while Boz is a "computer geek" who uses science and technology to assist Nick and Cody in their investigations and is the voice of intellect and reason of the group. Unlike most P.I. shows of the era, "Riptide" took place mostly on the water which kept the show fresh.
In all, it wasn't the best show of the era, but it certainly is one of the most underrated and easily one of the most forgotten. It is fun and fresh and worth a view, especially if you've never seen an episode or haven't seen one in a long time.
