A good series

PL1981

I vaguely remember "Moonlighting" from the eighties but was too young to follow it closely or understand what it is about. I have been watching reruns of the show, however, and it must truly rank as one of the best drama/comedy series on television over at least the last twenty years or so. I wish we had more problems of its caliber today I've never really been that much of a fan of Bruce Willis" (although I will concede that he put in a great and first class performance in the "Sixth Sense") but "Moonlighting" has changed my whole perspective on his acting abilities. I now realize how good his acting truly was in his role as David Addison. He gives the character such depth, such dimension and such personality and portrays his character's mannerisms so adeptly and flawlessly that he really makes the character come to life. He just fits the role superbly and his performance in this role is truly one to be valued and enjoyed I watched Cybil Shepherd in "Cybil" and considered her quite a good actress but again her performance on "Moonlighting" as Maddie Hayes is just outstanding beyond words. She gives her character such class, such depth, such personality and such attractiveness and appeal that, again, Maddie Hayes really came to life for me. Maddie Hayes would have to be one of my favorite TV characters of all time and Cybil Shepherd's acting has a lot to do with that. She portrays the role so flawlessly and gives it so much perfection that it is difficult to convey in words what a great actress she is. I wonder why she hasn't gained more good acting roles The supporting cast is good as well. I must concede that I don't like the character of Agnes DiPesto much and find her rather annoying but Allyce Beasley really does a wonderful job in portraying her and I suspect the reason I don't like the character is because Beasley portrays Agnes and her eccentric character traits so well. I haven't seen much of Herbert Viola yet but so far I like his character But what really ensures this show is so excellent is the chemistry between Maddie and David (Shepherd and Willis) and the quirkiness and maverick tendencies of the show. The love/hate relationship that exists between Maddie and David and the effect that it has on the interaction between the two is priceless and a pleasure to watch. And I love the way that the script writers/producers of this show go out of the way to include the audience in the show, to tease the audience about the show's intentions and to just about reach for the stars in coming up with hilarious twists, subtle humor, quirky story lines and outrageous plots. One of the best aspects of "Moonlighting" is the way that they can be quirky and outrageous while at the same time not being blatant or obvious in their form of conveying these aspects of the show in the way that a lot of modern dramas/sitcoms do. "Moonlighting" does what too many modern TV shows fail to do –they treat the audience as intelligent viewers and aim for a level of intelligence and sophistication in their scriptwriting and story lines to reflect the perceptions of their target audience This is a classic, unique and enjoyable series which deserves to be valued for its intelligence, sophistication and quirkiness for generations to come.

score /10

PL1981 17 March 2006

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1317303/