Miami Vice is one of the most iconic television shows of the 1980s for a large variety of reasons, ranging from its influence on fashion to its cynical storylines revolving around the futility of the war on drugs. It revolutionized the medium with its look and how seriously it took its aesthetic.
Episodes felt like movies and required the audience’s undivided attention, unlike the uniform police procedurals that had populated the airwaves for decades prior. As a celebration of this influential program, the following list will relay ten interesting, lesser-known facts about Miami Vice, from stories about the actors and the crew to details about its creation.
Anthony Yerkovich
Michael Mann is often credited as the show’s creator. While he did serve as executive producer for a large chunk of the series and had directed the series look and feel, Anthony Yerkovich is the one who came up with the concept. He wrote the two-part pilot, “Brother’s Keeper,” and served as executive producer for the first six episodes.
His involvement petered out after handing the reigns to Mann, but fans forever owe him a debt of gratitude for conceiving the idea. Before doing Miami Vice, Yerkovich served as executive producer and writer on Hill Street Blues.
MTV
MTV launched in 1982 and transformed the way people listened to and approach music. flashy videos and good looks all of a sudden became vital to a successful music career. The new craze had an impact on Miami Vice’s development, which often featured montages set to current hits and old classics.
Most dramas these days have dramatic moments set to licensed music, but it was a revelation when the cop show started doing it. The MTV generation sucked it right in, and the use of music heavily contributed to its skyrocketing popularity.
No Reds Or Browns
Like how a musical scale is defined just as much by the notes not played as it is by the noted included, so is a style defined by the colors left out of the palette. Michael Mann famously banned the use of any earth tones in the show. This meant colors like red and brown were left out of clothing, cars, and architecture.
The decision made the show stand out from everything else on TV, and also impacted the culture. Fashion trends stemmed from the program, making Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas both television and cultural icons.
Don Johnson And Edward James Olmos
Both Don Johnson and Edward James Olmos are legends of their craft. Olmos is not only recognized as Martin Castillo but also as Gaff from Blade Runner and as William Adama from Battlestar Galactica. Sometimes, however, equally talented people clash, as was the case with these two men.
Their acting styles significantly differed, and it took a toll on their personal relationship. However, being the professional he is, Olmos put his frustration into his performance. Castillo clearly doesn’t like Crockett, but puts up with him because he’s good at his job.
People Who Could Have Been Crockett
Several people were in the running, or at least asked, to play Crockett before Don Johnson got the role. Nick Nolte, Jeff Bridges, and Mickey Rourke were all potential candidates. Some of them turned it down because they were already movie stars, and doing television would have seemed like a demotion.
These days, such attitudes are nearly gone, as several notable movie actors end up doing respectable shows. The network was hesitant about casting Johnson because he had already starred in numerous failed pilots, but the move worked like a charm.
Contract Dispute
At the beginning of season three, Don Johnson walked off the show due to a contract dispute. The actor believed he should be paid a significantly larger sum due to the program’s runaway success. When the network thought otherwise, he refused to film any longer. NBC then had Mark Harmon in the running to replace Crockett as a new character, but eventually, Johnson returned.
However, the delay in production caused the running order to change, resulting in a glaring continuity error. The season premiere sees Crockett’s beloved car blown into smithereens, but a later episode, guest-starring Willie Nelson, has the car back in the cop’s hands without a scratch. The latter story was meant to be the real season premiere, but the change in scheduling delayed Willie Nelson’s availability.
Filming In South Beach
Much of the show was filmed in the South Beach area of the program’s namesake. At the time, the neighborhood was in severe disrepair, populated mostly by run-down buildings and elderly in cheap hotels scrounging by on meager pensions. The show’s popularity, however, significantly increased tourism and helped revitalize the area.
Crime remained a problem for years to come, but it slowly got better. Usually, once money enters a neighborhood and people stop struggling so much, crime becomes less of a problem.
Changes In Season Three
The first two seasons are what solidified the show’s look and attitude. The following run saw significant changes because of Michael Mann’s departure. The clothes started getting darker, hairstyles changed, and the plots tried to tackle more immediately relevant issues.
The latter change is not surprising, considering Wolf did the same thing for his later series, Law & Order. Some fans weren’t pleased with this transformation, but the series still remained better than most of its competition.
Several Guest Stars Played Two Different Roles
Miami Vice’s wealth of guest talent is well established. Some of these people were already stars, and others eventually became famous shortly after their appearance. Interestingly enough, some actors played two roles in two different episodes.
Ving Rhames, for instance, played a homeless man in one story and a gun runner in another. John Leguizamo played Esteban Calderone’s son, and then a low-level dealer later in the series. In the days before the Internet, one could get away with a move like this without people noticing.
Its Influence On Culture
Not only did the show have a big influence on fashion, but it also rebranded Miami as a tourist destination. Florida still has its reputation as a place for retirees, but the capital city is known as a place to party. Additionally, certain brands of firearms featured on the show saw an increase in sales.
The stories typically condemn the morally corrupt dealers and rich drug kingpins, but some would argue that it equally glamorized their lifestyle.
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