This is one of my favorite detective shows of all time. "The Hardy Boys" is another of my childhood gems as I read most of the series when I was about ten years old, I mainly got into the series because I was into the action tv shows of the 80's and 90's like my favorite one "MacGyver" (classic version); whenever I read a volume of the series I really felt like I was tuning into an episode of an action TV show. But this was more than a book series it was also a phenomenon as the book series still goes on but also its influence and legacy from shows like "Scooby Doo", "Gravity Falls" and many more have lived on to this day.
But this series also was what got me into the detective/mystery genre because even though the Boys kick some ass, they also had to do a lot of thinking as well. When I heard about this show and saw some reruns of it on the "TV Land" channel (when it actually still showed classic programs), I thought it was a dream come true because I always felt the book series could make a good TV show.
This show really was something not just in adapting the series successfully and is still my favorite adaptation for now anyway. It was also something different for the young adult audience as there really weren't any at the time having young adults/teens engage in detective work and action. I always thought that was cool because despite all the action TV shows there really weren't any and still not many with young adults. To me it's a breath of fresh air as we see detectives/action heroes of a young age demographic but also a break from the usual tiresome teen drama formula.
I really like the theme song and that into which is one of my favorite themes and intros to a TV show. The song just has sort of that tone that just sings mystery and adventure. Really liked the images we see on the intro with that model labyrinth we see, the numerous books of both mystery series "The Hardy Boys" and "Nancy Drew", and of course the characters themselves whom are in the darkness running from danger or pursuing the truth. I even like that the show is in episodic format, just like with both book series you just never know what the next case or adventure for these young Sleuth's was going to be.
I like the actors that have been cast Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew, Parker Jameson as Frank Hardy and Shawn Cassidy as Joe Hardy are just spot on, to me they really are the character from the books. Though how the heck the teens find the time to solve the mysteries from high school, how they can afford to go off to certain far off locations, let alone how long their vacation times really are is really up in the air and anyone's guess. And personally I was never concerned about because that part of the charm of those series, like with most pulp adventures, logic, reason, and specific details were always shelved as the stories were always concerned more about the adventures, action and what the character did.
The Hardy Boys and even Nancy Drew are one of my favorite pulp heroes and fictional heroes. Despite how young they are, they are wise beyond their years. They all have that right amount of youthful energeticness and charisma, they're not annoying stereotypical teens/young adults as their not people that are looking to be popular or even on that list. All three don't waste time with that crap, their concerned only about one thing doing their jobs and doing them well but most importantly doing the right thing when it's vitally needed because no one else will or can.
The dynamics are intact and good as usual but also their personas which I can emphasize with as I'm easily in real life all these things. From Nancy Drew with her nice girl charisma, passive aggressive ness but intuitiveness and sharpness. Along with a few of her friends from the book along the way like George whom I actually found cute, is sort of her number two whom is on the reluctant side but does help out Nancy whether she wants to or not, but does it because she's her friend and probably also because she's bored and deep down really does crave the excitement as Nancy made her life anything but boring.
The brotherly dynamic from Frank who is somewhat the brainy one as he's kind of like Leonardo from "TMNT" (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), sort of on the passive aggressive side as he's one that looks before he leaps but is one to take the lead. Joe whom is my favorite character I love because he's a doer a man of action, he's pretty much like Raphael from "TMNT", he's on the aggressive side as he's not afraid to act on what his instincts say which most of the time is correct, take and jump into action immediately. I really can emphasize with both of them as I sort of share those same persona traits, though I'm more like Frank in reality.
There are plenty of good mysteries I like the fact the show is episodic because each episode/mystery is always something different you just never know where these characters were going to next making things all the more colorful. Like one episode a haunted house mystery for the Hardy Boys and my favorite the crossover episode which is one of my favorite crossovers of all time on Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew versus Dracula. I thought those were cool as they play out like live action "Scooby Doo" mysteries. Or even a few of those treasure hunting episodes which in a way somewhat predate "Tomb Raider" and "Uncharted" well kind of.
These young hot blood sleuths have plenty of energy for action and mystery and are timeless even now.
Rating: 4 stars
But this series also was what got me into the detective/mystery genre because even though the Boys kick some ass, they also had to do a lot of thinking as well. When I heard about this show and saw some reruns of it on the "TV Land" channel (when it actually still showed classic programs), I thought it was a dream come true because I always felt the book series could make a good TV show.
This show really was something not just in adapting the series successfully and is still my favorite adaptation for now anyway. It was also something different for the young adult audience as there really weren't any at the time having young adults/teens engage in detective work and action. I always thought that was cool because despite all the action TV shows there really weren't any and still not many with young adults. To me it's a breath of fresh air as we see detectives/action heroes of a young age demographic but also a break from the usual tiresome teen drama formula.
I really like the theme song and that into which is one of my favorite themes and intros to a TV show. The song just has sort of that tone that just sings mystery and adventure. Really liked the images we see on the intro with that model labyrinth we see, the numerous books of both mystery series "The Hardy Boys" and "Nancy Drew", and of course the characters themselves whom are in the darkness running from danger or pursuing the truth. I even like that the show is in episodic format, just like with both book series you just never know what the next case or adventure for these young Sleuth's was going to be.
I like the actors that have been cast Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew, Parker Jameson as Frank Hardy and Shawn Cassidy as Joe Hardy are just spot on, to me they really are the character from the books. Though how the heck the teens find the time to solve the mysteries from high school, how they can afford to go off to certain far off locations, let alone how long their vacation times really are is really up in the air and anyone's guess. And personally I was never concerned about because that part of the charm of those series, like with most pulp adventures, logic, reason, and specific details were always shelved as the stories were always concerned more about the adventures, action and what the character did.
The Hardy Boys and even Nancy Drew are one of my favorite pulp heroes and fictional heroes. Despite how young they are, they are wise beyond their years. They all have that right amount of youthful energeticness and charisma, they're not annoying stereotypical teens/young adults as their not people that are looking to be popular or even on that list. All three don't waste time with that crap, their concerned only about one thing doing their jobs and doing them well but most importantly doing the right thing when it's vitally needed because no one else will or can.
The dynamics are intact and good as usual but also their personas which I can emphasize with as I'm easily in real life all these things. From Nancy Drew with her nice girl charisma, passive aggressive ness but intuitiveness and sharpness. Along with a few of her friends from the book along the way like George whom I actually found cute, is sort of her number two whom is on the reluctant side but does help out Nancy whether she wants to or not, but does it because she's her friend and probably also because she's bored and deep down really does crave the excitement as Nancy made her life anything but boring.
The brotherly dynamic from Frank who is somewhat the brainy one as he's kind of like Leonardo from "TMNT" (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), sort of on the passive aggressive side as he's one that looks before he leaps but is one to take the lead. Joe whom is my favorite character I love because he's a doer a man of action, he's pretty much like Raphael from "TMNT", he's on the aggressive side as he's not afraid to act on what his instincts say which most of the time is correct, take and jump into action immediately. I really can emphasize with both of them as I sort of share those same persona traits, though I'm more like Frank in reality.
There are plenty of good mysteries I like the fact the show is episodic because each episode/mystery is always something different you just never know where these characters were going to next making things all the more colorful. Like one episode a haunted house mystery for the Hardy Boys and my favorite the crossover episode which is one of my favorite crossovers of all time on Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew versus Dracula. I thought those were cool as they play out like live action "Scooby Doo" mysteries. Or even a few of those treasure hunting episodes which in a way somewhat predate "Tomb Raider" and "Uncharted" well kind of.
These young hot blood sleuths have plenty of energy for action and mystery and are timeless even now.
Rating: 4 stars