Simon & Simon 

Two brothers of disparate tastes and manners run a private detective agency.

Creator:

Philip DeGuere Jr.

Stars:

Jameson Parker, Gerald McRaney, Mary Carver

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Jameson Parker	...	A.J. Simon / ... 156 episodes, 1981-1989
Gerald McRaney	...	Rick Simon 156 episodes, 1981-1989
Mary Carver	...	Cecilia Simon 153 episodes, 1981-1989
Tim Reid	...	Lt. Marcel 'Downtown' Brown 79 episodes, 1983-1987

Storyline

A.J. Simon is a polished fellow with a taste for classic cars and tailored suits. Rick Simon is his less refined (but still pleasant) older brother who has a taste for cowboy boots and four-wheel drive pickups. The two of them live in San Diego, where they own a private detective agency. The series chronicles their exploits.

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Plot Keywords:

1980s | detective | private detective | repetition in title | punctuation in title | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pirate's Key

Filming Locations:

Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rick was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Gerald McRaney also played a Marine on Major Dad (1989).

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Goofs

Although the series is set in San Diego, California, it's abundantly clear during many of the outdoor scenes that it was filmed in the Los Angeles metro. In several episodes the San Gabriel Mountains, which are outside of Los Angeles, can be clearly seen in the distance.

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Quotes

Rick Simon: Alright, let's put this thing into perspective. Now, correct if I'm wrong, OK? but this is how I got this thing figured. What we have here is a whole bunch of people with no money who go out and buy brand new cars just after they die. Is that pretty much the way you got it figured?
A.J. Simon: That's pretty much the way I've got it figured, yeah. And what, I ask myself, has Terry Hudson got to do with all of this?
Rick Simon: If he's dead, he probably just bought a new car.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Tim Reid/Ronnie Shakes/Dian Fossey (1985)

User Reviews

Great series, wish it lasted longer

This series took a staple element of the detective genre - mismatched partners, and added the twist that they were brothers. Instead of setting it in a classic location for a detective series (NY, LA, Chicago), they took the 90 minute drive down the coast to the beautiful city of San Diego. What they found was a gold mine. Instead of the tired cliche locations, they banked on the little seen but widely known attractions of San Diego (the Zoo, Sea World, the Beaches, and the close proximity to Baja California). The pilot was set in Florida, but the series was wisely moved to the West Coast; Rick Simon, the older of the brothers, was a former marine that was the braun, while buttoned down preppy AJ (the embodiment of preppies in the 80's) was the cultured, refined brother. With Tim Reid as a supporting character (Downtown Brown) and Mary Carver as their mother Cecilia, this series produced many memorable episodes that not only entertained, but taught about the viewer history (WW2, John Dillinger, etc.). Catch it in syndication if you can.