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Resplendent with authentic 1980s music, fashion, and vibe, "Miami Vice" follows two undercover detectives and their extended team through the mean streets of Miami, Florida.
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712 ( 33)

Episodes

Seasons


Years



5   4   3   2   1  
1990   1989   1988   1987   1986   1985   … See all »
Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 11 wins & 29 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Series cast summary:
Don Johnson ...  Detective James Crockett 111 episodes, 1984-1989
Philip Michael Thomas ...  Detective Ricardo Tubbs 111 episodes, 1984-1989
Saundra Santiago ...  Detective Gina Calabrese / ... 111 episodes, 1984-1989
Olivia Brown ...  Detective Trudy Joplin 111 episodes, 1984-1989
Michael Talbott ...  Detective Stan Switek 110 episodes, 1984-1989
Edward James Olmos ...  Lieutenant Martin Castillo / ... 107 episodes, 1984-1989
John Diehl ...  Det. Larry Zito / ... 57 episodes, 1984-1988
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Storyline

Stubble-faced detective Crockett lived in a sailboat guarded by his alligator Elvis. His partner Tubbs was a black New York cop looking for his brother's killer. Together they took on the Florida drug world. The show influenced men's fashions toward Italo-casual and interior decor toward the Miami look. Very trendy music and unusual guest performers. Written by Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>

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Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Denzel Washington was considered for the part of Ricardo Tubbs. See more »

Goofs

Despite being "undercover" police officers, both Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs appear in situations where drug dealers and other criminals would be able to discover that they are not who they claim to be. Suspects are even brought in their offices and can see that Tubbs and Crockett are sworn law enforcement officers. See more »

Quotes

Sonny Crockett: Hate waiting, feel like a character in a Becket play.
Det. Ricardo Tubbs: Since when do you know Becket?
Sonny Crockett: Charlie Becket, works down the shoeshine, writes plays on the side.
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Crazy Credits

Three episodes of the series have these additional songs playing at the closing credits instead of the show's original theme song: "Calderone's Return": Tina Turner - "What's Love Got to Do With It?"; this song plays over footage of Crockett and Tubbs riding a speedboat, plus flashbacks of Tubbs and Angelina. "Phil the Shill": Phil Collins - "Life is a Rat Race" and "Freefall" (final episode): Terry Kath - "Tell Me"; this song plays over a montage of scenes from the show. See more »

Connections

Spoofed in Kung Fury (2015) See more »

User Reviews

Pure 80's!
11 April 2001 | by BlackJack_BSee all my reviews

I remember back in 1985, when I was in Grade 9 that the teacher wanted to have the students talk about themselves. We were given a personal questionnaire, then we would divulge our answers. When it came to our favorite T.V. show, 18 out 30 students said "Miami Vice". And that's how I was introduced to this show.

Running during the years when NBC was dominant in prime-time and daytime (1984-1991), when the other networks were struggling as opposed to the pathetic NBC we have now, Miami Vice was probably the second most popular show in the U.S. after The Cosby Show.

Miami Vice is a crime-drama about two detectives, Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and a transplant from New York, Ricardo Tubbs (Phillip Michael Thomas) who fight crime in Miami. Unlike other by-the-book cop shows, this one brought back the cool trend brought in years back with Starsky & Hutch. The men are dressed in cool pastel clothes (Johnson became quite a fashion plate during these years), have a sleek white Ferrari and certainly have 80's panache in dealing with criminal element.

Like many programs during the "Flashdance" era, there is music in the background at all times but Miami Vice played the current hits as well. It was a big honour for artists to have their music played on the show.

Of course, today the show is a bit dated and a lot of people think that Don Johnson dominates too many episodes but he was THE MAN and PMT didn't mind playing second fiddle (who was hotter than Don?). Still, as a lover of the 80's this show is a must-watch for me. Too bad it's on the more pathetic TNN (WE GOT POP!!) but I tolerate it. Also, Don Johnson's current hit "Nash Bridges" is good, too. He may be a little heftier but that voice and his fashion sense haven't changed.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

-Making-of season 5

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish | English

Release Date:

16 September 1984 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Miami Vice See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (111 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (5.1 surround) (DVD version)| DTS (DTS HD Master Audio 5.1) (Blu-ray release)

Color:

Color
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