"Simon & Simon" (1981) TV series 1981-1989

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Creator:

Philip DeGuere

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Release Date:

24 November 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Mystery | Drama

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Private Detective | Domineering Mother | Brother Brother Relationship | San Diego California

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Gerald McRaney	...	Rick Simon (156 episodes, 1981-1989)
Jameson Parker	...	Andrew Jackson 'A.J.' Simon / ... (156 episodes, 1981-1989)
Mary Carver	...	Cecilia Simon (153 episodes, 1981-1989)
Tim Reid	...	Det. Marcel 'Downtown' Brown / ... (79 episodes, 1983-1987)

Also Known As:

"Pirate's Key" (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

This show was almost canceled in its first season, but the ratings drastically increased after it was rescheduled to follow "Magnum, P.I." (1980).

Quotes:

[Rick & A.J. are trying to talk Town into letting them look at a car in the police impound]
Rick Simon: Town, now this assignment you got, it's probably gonna be very tiring, right? And you could use a rest... well we're gonna be doing a big celebration when this is all over, y'know, we're gonna do a kind of a blow-out weekend over in Vegas... why don't you kinda tag along with us, y'know, we'll comp you to the Robert Goulet show... it'll be great.
Lt. M.P. 'Downtown' Brown: Robert Goulet? If you're gonna bribe me, at least make it interesting. I'll give you half an hour.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Diff'rent Strokes' (2006) (TV)

Action, Adventure and Humour -- 80's style

I really enjoyed this show, and watched it religiously when me and my family lived in L.A. in the eighties.

I think it was one of the last P.I. shows on the air when it was cancelled, as by that time the sitcom was taking over and action/adventure shows like this had fallen out of favour.

It had the same kind of sense of humour as Rockford and Magnum, and was just as entertaining as either one. (No real surprise as the series creator Philip DeGuere had worked with Roy Huggins, Stephen J. Cannell and Donald P. Bellisario, who gave us those other two classics.)

Stand out episodes include: "Ashes to Ashes, and None Too Soon", "Thin Air", "Pirate's Key", "The List", "Grand Illusion", "The Dillinger Print", "C'est Simon", "Who Killed the Sixties?" "Simon Without Simon" Parts 1 and 2, and of course, "May the Road Rise Up"

There are more but not enough room or time to mention them all.