Miami Vice: Season 1

Miami Vice was one of the biggest TV shows of my childhood, and I don't just mean in terms of my life, but in terms of the entire 1980s. The show's look, style, and cutting edge storytelling defined the era and all but single-handedly changed TV forever. While I understand the program's historical significance, I remember very little about the program itself, other than that I loved it and tuned in every week along with my siblings and probably the rest of America. I recently picked up a used copy of the first season on DVD for ten bucks. I figured, why not? How bad could it be?

I'm happy to report that it doesn't just hold up, but that it still stands tall as one of the coolest, most entertaining, and best done shows in TV history. It's a bit rough around the edges, sure, and some of the styles and hair dues appear a little dated, but I'll be damned if the Italian suits worn by the two leads aren't still hot as hell. I wouldn't totally dress like these guys if I could, and so would you. The stories might not pack the same kind of intensity or shock value as they did when they first appeared, but that's only because the show was so influential that everybody started doing what they had already done, and, in most cases, did better. And I don't care what anybody says, Don Johnson is a fantastic actor and this was the defining work of his career. He was nominated for an Emmy, but the only major acting award for the show went to the astoundingly good Edward James Olsmos. Philip Michael Thomas also appears, and he's a likable guy.

Anyway, long story short, this show still kicks ass and remains as entertaining and enthralling and sexy as when it first appeared. Go check it out.