Bruce Willis? With hair?! That was my first reaction when I
stumbled across the feature length pilot of Moonlighting nearly a year ago on
YouTube. For many years I attributed Bruce Willis as a bald, action hero and
all round tough guy. However, this cult 80’s detective dramedy is what first
put him on the map way before his days in the Die Hard franchise.
Whilst I enjoy watching contemporary shows, thanks to online subscriptions like Netflix and YouTube, I have been able to consume many classic programmes like Moonlighting. What makes the show such a rewarding watch is the chemistry between Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd who play David and Maddie, two private detectives who run an agency called Blue Moon Investigation. A precursor to Mulder and Scully, the series appeal came as a result of viewer’s obsession with whether the duo would ever become romantically involved. Whilst the will they, won’t they, element is a factor to the couples popularity, I personally find their comic timing the main feature. I’ve always seen Bruce Willis first and foremost as a talented actor. His comic timing in particular has recently been reaffirmed with a role in an advert for Sky Broadband. Between him and Cybil Shepherd (another brilliant comic actor), both portray a couple whose bickering and snappy come backs kept viewers hooked.
In terms of its impact on TV in general, Moonlighting is particularly significant and influential. It became one of the first programmes to blend two distinctive TV genres by becoming one of the first dramedies. Furthermore, while many consider Twin Peaks to be an early example of a series that dared to break the mould, Moonlighting is often overlooked in terms of how ground-breaking it was. It pretty much introduced the now over used TV gimmick of dream sequences, and was particularly daring by breaking the fourth wall with characters often talking directly to the audience or the actors even breaking out of character.
Don’t be fooled though, Moonlighting is a very strange show and an example of TV marmite; you either think it’s a stroke of genius or the TV equivalent of a drunk night out. However, if you want to see Bruce Willis at his early best and with hair, you can either discover the show on Netflix or fork out a decent amount for the boxset of this classic series. And also, you will not get that theme tune out of your head!
Whilst I enjoy watching contemporary shows, thanks to online subscriptions like Netflix and YouTube, I have been able to consume many classic programmes like Moonlighting. What makes the show such a rewarding watch is the chemistry between Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd who play David and Maddie, two private detectives who run an agency called Blue Moon Investigation. A precursor to Mulder and Scully, the series appeal came as a result of viewer’s obsession with whether the duo would ever become romantically involved. Whilst the will they, won’t they, element is a factor to the couples popularity, I personally find their comic timing the main feature. I’ve always seen Bruce Willis first and foremost as a talented actor. His comic timing in particular has recently been reaffirmed with a role in an advert for Sky Broadband. Between him and Cybil Shepherd (another brilliant comic actor), both portray a couple whose bickering and snappy come backs kept viewers hooked.
In terms of its impact on TV in general, Moonlighting is particularly significant and influential. It became one of the first programmes to blend two distinctive TV genres by becoming one of the first dramedies. Furthermore, while many consider Twin Peaks to be an early example of a series that dared to break the mould, Moonlighting is often overlooked in terms of how ground-breaking it was. It pretty much introduced the now over used TV gimmick of dream sequences, and was particularly daring by breaking the fourth wall with characters often talking directly to the audience or the actors even breaking out of character.
Don’t be fooled though, Moonlighting is a very strange show and an example of TV marmite; you either think it’s a stroke of genius or the TV equivalent of a drunk night out. However, if you want to see Bruce Willis at his early best and with hair, you can either discover the show on Netflix or fork out a decent amount for the boxset of this classic series. And also, you will not get that theme tune out of your head!
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