You see it all started with a pair of legs, or to be more accurate, those of Maddie Hayes. Legs can be a dangerous weapon in the wrong pair of hands. In 1985 Moonlighting had just hit the TV screens in the UK and it was essential viewing - heady mix of drama, comedy and action. I was hooked and didn't miss a single show during its four year run. I'd like to think that it was the well written dialogue, superb performances and musical interludes that kept me coming back....but I strongly suspect that it was the legs.
As well as attractive appendages, there were some great TV moments in the series, such as their version of Taming of the Shrew, and in jokes and nods to other series. And then there was the music - musical segments peppered the series and this, for me, helped set the series apart from other shows. For a nation that was drip fed music performances, to have them embedded in a long running show was a huge bonus, years before the humongous hit Glee.
So one thing followed another and before I could stop myself I purchased the Moonlighting soundtrack and this album. At the time I was under the impression that it was a well performed collection of pop songs - I'd not heard many of these songs before so what was I supposed to think? What I now know, though, is that it's a rather clumsy 1980s take on classic rhythm and blues. It's not truly awful just a little souless, which is kind of ironic, and over produced.
I still maintain though, that Good Lovin', from the aforementioned Shakespeare episode, is one of the best examples of music in a TV show. You can forget Glee, it's Bruce and Cybill for me! So to put the final blow into my credibility here's a link to the clip: http://youtu.be/FRaqV7A8YQo. Enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment