Miami Vice

Production

In keeping with the show's title, most episodes focus on combating drug trafficking and prostitution. Episodes often end in an intense gun battle, claiming the lives of several criminals before they can be apprehended. An undercurrent of cynicism and futility underlies the entire series. The detectives repeatedly refer to the "Whac-A-Mole" nature of drug interdiction, with its parade of drug cartels quickly replacing those that are apprehended.

Co-executive producer Yerkovich explained that the show is written for an MTV audience, which is more interested in images, emotions and energy than plot and character and words. These elements helped make the series an instant hit. Its first season saw an unprecedented 15 Emmy Award nominations. While the first few episodes contain elements of a standard police procedural, the producers soon abandoned them in favor of a more distinctive style.

Influenced by an Art Deco revival, no "earth tones" were allowed to be used in the production by executive producer Michael Mann. Miami Vice was one of the first American network television programs to be broadcast in stereophonic sound. It is mixed in stereo for its entire run. Each episode of the series cost $2 million.

Casting

Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges were considered for the role of Sonny Crockett, but since it was not lucrative for film stars to venture into television at the time, other candidates were considered. Mickey Rourke was also considered for the role, but he turned down the offer. Larry Wilcox, of CHiPs, was also a candidate for the role of Crockett, but the producers felt going from one police officer role to another would not be a good fit. After dozens of candidates and a twice-delayed pilot shooting, Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas were chosen as the vice cops.

For Johnson, who was by then 34 years old, NBC had particular doubts about the several earlier unsuccessful pilots in which he starred. But Yerkovich was convinced about Don Johnson being the right person for the role.

He asked to read the scripts of Johnson's work on those failed shows. He reported back that the scripts were the problem, not the actor, and NBC acquiesced. Jimmy Smits played Eddie Rivera, Crockett's ill-fated partner, in the pilot episode.

Episodes

The show's plots often pulled from real-life crime in Miami, drawing on both local and international organized crime. Drug trafficking was a frequent focus, reflecting Miami's role as a major entry point for narcotics into North America during the early 1980s. Other episodes tackled firearms trafficking, another area where Miami served as a key conduit for sales to Latin America. The series also incorporated the Miami River Cops scandal, a real police corruption case involving stolen narcotics, drug dealing, and murder.

Additional storylines covered street prostitution, a string of home burglaries, crimes linked to Cuban immigrants from the Mariel boatlift, and the activities of the yakuza and the Mafia in the city. Beyond crime, the show addressed political topics like the Northern Ireland conflict, the South American drug war, U.S. support for dictators in Southeast Asia and South America, and the lingering effects of the Vietnam War. Social issues such as child abuse, homophobia, and the AIDS crisis also appeared.

The characters faced heavy personal struggles. Crockett separated from his wife Caroline in the pilot and divorced her by the fourth episode; his second wife, Caitlin Davies, was later killed by an enemy.

After a concussion from an explosion, Crockett spent three episodes believing he was his drug dealer alter ego, Sonny Burnett. Tubbs carried a personal vendetta against the Calderone family, who ordered the murder of his brother, a New York City police detective. Lieutenant Castillo was frequently haunted by his past as a DEA agent in Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle.

The show's tone shifted over time. Early seasons were lighter, featuring comedic informants like Noogie Lamont and Izzy Moreno. Later episodes grew darker and more cynical, with Crockett and Tubbs battling corruption and stories highlighting the human tragedy behind crimes. These darker installments sometimes ended abruptly after a violent climax, offering no resolution and leaving a despairing, almost nihilistic feel, even against the backdrop of the show's signature glamour and wealth.

Cast

Don Johnson played Detective James "Sonny" Crockett, an undercover officer with the Metro-Dade Police Department. Before his police career, Crockett was a star wide receiver for the Florida Gators until a knee injury ended his sports ambitions. He served two tours in Vietnam, which he referred to as the "Southeast Asia Conference," and began his law enforcement work as a uniformed patrol officer before moving to the vice unit. His undercover alias was Sonny Burnett, a drug runner and middleman.

Boats and seaplanes

Crockett drove a Ferrari Daytona Spyder, later replaced by a Ferrari Testarossa, and also owned a "Scarab" offshore power boat and a sailboat where he lived with his pet alligator, Elvis. The name "Sonny Crockett" had previously been used for a criminal character on Hill Street Blues, played by Dennis Burkley in 1983, a show where Miami Vice creator Anthony Yerkovich worked as a writer. Gregory Sierra, who later played Crockett's boss on Vice, also appeared in those same Hill Street Blues episodes.

Philip Michael Thomas portrayed Detective Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs, a former New York Police Department detective who came to Miami seeking personal revenge against Calderone, the man who killed his brother Rafael. After teaming up temporarily with Crockett, Tubbs decided to transfer to "a career in Southern law enforcement," fearing he could not return to his NYPD job due to serious violations of department codes during the pilot episode. He joined the Miami police and became Crockett's permanent partner, often posing as Rico Cooper, a wealthy out-of-town buyer.

Edward James Olmos played Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo, who took over as head of the OCB after the previous leader, Rodriguez, was killed. Castillo was a quiet, reclusive man who kept to himself outside work. He had previously worked as a DEA agent in the Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia during the late 1970s, where he opposed the CIA's support of heroin trafficking to fund overseas operations.

Saundra Santiago played Detective Regina "Gina" Navarro Calabrese, a fearless female detective who had a brief romance with Crockett after his divorce. Though the relationship did not last, they remained close friends.

Reception

When "Miami Vice" first hit the airwaves, it sparked a lot of debate. Critics argued that the show dressed up its violence with slick, pretty visuals, while others felt it leaned too heavily on its flashy look and soundtrack instead of solid storytelling and well-developed characters. Local officials in Miami were initially upset that the series broadcast the city's crime issues to a national audience. However, many of them softened their stance once they saw the economic impact: the show pumped an estimated one million dollars per episode into the local economy and gave tourism a major boost.

Gerald S. Arenberg from the National Association of Chiefs of Police took issue with the glamorous portrayal of vice cops, pointing out that real officers don't chase drug dealers in Ferraris wearing six-hundred-dollar suits. Instead, he noted, they're usually stuck in a rundown room, in torn jeans, watching a beat-up warehouse through dented binoculars.

At the 1985 Emmy Awards, the series landed fifteen nominations, including nods for writing, film editing, music composition, and directing. But it only took home four trophies. The next day, the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner suggested that more conservative Emmy voters were put off by the show's themes of hedonism, violence, sex, and drugs.

Ratings

The series finale aired on May 21, 1989, from 9 to 11 pm, drawing 22 million viewers and a 14.7 rating. That night, it faced off against "Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure," which scored a 22.9 rating, and "Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All," which pulled a 12.8 rating. NBC aired the final episode again on June 28, 1989, attracting 16.1 million viewers and an 11.1 rating, while "China Beach" that same night had 10.8 million viewers and an 8 rating.

Across the Atlantic, the show first appeared on BBC One in the UK on Monday, February 4, 1985, at 9:25 pm. It later moved to Tuesdays at the same time, then shifted to Thursdays in July.

Season 1 wrapped up on August 8, 1985. Season 2 ran from April 8 to July 15, 1986, and then again from July 18 to October 3, 1987. Seasons 3 through 5 began on July 4, 1988, and concluded with the episode "Freefall" on August 20, 1990, at 11:00 pm.