I've lurked for a few months and have been impressed by a few of the apparent regulars who really know their stuff (and who seem to be really nice people too!). I grew up loving I SPY... as a kid, my parents would not allow me to stay up and watch, but when my grandmother let me stay the night... she's let me watch my spy hero's! Later, I caught reruns, and in present day I have the DVD's and am slowly working my wife through them so she can understand what we all see in this!
Because I'm "new" into your fold, let me just briefly introduce myself by saying that I'm a guy in my mid 40's. I am not a spy, but my profession is as a licensed talent agent (which means that I represent actors for commercials, movies, and TV). I consider I SPY to be in the top 3-5 shows ever made.
Now that I've wasted your eyes and brain power reading all of that, let me please introduce my first topic.
Reading the history in this forum site, I don't think this has been addressed yet?
I SPY and MIAMI VICE
Or should I have said... I SPY vs. MIAMI VICE..?
I won't make too many comparisons, allowing that to be available from the replies to this post, and I won't generalize on the OBVIOUS... but:
- Stylish clothing
- Spys (ie. undercover)
- ROLEX!
- Sunglasses
- DIET (Scotty, like Rico Tubbs)
- Kelly, like Sonny, the "woman getter"
- Cool cars
- Great EQUAL interracial team (though that's never played as such)
- After season 3 of Miami Vice, it went downhill... I SPY stopped at 3!
Now add to this, if you so desire.
I'm happy to have what I hope is a decent topic now to contribute with!
There are some connections between "I Spy" and "Miami Vice" as you've written. But, I think it's true that ALL buddy shows follow from "I Spy" as they did it first and best. The equality of partners, their individual personalities/quirks merging together into a rock solid friendship, the loyalty unto death, the commitment to their work, their coolness--if you find any guy team which has aspects of that, you've got someone taking off on "I Spy".
Luckily, neither Kelly nor Scotty felt compelled to lug around an alligator as a pet while they traversed the world!
Welcome to the Forum. I'm not one of the fans that knows everything, btw, I'm just an immense fan of Robert Culp. You get more drooling than erudition from my posts.
That is a great topic you selected!! And it's one I don't think we've ever discussed before.
You are right on every count ... each featured two very cool guys in two cool shows. Each show had it's own definite rhythm and style (& cool theme music), but .... let's pay a little homage to the guys who did it first - who lead the way - 20 years before Crockett and Tubbs arrived on the scene! Mona said it perfectly.
Someone, somewhere on the MIAMI VICE team definitely checked out KELLY & SCOTTY in great detail when setting up CROCKETT & TUBBS and their "style" .....
OK, I had a great time hunting around the net for MIAMI VICE photos - and was delighted to find a million match-ups in the "Loring Photography" Archives.
Enjoy, Jeff, and everyone else!!
I SPY 1965 ~ ~ ~ - ~ ~ ~ MIAMI VICE - 1984
I guess we can start with the LOOK of the shows .....
Crockett used his gun often, often crouching down ....
Our guys could crouch, too, and shoot in both directions!!
And on occasion, Kelly would go all out, and go with 2 guns!!
OK ..... and then there were the cars and boats ....
No doubt, Sonny & Rico tooled around Miami in very cool wheels ...
Kelly & Scotty tooled around the "world" and met up with a variety of cars.
Thought Crockett & Tubbs were the only ones in speedboats, check out Kelly & Scotty 20 years before!
OK ..... both had cool theme music and both had their own GAMES ....
I won't comment that they both had motion picture re-makes made, thankfully neither of which I saw.
NEXT ..... we have to showcase their cool clothes ....
There are some things, though, that are pure SCOTTY & KELLY - and we need to give credit where credit is do.
Let's just say, CROCKETT & TUBBS were following a good thing.
The SHOES ... the note on the left photo talks about Crockett's espadrilles, which are identical
to Kelly's famous deck/tennis shoe slip-ons. Espadrilles often have a rope or molded rubber edge,
but the look is the same.
And then there's the cool "jacket over the shoulder" thing - sorry, this is "signature" Kelly & Scotty!!
And, of course, the CLASSIC WHITE PANTS!! C'mon on guys - no one did it better than KELLY & SCOTTY.
In fact, for something really cool, forget the ad, and try the "White Pants, No Shirt, Blue Socks" look ....
White Pants are definitely the province of our guys!!
OK - more clothes - comin' up .... but first here's a quote from our Mr. Culp about fashion
(from a TV Guide article in 1969) "Remember, we've always taken our fashions in this country from motion pictures and television.
The first so-called hip dressers on Television were Bill Cosby and myself."
For all we know - Tubbs, may have really had Scotty as his role model .... and Scotty's closet, too!
And Rico, FASHION LESSON #22 - when you go for a periwinkle blue look, always have your partner in full pink
- it really makes a stand-out when you hang out together.
And talking about pastels, you gotta be a real man to handle those pastels .... well done all around!!
And FASHION LESSON #23, when you want to try out some real style when working with bland beige -
forget the polka dots and go with the double-breasted look with a jaunty hanky in the pocket ....
And that sleeveless T-shirt look - been there, done that ... (20 years before) ...
Then there's the "unshaven look with the suit " ... nice try ... you guys weren't there first, but you do it well.
And we'll bring this one back, one more time .... major coolness all around!!
But take note, Crockett & Tubbs, THIS is how it's done, effortlessly!
And last, but not least ... we need to touch on BUDDINESS !!
Buddiness was the key to I SPY - Kelly & Scotty and their relationship, trust, and friendship
set the standard for ALL to follow - period!!
AND at the end of the day - it's the REAL Friendship that makes the difference ...
Thanks to both you and Mona for the replies thus far. I'm glad this was something not touched upon before. As I said, I've lurked here for a while, but I don't know the full past history. I will say that you have more zeal as a "fan" than I have ever seen anywhere in my life. That's pretty cool in all of it's own ways.
Your photo comparisons go well beyond anything I'd even imagined. As stated, it's no doubt no coincidence that the two shows have these similarities and, while they're both good solid shows in their own rights, I SPY certainly paved the way.
I do not blame you for not watching the two movie remakes - I have not either. I did just purchase the DVD of I SPY RETURNS (2002?) that I had never seen before, and I enjoyed it and while there can always be room for improvement, understand it was made on a TV budget (unfortunately!). My wife had never seen I SPY until I purchased the DVD's of all 3 seasons and she is now slowly getting to view them for her first time. I'm sure it is not the same since they are dated in their own ways and those of us who grew up with the show remember it with sentimentality, but she enjoys it all the same.
Thanks for the nice welcome and the photo display was just outstanding.
The big difference between the buddies, not counting the actual friendship between actors is that for Kelly and Scotty they were on their own in overseas assignments . They did not have a whole PD behind them. Miami Vice had them as antagonists forced to work together in the first show. Later they developed the friendship. Miami Vice also had the support of the rest of the Vice squad.
Police do develop strong buddies and partners but the most similar is Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the Lethal Weapons movies. There was wit, humor and also a black and white partnership. Plus Gibson like Kelly, brooded and was crazy, loved women , drank and had no family. He stayed at Glover's family mostly.
Glover would follow Gibson even when he was clueless. Gibson did not have quite the same but he would save Glover time and time again.
The real reason that the buddy worked on I Spy is Culp. He bonded fast to Cosby and also would change dialog and ad lib and got away with it. Culps' influence was immense with him writing "So Long Patrick Henry". The wit was truly ad lib and Culp has very good comedic flare. Cosby is a good comedian but his quick quips are not as funny. Culp comedic touch was better on I Spy than Cosby in the first year.
Cosby got better with him calling Kelly, Hoby and would refer to Kelly as his past roles character names.
I admit Miami Vice used a lot of the glitz of the monied drug world. I went to college in Miami and that was the only Federal Reserve Bank that always had excess cash.
Fast boats, fast women and strong drink and ruthless enemies. Even more ruthless that the enemy agents who tried to be discreet.
The 1980's also was time for men's fashion. Flashy dressers, silk suits and Italian shoes.
But Kelly and Scotty wer more elegant and timeless in their outfits. I have never felt that T shirt and sport jacket went together as other than dressing down.
I Spy is way above Miami Vice. I loved Miami Vice for the gritty realism of the high roller drug world. I loved the fast cars, gun play, and fast boats. Miami Beach had a major resurgence due to Miami Vice. In the 1970's Miami Beach was going downhill and the old people lived there. It was not flashy place.
The Beauty of Venice, Florence and Athens was breathtaking for I Spy. Who did not want to be a secret agent that roamed the world like Kelly and Scotty? Who wanted to step into Tubbs and Crocketts shoes? Not I.
