Simon & Simon

Infobox television
show_name = Simon & Simon


caption = Title screen from Season 1
format = Drama
runtime =
creator = Philip DeGuere
starring = Gerald McRaney
Jameson Parker
Mary Carver
Eddie Barth
Jeannie Wilson
Tim Reid
Joan McMurtrey
country = USA
network = CBS
first_aired = November 24, 1981
last_aired = January 21, 1989
num_seasons = 8
num_episodes = 157

"Simon & Simon" is a 1980s detective series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker.

History

Originally a 1978 pilot called "Pirate's Key" set in Florida, when the show was picked up by CBS, the characters' home was changed from Florida to San Diego, California where the show's storyline remained for the course of its eight year run 1981 to 1989 on CBS.

The show was almost cancelled in 1982 before it was scheduled to run after "Magnum, P.I." This brought its ratings up and allowed it to run for many years. "Simon & Simon" actually had a crossover with "Magnum, P.I.", on the "Magnum" double episode "Ki's Don't Lie" and in the "Simon & Simon" episode "Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend" (both in 1982).

Premise

The show revolves around polar opposite brothers Rick (McRaney) and A.J. (for "Andrew Jackson") Simon (Parker). Rick was a Vietnam United States Marine Corps veteran and had much more street sense, while A.J. went to college and had book smarts. Rick preferred things that were viewed by his brother as lower-class, like pickup trucks (Rick's Dodge Power Wagon is notable for its dull paint and large metal bumper used in one episode to crush the engine of a car), while A.J. took care of his money and could afford to be more fashionable (A.J. often drove a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, and later, a Chevrolet Camaro Z28). Rick lived on a boat in A.J.'s yard. A.J. preferred to first try to do things by the rules while Rick was much more of a free spirit, using a classic P.I. type of justice. Even their guns are different-Rick has a 357 Magnum and A.J. has a Colt Detective Special snub-nose.

The two went into business together, running a private detective service; the contrasting ways that the brothers went about their investigations and the subsequent conflicts between them provided much of the story each week, in addition to the plots of solving the cases. Although the premise in the series is that Rick is older and A.J. is younger, in fact McRaney and Parker were both born in year 1947 with only a 4 month difference.

Cast

*Gerald McRaney as Richard "Rick" Simon
*Jameson Parker as Andrew Jackson "A.J." Simon
*Mary Carver as Cecilia Simon, their mother
*Eddie Barth as Myron Fowler (episodes 1-36), A.J.'s ex-boss and their more successful competitor
*Jeannie Wilson as Janet Fowler (episodes 1-43), Myron's daughter. She works for her father, attends law school and helps the Simons from time to time, much to her father's annoyance. In the later episodes, she works as a lawyer in the Prosecutor's office.
*Tim Reid as Lieutenant Marcel Proust "Downtown" Brown (episodes 43-127), the Simons' friend in the police department
*Joan McMurtrey as Lieutenant Abigail Marsh (episodes 128-157)

Theme Music

The theme to Simon & Simon was composed by Barry De Vorzon [cite web | title = Barry De Vorzon @imdb| url = http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006031/| accessdate = 2008-08-12] who had previously composed the theme to the 70s police drama, S.W.A.T. The theme consists primarily of a lead guitar with a saxophone interlude.

Broadcasters

* United States: CBS (first run) and Sleuth Channel (reruns)
* Brazil: Globo, renamed as "Carga Dupla" ("Double Charge")
* Spain: Catalonia: TV3, Galicia: TVG
* Sweden: Sveriges Television
* Germany: ARD, VOX, Super RTL, Das Vierte
* Canada: CBS (first run) and DejaView (reruns)
* Turkey: Star TV and Kanal D
* France: Antenne 2, first run : 1983, La 5 (reruns)(1991)
* New Zealand: Television New Zealand first run
* United Kingdom: ITV
* Italy: Italia 1
* Saudi Arabia: Saudi TV Channel 2, 1986 - 1988.

"Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again" (1995)

This reunion movie premiered on February 23, 1995. Some years have passed and a now married A.J. works in Seattle as an attorney. Rick stops by to visit en route to delivering an expensive yacht. The trouble starts when the yacht is hijacked - with mom Cecilia on board.

DVD releases

On October 10, 2006, Universal Studios Home Entertainment released the first season of Simon & Simon on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time.

In Fall 2008, Shout! Factory acquired the distribution rights through an agreement with Universal and will release Season 2 on February 10, 2009. [http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Simon-Simon-Season-2/10624]

External links

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* [http://www.simonandsimon.net.tc/ "The Simon & Simon Fanlisting"]