Wonderful character development!

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

It's hard to rate this show. The first pseudo-season and second full season were fantastic. Cybil Shepherd as Madelyn Hayes, an ex model whose accountant runs off with all of her money, leaving her only her house and a detective agency full of goofy employees, and Bruce Willis as David Addison, the head goofball employee, come from completely different places and viewpoints. Addison does get Maddie to try and make a go of the detective agency rather than sell it, and the games begin. And yes, you can blame this show for unleashing Bruce Willis on the world.So for a year and a half the sexual tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife as Maddie tries to enforce some discipline on the organization while Addison tries to get Maddie to loosen up. There are all kinds of weird cases worthy of the 80s, plus a couple of well done episodes including a version of "Taming of the Shrew" and a 40s Film Noir that actually allow David and Maddie to get horizontal without involving the actual characters. Plus there is a great 60s soundtrack to draw in the, at that time, 30 something baby boomers.And then things began to unravel in the 1986-1987 season. The egos on the set - specifically the two stars - do not get along, and then Cybil Shepherd got pregnant. The show dealt with it in the worst possible way - after Maddie's long time astronaut boyfriend blows town, Maddie and David have one night of carnal bliss, then Maddie leaves town for the safety of her childhood home. For almost an entire season Addison is at the agency, and Maddie is in Chicago, until she returns to L.A. to add insult to injury to David, whom she obviously just does not think is good enough for her. And yes, the pregnancy was written into the script.Too late to make a long story short, the viewers were jerked around by dead end story lines so much in 1987-1988, that like a disillusioned lover, when things returned to a semblance of normalcy in the 1988-1989 season, viewers just didn't care anymore. The show even had one particular prologue where they urged viewers to come back. They didn't. End of story.My rating? I'd say that the first (very short) season and the second full season were 8/10, maybe a bit obvious but fun and different. The third season was 6/10 with the first half being pretty good and the last half being mediocre. The fourth season was a 4/10 - lots of waiting but nothing really happening. The fifth season pulled back up to a 6/10, no higher, because you just can't forget the backstory as easily as David and Maddie seem to have done.Kudos go out to Allyce Beasley as admin Agnes DiPesto, a woman of plain looks but daring fashion, Curtis Armstrong of "Revenge of the Nerds" fame who is also no looker but commands your attention as employee, confidante of David, and at first reluctant heartthrob of Agnes. Eva Marie Saint and Robert Webber have continuing guest roles as Maddie's parents, and Maddie has to do some growing up when it comes to one aspect of her parents' marriage that she finds hard to swallow. Maddie is a woman that has a hard time forgiving human weakness in others - in fact that is HER biggest weakness, it seems. I'd recommend it, but if you find yourself losing patience with it at the end of season three, you are not alone.

At its best, Moonlighting channeled the scenes from His Girl Friday where Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell famously smart talked right over the top of each other for line after line of dialog. Moonlighting became famous for that, as well as other bizarre but interesting and amusing behaviors from the leads and the agency staff.At its worst, in the last couple of seasons, Moonlighting became brooding and somewhat depressing. Of course, as with many shows like this, the never released sexual tension between the male and female leads (David and Maddie) was what drove the show. The show "Jumped the Shark" at the same time the writers made the mistake of letting David jump Maddie. It was all downhill from there.But the first seasons were glorious and inventive, some of the best TV series entertainment ever.Gobble them up when you have the chance.

David Addison was a character who knew when to have fun at work and enjoy life compare to most American men for the last 50 years. Furthermore, he is one of the few guys who don't back down from a fierce verbal argument with a female particularly with his boss Maddie Hayes. Grant it, Addison was a sexist person which is the one thing I don't like about him; however, if he has a point to make, he will not hesitate to argue with a woman even to the point of disobeying her orders.All in all, it was a very fun show. I love the secretary manning the Blue Moon Detective Agency. She would have made a fortune writing poetry or songs the way she answers the telephone every day.

My spouse gave me the DVD set for Christmas. I had forgotten how absolutely funny the program was in its earlier seasons. The yin-yang / push-pull banter between the two main characters was just hilarious and meticulously timed. The DVD set was well packaged with a good amount of commentary regarding the pilot with sensitive interviews with the stars. Seasons 1 & 2 were so special because of the tension between the two and the friendship that was nurtured without going to the bedroom. Even though the show is over 20 years old, it still seems fresh and full of laughs. Mr. Willis and Ms. Shepard were the best choice for this series