Miami Vice

Miami Vice is a crime drama television series that aired on NBC between 1984 and 1989. Created by Anthony Yerkovich and executive produced by Michael Mann, the five-season show has ingrained itself within popular culture for its distinctive visual style, music, fashion, and its dramatic storytelling. Centered on the high-stakes, high-energy world of the Miami Metro-Dade police department, the series revolutionized the cop-show genre, injecting it with a refreshing dose of glamor, color, and a state-of-the-art New Wave soundtrack.

The series revolves around two undercover detectives, James "Sonny" Crockett (played by Don Johnson) and Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs (played by Philip Michael Thomas), who tackle the morally ambiguous and dangerously fluid narcotics trade of the Florida city. Crockett, a Vietnam vet, is a native Florida boy who loves his adopted city, lives on a sailboat guarded by his alligator Elvis, and maintains his cover as a high-rolling drug dealer by living the lifestyle to the fullest. Tubbs, on the other hand, is a street-smart New York cop who came to Miami seeking revenge on a drug-dealer who'd killed his brother.

The entire show is drenched in pastel-colored aesthetic, filled with Art Deco architecture and nightlife scenes, which paints an alluring portrait of the 1980s Miami. This visual style, paired with a musical score that leaned heavily into contemporary pop and rock, became a signature aspect of Miami Vice. It spawned a fashion trend unto itself, with Crockett's casual t-shirts under designer suit jackets and Tubbs' sleek, dark attire becoming iconic representations of '80s menswear.

One of the most memorable aspects of Miami Vice is its music. It was among the first television series to utilize pop and rock songs to underscore its visual sequences rather than traditional instrumental scores. Chart-topping hits from artists such as Phil Collins, Dire Straits, and Peter Gabriel were commonplace, sometimes even premiering new tracks on the show. Also iconic is the instrumental theme music by Jan Hammer, with its evocative synth tune perfectly capturing the noirish, nighttime feel of the Miami streets.

The show was known for its intense plotlines, revolving around violent and volatile criminal organizations, and the detectives' constant struggle to remain within the bounds of the law. The subjects it tackled were far from lightweight. It dug into the dark realities of the drug trade, arms dealers, human traffickers, organized crime, and the toll all of this takes on the individuals on both sides of the law who are caught in the middle, reflecting the anxieties of its era while also pointing towards a future where these issues would only become more complex.

The series was not shy about showcasing the glamour and glitz of the city's party scene, but it also presented the destructive consequences associated with such excess, conveying a sense of moral and ethical complexity. The characters of Crockett and Tubbs were perfectly positioned to navigate these contrasting worlds – they looked the part of the jet-setting drug dealers they pretended to be, but also represented the law enforcement attempting to bring order to the chaos.

It’s worth noting that Miami Vice made the city of Miami a central character in its narratives. The series' detailed portrait of the rich landscapes of Miami, with its sun-soaked beaches, high-rise condos, swanky hotels, and neon-lit streets, created a distinct and vibrant backdrop for the series. It redefined Miami's image for a global audience, marketing the city as a modern and exciting place, ripe with intrigue and adventure.

Overall, Miami Vice stands as a seminal piece of '80s television. It seamlessly merges style and substance, creating an immersive and often profound viewing experience. It's been influential not just on subsequent TV cop dramas, but on filmmaking aesthetics and pop culture as a whole. From fashion and music to the normalized incorporation of gritty 'real-life' issues within a glossy stylized narrative, the legacy of Miami Vice is still very apparent in contemporary media.