Remington Steele

Posted:
in AppleOutsider edited January 2014
Okay, call it a second childhood, but we just recently purchased the first season of Remington Steele. And many years have passed since I originally watch the series (or even watched it in re-runs), and in those intervening years I have watched many old classic movies. So sitting down and watching the series again, I have noticed many "nods" do the the old movies. I'm not just talking the odd lines or "you know, _So and So,_ 1944."



Let me give some examples. In episode 3, Steele Waters Run Deep, the agency must track down a missing person, George Kaplan, who turns out never to have existed. Well, anyone who has ever seen _North by Northwest_ had that figured out 5 seconds after the name was said.



In episode 8, Your Steele the One for Me, the funeral scene right at the beginning (and the phone booth scene not long after) are clear references to _Charade_.



I did a search on the Internet (not long or in-depth) and no one else seems to have noticed this.



Anyone?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    hardheadhardhead Posts: 644member
    OK F, I'll admit to this much. My ex and I would watch the show. She for Pierce Brosnan and me for Stephanie Zimbalist.



    Yes, I did notice... It wasn't a bad show for what it was. Mmm, Stephanie...
  • Reply 2 of 6
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
    And the Auburn Boat-Tailed Speedster...!
  • Reply 3 of 6
    As I recall (seems a looong time ago), each episode had at least one challenge for old film buffs... (a detective agency with clues and characters from 40's detective films? <mock shock>... a romantic comedy with wry nods to Cary Grant films?... a wannabe-thriller with Hitchcock hints? )...



    Ditto with "Moonlighting"... (in some ways compensating for Bruce Willis' "acting"). Many episodes seemed to be some kind of a 'prove you're a film buff trivia contest' to get the in-jokes and subtle references... lots of writing intended to break the third wall with a nudge and a wink direct to camera for the sake of the audience, who were assumed/expected to know the real meaning.



    As a plot device, it seemed intended in part as a test to measure whether the colleagues were schooled in the classics, while providing a mildly obscure code by which Brosnan or Zimbalist could suggest solutions in front of the suspected bad guys (who were always ignorant of such classic film secrets).



    Extra bonus points to the writers for layering in such content. Rewards repeat viewing.
  • Reply 4 of 6
    I just want to know what happened to cutie Stephanie Zimbalist
  • Reply 5 of 6
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Dale Sorel

    I just want to know what happened to cutie Stephanie Zimbalist



    IMDB says...



    or there's the interweb homage sites



    still working, apparently
  • Reply 6 of 6
    hardheadhardhead Posts: 644member
    Dang...still lookin' good.
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