Seen on the M25 near Iver.
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Vintage postcard, no. PP 095. Don Johnson (right) and Philip Michael Thomas in Miami Vice (1984-1990).
Miami Vice (1984-1990) was an American television crime drama series created by Anthony Yerkovich and executive produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson (left at the postcard) as James 'Sonny' Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo 'Rico' Tubbs, two police detectives working undercover in Miami. The series was experimental and innovative, with a very distinctive style.
Miami Vice was inspired by the drug war that gripped the city of Miami in the early 1980s, where drug traffickers seemed to have free rein, using extreme violence with money in abundance. Many episodes were inspired by real police cases from this period. Don Johnson plays the role of police officer James "Sonny" Crockett. Under the name Sonny Burnett, he fights criminals by posing as a drug runner with his super-fast Wellcraft Scarab speedboat. He works with his partner Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas), who had previously been a detective in New York. Together, they often shoot their way through the busy streets of Miami where chases are regularly seen. Co-stars in the stars were Saundra Santiago, Olivia Brown, Michael Talbott, Edward James Olmos, and Sheena Easton. Pam Grier, Stanley Tucci, Helena Bonham Carter and John Leguizamo also appeared in the series. Many well-known actors and actresses guest-starred in the series early in their careers such as Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Michael Madsen, Julia Roberts, Liam Neeson, Wesley Snipes and Bruce Willis. Well-known artists, including Phil Collins, Frank Zappa, James Brown, Willie Nelson and Glenn Frey, regularly played along in guest roles. Most episodes focused on combating drug trafficking and prostitution. The series ran for five seasons from 1984 to 1989. The show drew heavily upon 1980s New Wave culture and music and was noted for its integration of music and visual effects. The well-known Crockett's Theme by composer Jan Hammer became a number 1 hit in several countries.
Legend has it that the head of NBC's Entertainment Division, Brandon Tartikoff, wrote a brainstorming memo that simply read 'MTV cops'. Miami Vice introduced many fads and trends of the 1980s such as fast cars and speed boats, unshaven beard stubble, a T-shirt under pastel suits, no socks, rolled up sleeves, boat shoes and Ray Ban sunglasses. The chases often take place with the Ferrari 365 GTS/4 (or Testarossa in later episodes) that Crockett "owns" in his undercover role as a drug courier. They can drive these expensive cars, wear expensive clothes and impress their opponents with suitcases of cash because all these assets were confiscated by the police in previous cases. Miami Vice was an innovative series at the time. The style was as important as the storyline. The episodes resembled new wave video clips and much of the soundtrack consisted of synthesiser music composed especially for the series by Jan Hammer. Many scenes were shot in Miami's Art Deco district with necessary buildings being refurbished before filming. Colour was a recurring theme where clothes and backgrounds were matched. Many episodes had their own colour palette. The first seasons were characterised by a fairly light-hearted, hip atmosphere that also used a lot of humour. Over time, the series takes on more of a Neo Noir atmosphere. The scenes then become darker and grimmer. In season four, Sheena Easton plays Caitlin, Crockett's girlfriend; the two marry and then she is murdered by Hackman, a top criminal Sonny had dealt with earlier in season two: ironically, Sonny had fought to get Hackman released before he would face the death penalty because he believed in his innocence. After Caitlin's death, Sonny finds himself in an intense existential crisis. The series helped boost the battered image of the city of Miami. Due to the drug wars, tourism had declined and it was no longer a popular place to settle. Thanks to the series and the accompanying Miami Vice parties, which were held every weekend and generated publicity, the Art Deco district became hip again. In 2006, Michael Mann directed a film adaptation of the series. Colin Farrell played Crockett and Jamie Foxx Tubbs.
Sources: Wikipedia (English and Dutch) and IMDb.
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Galina, Philip
Bed rail runners on Stephen's custom windsurfer. Worked down wind pretty well. Not so good at tacking. It needed extra weight on the back.
Bed rail runners on Stephen's custom windsurfer. Worked down wind pretty well. Not so good at tacking. It needed extra weight on the back.
