Moonlighting

1985–1989 · Comedy, Crime, Drama · 5 seasons · ★ 7.5

Ended

Synopsis of Moonlighting

Madelyn "Maddie" Hayes is an elegant former model who is left broke after her accountant steals all her cash. Among her failed businesses is a detective agency in Los Angeles, which until then had served as a front for tax evasion and is run by the carefree David Addison. Maddie wants to bring order to a business that never had any, but David, seeing his job at risk, convinces her to keep the agency and partner with him. Together they take on mystery cases while dealing with fast-paced dialogue and sexual tension she tries to avoid. Created by Glenn Gordon Caron, the series airs on ABC and stars Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis.

«Detectives with a heart»

5seasons

66episodes

46 minper episode

7.5audience scoreTMDB · 426 votes

7.6IMDb rating27,473 votes

Seasons of Moonlighting

Season 11985 · 6 ep. · ★ 8.6

Season 21985 · 18 ep. · ★ 9.6

Season 31986 · 15 ep. · ★ 7.7

Season 41987 · 14 ep. · ★ 8.8

Season 51988 · 13 ep. · ★ 9.0

Cast by Moonlighting

Cybill ShepherdMaddie Hayes66 episodes

Bruce WillisDavid Addison66 episodes

Allyce BeasleyAgnes DiPesto66 episodes

Curtis ArmstrongLucentio36 episodes

Jack BlessingMacGillicudy17 episodes

Robert WebberAlexander Hayes6 episodes

Eva Marie SaintVirginia Hayes6 episodes

Charles RocketRichard Addison6 episodes

Mark HarmonSam Crawford4 episodes

Dennis DuganCy4 episodes

Clinton AllmonMr. Purdy4 episodes

Virginia MadsenLorraine Anne Charnock3 episodes

Bill MarcusPolice Station Desk Clerk3 episodes

Brooke AdamsTerri Knowles3 episodes

R.H. ThomsonDr. Steve Hill (as R.H. Thompson)2 episodes

Cynthia WindhamNicky (Gauss' Secretary)2 episodes

Frantz TurnerBlue Moon Employee2 episodes

Henry G. SandersTrain Passenger in Dream Sequence2 episodes

Will NyeBlue Moon Staff2 episodes

Tammy BrewerBlue Moon Employee2 episodes

Chris RennoldsBridal Candidate2 episodes

Howard MannGas Station Cashier2 episodes

Allan KolmanLimo Driver2 episodes

Jonathan AmesJurgensen2 episodes

Julia JenningsRita McClafferty2 episodes

Kate MurtaghElderly Woman2 episodes

Cleavant DerricksLeonard Haven2 episodes

Ronald G. JosephCaptain Shank2 episodes

Tracey WalterArnie Steckler2 episodes

Tony BillScott Huntley2 episodes

Rocky GiordaniDerek (as Rocky Giordani Sr.)2 episodes

Pamela BowenGirl from Bar #22 episodes

Jack MurdockInmate2 episodes

Zack PhiferWaiter #12 episodes

Joyce BrothersDr. Joyce Brothers (as Dr. Joyce Brothers)Episode 1

Kay LenzMelissaEpisode 1

Terry O'QuinnBryant WilbourneEpisode 1

Ellen Albertini DowMrs. BaerEpisode 1

Cristine RoseLauren BaxterEpisode 1

Johnny BrownSam the Piano PlayerEpisode 1

Technical Details

Created by: Glenn Gordon Caron
Address: Allan Arkush, Peter Werner, Christian I. Nyby II, Burt Brinckerhoff, Dennis Dugan
Writing: Roger Director, Charles H. Eglee, Ron Osborn, Jeff Reno, Glenn Gordon Caron
Production companies: Picturemaker Productions, ABC Circle Films
Network or Platform: ABC
Country: United States
Original Language: English
Premiere: March 3, 1985
Last Episode: May 14, 1989 (5x13)
Status: Ended
Type: Fiction
Awards: Won 6 Emmy Awards; 19 wins and 60 nominations in total.
Links: IMDb · TMDB

Trivia about Moonlighting

The theme song was co-written and performed by singer Al Jarreau, and it became a hit.

Shooting the episode "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice" in black and white took 16 days and raised its cost to 2 million dollars.

The second season received 16 Emmy nominations, and during that season the series tied for 20th place in the Nielsen ratings.

Shepherd suggested the creators watch three of her favorite movies to understand how the show's overlapping dialogue worked.

According to Caron, ABC didn't believe audiences would find the sexual tension between Shepherd and Willis believable.

At the time, the series was one of three shows that a TV network produced and owned in-house, due to FCC restrictions.

The episode "The Big Bang" drew about 60 million viewers and beat the broadcast of the Oscars that same week in the ratings.

During the fourth season, Cybill Shepherd's pregnancy, which included gestational diabetes and a medical ban on working during the third trimester, led to delays and fewer episodes than usual.

Sources: Wikipedia (English)