Simon & Simon

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Simon & Simon

Title screen from Season 1
Format Drama
Created by Philip DeGuere
Starring Gerald McRaney
Jameson Parker
Mary Carver
Eddie Barth
Jeannie Wilson
Tim Reid
Joan McMurtrey
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of seasons 8
No. of episodes 157
Broadcast
Original channel CBS
Original run November 24, 1981 – January 21, 1989

Simon & Simon is a detective series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker.

Contents

[edit] History

Originally a 1978 pilot called Pirate's Key set in Florida, when the show was picked up by CBS, the characters' home was changed from Florida to San Diego, California where the show's storyline remained for the course of its eight year run 1981 to 1989 on CBS.

The show was almost cancelled in 1982 before it was scheduled to run after Magnum, P.I. This brought its ratings up and allowed it to run for many years. Simon & Simon actually had a crossover with Magnum, P.I., on the Magnum double episode "Ki's Don't Lie" and in the Simon & Simon episode "Emeralds Are Not a Girl's Best Friend" (both in 1982).

[edit] Premise

The show revolves around polar opposite brothers Rick (McRaney) and A.J. (for "Andrew Jackson") Simon (Parker). Rick was a Vietnam U.S. Marine veteran and had much more street sense, while A.J. went to college and had book smarts. Rick preferred things that were viewed by his brother as lower-class, like pickup trucks (Rick's Dodge Power Wagon is notable for its dull paint and large metal bumper used in one episode to crush the engine of a car), while A.J. took care of his money and could afford to be more fashionable (A.J. often drove a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, and later, a Chevrolet Camaro Z28). Rick lived on a boat in A.J.'s yard. A.J. preferred to first try to do things by the rules while Rick was much more of a free spirit, using a classic P.I. type of justice.

The two went into business together, running a private detective service; the contrasting ways that the brothers went about their investigations and the subsequent conflicts between them provided much of the story each week, in addition to the plots of solving the cases.

[edit] Cast

  • Gerald McRaney as Richard "Rick" Simon
  • Jameson Parker as Andrew Jackson "A.J." Simon
  • Mary Carver as Cecilia Simon, their mother
  • Eddie Barth as Myron Fowler (episodes 1-36), A.J.'s ex-boss and their more successful competitor
  • Jeannie Wilson as Janet Fowler (episodes 1-43), Myron's daughter. She works for her father, attends law school and helps the Simons from time to time, much to her father's annoyance. In the later episodes, she works as a lawyer in the Prosecutor's office.
  • Tim Reid as Lieutenant Marcel Proust "Downtown" Brown (episodes 43-127), the Simons' friend in the police department
  • Joan McMurtrey as Lieutenant Abigail Marsh (episodes 128-157)

[edit] Broadcasters

[edit] Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again (1995)

This reunion movie premiered on February 23, 1995. Some years have passed and a now married A.J. works in Seattle as an attorney. Rick stops by to visit en route to delivering an expensive yacht. The trouble starts when the yacht is hijacked - with mom Cecilia on board.

[edit] DVD releases

On October 10, 2006, Universal Studios Home Entertainment released the first season of Simon & Simon on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. Due to poor sales, it is unknown if the remaining seasons will be released.

DVD Name Ep # Release Date
Season 1 13 October 10, 2006

[edit] External links

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