3. Moonlighting - The Pilot Episode
Director: Peter Crane, Robert Butler, Allan Arkush, Gerald Perry Finnerman, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Hibler, Kevin Connor, Stanley Donen, Christopher Leitch, Artie Mandelberg, Will Mackenzie, Sam Weisman, Burt Brinckerhoff, Paul Krasny, Christian I. Nyby II, Christopher T. Welch, Jay Daniel (II), Peter Werner (III), Paul Lynch, Edwin Sherin
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Amazon.com essential video Some television ages well, some doesn't. For every Mary Tyler Moore Show that still rocks, there's a Family Ties that's painfully mired in its era. One would think this would be the case for Moonlighting, the detective series of the mid-1980s starring Cybill Shepherd (on a career rebound) and Bruce Willis (then unknown). The ingredients are all there: '80s fashion, hourlong TV mystery plots, Wayfarer sunglasses... Fortunately--and gloriously--this is not the case.As fresh as it was when it first aired, Moonlighting is a prime example of groundbreaking television at its peak and a timeless lesson in the science of star chemistry. Shepherd, as the ice-queen model Maddie Hayes, and Willis, as the "do bears bear, do bees be?"hipster-doofus David Addison, were the quintessential match made in hell, thrown together under dubious circumstances. In this pilot episode, Shepherd, having discovered that her accountant has left her broke, proceeds to liquidate her assets, including the City of Angels Detective Agency, headed up by Willis.However, thanks to a dead body that pops out of an elevator, the two pair up to solve a case involving a broken watch and some pilfered Nazi loot, hoping to get some publicity (and cash) for their newly rechristened Blue Moon Investigations. The plot is negligible, involving a dead jogger, a mohawked hit man, and a sadistic henchman, but the mystery was never Moonlighting's selling point--it was the sparring, the swearing, the sparks that Willis and Shepherd created together. Watching these two at their best (before the series slid downhill when they finally slept together), you'll realize that neither has ever been paired with a better costar; they bring out something in each other that's undiluted antagonism mixed with irresistible attraction. Discounting some of Shepherd's fashion choices and hairstyles, and Willis's, well, hair (he had some), this is timeless farce and screwball comedy in the tradition of His Girl Friday, snappily penned by Glenn Gordon Carron. Also featuring Allyce Beasley as rhyming secretary Agnes DiPesto, the only supporting character in the series who could intrude upon the Shepherd-Willis repartee without upsetting their rhythm. --Mark Englehart ... Read more Reviews (28) 
Looks great! , Could sound better
Well, a bruce willis classic has been released on DVD. The whole Pilot has been remastered but I was disepointed that the sound was in MONO. Other than that, you can also choose the see some very rare Bruce Willis Sreentests which he has a lot of hair on! and also a screentest with another guy who odetioned for the role of "David Addison" who I've never seen in my life! and Plus , it was great to hear Bruce Willis and Glen Caron's thoughts about the pilot and the series in the audio commentary. Defenatly for a Bruce Willis Or a "Moonlighting" fan to add to their collection!
Jump starting the double entendre
Fifteen years after I wanted to be David Addison and realized I could only watch David Addison, they release the Pilot on DVD. I want to be David again but my wife won't let me! Seriously- the highlight of the DVD, which is not one of my favorite episodes (Atomic Shakespeare) is the audio commentary with Glenn Caron and Bruce Willis. They share fond memories of working on Moonlighting, and remind us how, culturally speaking, huge the show was. They also comment on other episodes, guest stars, and make a list of THEIR favorite episodes. And Bruce tells nice stories about the fourth season! The only problem is the audio commentary disappears for a long time during the last twenty minutes. I wanna know how they filmed all that stuff on the clock!
Should Have Complete Season Box Set DVDs.
Moonlighting is a good show, a local TV station used to show reruns but unfornutately stopped showing them so I was glad to find out you could buy episodes on video tape and I think they even have this pilot episode on DVD but I really think they should put out box set complete season DVDs, that would be super cool! Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd are great and I also like Alyse Beasley who plays secretary Miss Dipesto (SP?) and the guy who played Booger in the Revenge of the Nerd movies.
Hell on High Heels
The chemistry between "Maddie" and "David" is classic, like Tracy and Hepburn. My teenagers and I used to tape every episode, they were so witty. Please, put the whole series on DVD. It's an instant seller of a classic madcap comedy.
A New England viewer
Pilot Episode
At about an hour and a half in length, this is the pilot episode, the one that set the standard for the show. It is fast paced, witty, charming, and romantic. All the best qualities that the show retained until near the end of it's run. If you ever enjoyed Moonlighting, you'll love this.
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