Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Legendary snarky detective comedy still fun, has innuendo.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Moonlighting
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Moonlighting centers around the Blue Moon detective agency, run by the wealthy entrepreneur and former model Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd). As Maddie becomes more active in running the company, she must navigate her relationship with her rascally lead detective (Bruce Willis), who somehow manages to draw her into all of his investigations.
Is It Any Good?
The series that brought Cybill Shepherd to TV and Bruce Willis to instant stardom has long seemed like more of a legend than an actual TV show. Moonlighting might be the messiest series that's widely considered an all-time classic. It had grandiose behind-the-scenes problems: constantly over budget, behind schedule, and with two big-name stars that absolutely loathed one another.
Watching the series almost four decades later, the thing that really jumps out is the tone of the show. Moonlighting uses case-of-the-week crime drama as a backdrop for a comedic sensibility straight out of The Muppet Show. Though the series was wildly popular when it aired, slapstick comedy has never been a particularly "cool" genre, and contemporary viewers might find it a little bit corny -- at least until the charm has a chance to set in. Those who give it a fair shot will discover a kinetic, genre-bending, relentlessly meta series that is desperate to entertain in the best possible way. It's often a mess, but there hasn't been anything like it on television for the past 35 years.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about detective shows. How does Moonlighting resemble typical detective dramas? How does it differ? How does it use the expectation of typical mystery series to make its audience laugh?
How does the relationship between Maddie Hayes and David Addison evolve over the course of the series? What sticks out about the way they relate to one another? What can their relationship tell us about the 1980s, when the series initially aired?
What are some other elements of the series that would have been unique to the 1980s? Does anything feel dated to you?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 3, 1985
- Cast : Bruce Willis , Cybill Shepherd
- Network : Hulu
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 10, 2023
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