Cops and revolvers

[Kiwi cop]

I have just started watching the old Miami Vice TV program on Prime Video from the beginning.
The first season aired in 1984, and the show bought back some memories, most of them things I had forgotten about the era.

The acting is a bit wooden and contrived at times, but at least it is not as bad as the 70's shows, and it does not have the comedic element that so many drama/action programs feel must be included today.

Big hair, heavy makeup, squared off cars and white clothes and shoes. But the biggest memory were the guns the cops carried. 4" barrelled .38 revolvers for uniformed cops and snubby's for the detectives.

Funny thing though, those old five and six shooters could still fire 7 or 8 rounds without reloading.

Thank goodness for Sony Crocket's Bren Ten.

 

[326MOD10]

Don't get used to the Bren Ten, it didn't hang around long on there.

This was where I developed my love of the humpback .38 special though.

I bought the DVD's several years ago. Thank goodness for the music that was being played on the show (new for the times) and the guest stars that would pop up. From Phil Collins, Don Henley, G. Gordon Liddy, etc... that made it all worthwhile. Otherwise I scratched my head and wonder what was I thinking in the 80's.

 

[soFlaNative]

Elvis the Alligator had more acting range than most of the cast but it was mostly fun watch.
I enjoyed the local scenery as much as anything else as the show was behind the curve as to the stupid stuff going on in the region.

 

[serger]

" There's trouble on the street tonight I can feel it in my bones. "

Yup one of my favorite shows back then.

 

[Retired W4]

Jan Hammer on the theme song is a monster on the key boards. Check him out with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Billy Cobham is my idol.

 

[14daMoney]

what do you think is/was the most realistic TV cop show....

I'm going with "Hills Street Blues" . . . . .

"Now, let's be careful out there ..... "

 

[demkofour]

I have just started watching the old Miami Vice TV program on Prime Video from the beginning.
The first season aired in 1984, and the show bought back some memories…

Thank goodness for Sony Crocket's Bren Ten.

Sonny started with a SigSauer P220 in .45 ACP.
Next up was the Bren Ten that was around for quite some time until it was replaced by a couple of different S&W .45s.
Not to mention his BUGs…

I started my career in 1982/3 armed with a 4” S&W Model 64 and 12 extra rounds in dump pouches! And my six shot Smith only had six shots!

 

[gwpercle]

Just watch a few episodes of ... " Dragnet" ...
Makes you appreciate Miami Vice !
Since I grew up watching Jack Webb and Dragnet ...
Miami Vice was a pleasure to watch !
Gary

 

[UncleEd]

what do you think is/was the most realistic TV cop show....

I'm going with "Hills Street Blues" . . . . .

"Now, let's be careful out there ..... "

I remember a lot of cops posting "Barney Miller" was their favorite.

 

[IAM Rand]

Tubbs' humpback always sounded like a hand cannon. Not sure I ever understood why they made him carry a small revolver when Crockett carried bigger guns. Was Crockett compensating for something? The other head scratcher was how Tubbs' very short shotgun could hit people at long distances and blow them backwards.

 

[biku324]

what do you think is/was the most realistic TV cop show....

I'm going with "Hills Street Blues" . . . . .

"Now, let's be careful out there ..... "

None. Even the 'real' videos ('Cops,' etc.) edit out thousands of hours of footage to get the 5 minutes that fits their template.

 

[UncleEd]

Tubbs' humpback always sounded like a hand cannon. Not sure I ever understood why they made him carry a small revolver when Crockett carried bigger guns. Was Crockett compensating for something? The other head scratcher was how Tubbs' very short shotgun could hit people at long distances and blow them backwards.

The actor who played Tubbs did not like guns so he was assigned a small recolver and really a small shotgun; it being movies his weapons packed a lot of dramatic punch. On the other hand Crockett, Don Johnson, was not averse to firearms and by "Nash Bridges" grew to like shooting and trained with real ammo. This according to firearms trainer/competitor Jim Zubiena who did the Mozambique "killing" in early episode. That "Miami" clip became a training item about cops mot letting themselves be distracted. Zubiena designed the .38 Super 1911 for Johnson in "Nash Bridges."

 

[WardenRoss]

I can't watch many cop shows.

The only exception is Bosch. Eerily accurate. Especially when at the precinct and staff interacting.

,

 

[BKLooney]

what do you think is/was the most realistic TV cop show....

I'm going with "Hills Street Blues" . . . . .

"Now, let's be careful out there ..... "

Reno 911??

 

[14daMoney]

I can't watch many cop shows.

The only exception is Bosch. Eerily accurate. Especially when at the precinct and staff interacting.

,

Haven't seen this, I'll have to check it out.....

There was a scene in Hills Street Blues of a nighttime burglary where the boys responded to an alarm and as one of the cops rounded the corner into the back alley one suspect came out the back door and saw the cop and let a round loose at him. The camera showed the muzzle blast up close and personal. When it did my wife said I came off the couch like a cat on a hot tin roof and made about 3 passes around the house. She said I about scared the crap out of her. I finally had to open up to her that just a couple weeks before that was almost me..... even to this day I occasionally get really spooked by sudden bright flashes of light. Ho-hum, all in a days work . . . .

 

[Rule3]

There were a lot of firearms on the show.

Miami Vice - Season 1 - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games

www.imfdb.org

Did you now that Glen Frey of the Eagles was on the show and they used several of their songs?

 

[Rudi]

A great old show! Had some good music woven in too.

 

[demkofour]

what do you think is/was the most realistic TV cop show....

I'm going with "Hills Street Blues" . . . . .

"Now, let's be careful out there ..... "

I’m going with Southland, Homicide- Life on the Street and Bosch, although I’m told The Wire was right on point…

 

[WCCPHD]

If you think they could squeeze a lot of rounds out of a 6 shot revolver without reloading, just watch a 1930's John Wayne movie. They carried 200 shooters.

 

[Jack Flash]

Michael Richards (later to play Kramer on Seinfeld) was a dastardly drug dealer in one episode.

When Micheal Mann was developing the series, it had the working title "MTV Cop". Popular music was always going to be an integral part of the show.