As part of my return to the shows of my youth and teenage years, I'm going through the entirety of the iconic Miami Vice.
It's an interesting contrast to Magnum p.i. There are a number of obvious similarities.
Both take place in a gorgeous tropical setting, both of the lead characters are Vietnam veterans who drive expensive sports cars and the plots revolve around weekly guest stars. In Magnum, they were clients and sometimes villains; in Miami Vice, they're usually criminals.
Of course one was a detective show, the other a cop drama, so the conventions are similar but also different. Magnum's goal is to solve the case, not get the bust.
Chronologically the shows overlapped each other for a couple of years, and by that time, Magnum had evolved quite a bit. These were the final seasons, which shook off the show's lethargy and moved forward with multi-episode plots and also a sense of purpose.
Like Magnum, Vice came out of the gate strong, and at this point in its shorter run, things are still moving briskly. We're getting recurring minor characters and villains. The first season experimented with some low comedy involving secondary characters, but that did not happen during the subsequent season. The focus is squarely on Crockett and Tubbs, and when supporting characters get time, it's done is a more serious way.
I will say that the most striking difference is in the soundtrack. Magnum's soundtrack is great, but it is largely a reprise of the main title or some character-specific leitmotifs.
Miami Vice uses contemporary music, so much so that it times it feels like an extended music video. The latter show was never the smash ratings success that Magnum achieved, partly because it aired on Friday night, which has smaller audiences. In fact, I rarely saw it for that reason – as a high school student, there were football games and parties and such.
Still, there's no question that Miami Vice impacted the culture, and watching it is an immersive experience – everything is contemporary, right down to political jokes and issues of the day. The Drug War was spiraling out of control with street violence reaching its peak in 1990 before beginning a long, gradual decline. The Cold War was also nearing its culmination, leading to a toxic mix of politics and money.
The show captures this moment brilliantly. I'm going to be sad when I've finished.
Chateau Lloyd 
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