Private Investigators on TV - Remington Steele
Remington Steele, unlike other private investigators, actually
didn't exist at the outset of the TV series. Let me explain. The
star of the program was Laura Holt played by Stephanie
Zimbalist. Laura had studied to become a private investigator,
did an apprenticeship then started her own PI business.
Unfortunately she had no clients whatever and concluded that
this was because no-one believed that a female private eye could
cut it.
Enter Remington Steele. Laura invented him and made him her
boss. All of a sudden, the agency had more cases than they knew
what to do with. If that seems a rather odd way to carry on,
there's a further twist.
A man turns up claiming to be Remington Steele. Of course he
isn't but he won't reveal his own identity and he won't leave.
Laura rather likes him, however, and he's very charming and,
played by Pierce Brosnan, very good looking.
Steele joined the agency, which consists of Laura, Murphy
Michaels (another investigator played by James Read) and their
secretary, Bernice (Janet DeMay). He took the credit for being
the "boss" while Laura did most of the work. She also attempted
to find out who he really was but it appeared that although he
didn't have a name, he did have a past which was revealed piece
by piece. Inevitably there was an attraction between Steele and
Laura which culminated in their marriage at what should have
been the end of the last season.
In the meantime, an IRS agent, Mildred Krebs (Doris Roberts),
who has been trying to prosecute Steele for non-payment of
income tax, joins the agency and more of Steele's past surfaces.
Previous girlfriends in trouble pop up from time to time
together with rumours of Steele's criminal activities.
The wedding should have been the end of the line but NBC decided
that they were on to a good thing and insisted on one last
season, comprising a couple of feature length programmes and a
two part climax in which a deep secret from Steele's past
surfaces, together with the inheritance of an Irish castle.
This was a fun series with enough of a taste of mystery and
romance to make it popular, although the final "series" wasn't
up to the standard of the rest.