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(More customer reviews)Silk Stalkings was yet another show from the fertive mind and studio of Stephen J. Cannell, and was one of (if not the) longest running of his hour long shows. Silk Stalkings originally debuted on CBS as part of the late Friday night Crime Time After Primetime slot but that was soon cancelled and it became a cable only show airing on USA Network as they had entered into a co-production deal with CBS originally.
The show lasted eight years in all and, as so many shows do, ended on a never resolved cliffhanger. But that's a long way into the future and with the ex-husband and wife team of Tom and Cassie. This first season is pure gold as we are introduced to Rita Lee Lance and Chris Lorenzo of the Palm Beach Police Department's Homicide division.
In the first few episodes Rita is a much harder character than she is for most of the rest of her run. It seems that she has an inoperable brain tumour that makes her take risks no normal cop would take. This little character trait is swiftly forgotten and never ever mentioned again. Chris and Rita have the usual male/female cop partner dynamic for the first couple of years and are Best friends in every sense of the word with no hint of sexual tension or any underlying romance. Initially they had the usual one night stands but this would later be replaced by long term relationships later on.
Calling one another Sam most of the time (and not a reference to Sam Spade but rather Slammin' Sammy Sneed, who they both considered the greatest ever golf player. The first few episodes also used golfing references in voice overs by Rita but that was also dropped although the "Sam" nickname remained throughout their time in the show.
As all good things must, eventually both Rob Estes (Chris) and Mitzi Kapture wanted to move on to pastures new and so halfway through the fourth season and after finally giving into viewers obvious wish, they became romantically involved and married. Almost instantlly Chris is killed and Rita, pregnant with Chris child, leaves Palm Beach for good. In the run up to this two new characters are slowly introduced as replacements, Michael and Holly, and dubbed "The Tupperware Twins" by fans of the show that know there is no replacing Chris and Rita, fill out the rest of season five before being totally forgotten and never mentioned again when Tom and Cassie take over at the start of season six for the shows final three seasons.
Tom and Cassie are fine replacements but there really is only one Top Detective duo in Palm Beach and that is Chris Lorenzo and Rita Lance. A magic combination that make every episode shine. They truly were an amazing pair on screen and although Mitzi Kapture was originally going to stay with the show after Rob Estes departure, only did the characters justice as it really seems like a logical end to the saga of these two wonderful characters. Estes was sick of filming in San Diego when wife, Josie Bissett, was filming Melrose Place up in LA and then Kapture became pregnant. The storyline in season four built to the marriage of Chris and Rita and then Chris's untimely death and as heart wrenching and horrible as it always seems, no matter how many times you watch it, if Rita had stayed it would have almost driven home the fact that only one actor wanted to quit instead of this end of the road for these two great characters.
But this DVD boxed set is all about Season One and the introduction of two of Cannell's greatest characters and their crime solving amongst the wealthy and famous of Palm Beach. Taking their first teetering steps and jettisoning the elements that didn't work, this show is soon hitting a stride that doesn't let up over the four and a half years we are lucky to meet up with Chris and Rita.
I was hopeful of DVD boxed sets of other Cannell shows after Wiseguy debuted, but to say that I was both thrilled and delighted that Silk Stalkings would be the first of Cannell's shows to recieve the season by season boxed set treatment would be a major understatement. My two personal favorite Cannell shows are both this and 21 Jump Street (next for release) and to see both of them starting the long list of Cannell box sets (with Greatest American Hero promised for next year as another treat, and can I please put in my vote for the short lived but amazing show Profit) was a dream come true. I'd heard rumours of Jump Street and that seemed only natural with Johnny Depp's selling power (not to mention that Jump Street was a superb Cannell show with another cast of great characters) but Silk Stalkings as the first boxed set? I can only thank the powers that be at Anchor Bay Entertainment, for making this Cannell Fans dream come true. I am literally counting the days until the release of this DVD boxed set and although we've had a slew of excellent releases this year (both old and new)THIS is the boxed set of the year for me.
There seems to be no news on special features but I'm hopeful for at least one or two audio commentaries and some cast/crew interviews, particuarly Estes and Kapture.
This review probably sounds like a paid advertisement for this DVD but if you enjoy Cannell's mix of action, humour and great characters you owe it to yourself to pick up this first boxed set. I am paitently waiting for the day that I have all four and a half years worth of Chris and Rita episodes on DVD to enjoy forever as this is one of THE best shows out there (in my humble opion obviously) and will be one of the highlights of my DVD collection.
Thanks Anchor Bay. You've done right by me.
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SILK STALKINGS:SSN1 - DVD Movie
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