Vintage 'Vice' Is Nice for NBC

Zap2It.com | July 6, 2006

Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell in 'Miami Vice'

Network will air series pilot to hype movie

To help tout its corporate sibling's upcoming film "Miami Vice," NBC will turn to ... "Miami Vice."

The network is planning to air the two-hour "Miami Vice" pilot on Saturday, July 22, interspersing it with behind-the-scenes material from the film, which hits theaters the following week. Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, who star in the film, will host the event.

"Miami Vice" premiered on NBC in September 1984, introducing the world to detectives Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson) and Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) -- not to mention a groundbreaking way of presenting a TV series. Derisively dubbed "MTV cops" at first, the show nonetheless became a huge hit with its bright, slick visuals, innovative use of music and distinctive style.

It was also, once you got past the pastel hues and Crockett's pet alligator, often a pretty dark, violent show. The movie version, written and directed by series executive producer Michael Mann, appears to keep that tone while also going for a darker visual palette than its predecessor.

The movie, scheduled to hit theaters on Friday, July 28, is produced by Universal Pictures, which falls under the same corporate umbrella as NBC. There won't be any rights issues with the series pilot either, as the show was made by what was then called Universal Television.