MIAMI — With its pastel suits, fast cars and a soundtrack that made TV history, “Miami Vice” was the show that helped define a decade.
It’s hard to forget that iconic drive from the pilot episode, underscored by Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.”
“Miami Vice” wasn’t just another cop show. It redefined the genre, blending high-octane action with cinematic visuals, while also helping to revitalize Miami Beach as it showcased its Art Deco glamour.
Each episode of the series, which debuted in 1984, was a love letter to the city, wrapped in the excess of the 1980s.
Now, 41 years later, members of the cast and crew are reuniting for an annual celebration (MV 41), drawing fans from across the country.
Among those returning is Edward James Olmos, who won an Emmy for his portrayal of stoic lieutenant Marty Castillo.
Olmos said neither he nor his co-stars could have predicted the global phenomenon “Miami Vice” would become.
“I don’t think anybody really could,” he said. “It swept the world. It was the most viewed television program of its time.”
No reunion would be complete without a little horsepower. Olmos even slipped behind the wheel of one of the show’s signature Ferraris and was “right away, transported back to those neon-lit Miami nights,” he said.
For “Miami Vice” superfans like Brian Hauser, the nearly weeklong celebration is more than just nostalgia — it’s a chance to connect with a show that shaped his youth.
“It was very instrumental in my coming of age,” Hauser said. “I don’t think it’s been re-created since, and it still resonates to this day.”
More than four decades on, “Miami Vice” remains a love letter to a city and an era that continues to captivate.
As Olmos put it simply, sliding into the driver’s seat once again: “Beautiful.”
