Once upon a time ABC-TV's Moonlighting was among the most buzzed-about
shows in the country, thanks largely to the bravado of creator Glenn
Gordon Caron, who never met a television convention he didn't want to
break, and the sizzling on-screen chemistry between glamorous erstwhile
film star Cybill Shepherd and a New Jersey bartender nobody had ever
heard of before named Bruce Willis, who bickered and flirted ceaselessly
on screen and engaged in epic off-screen battles that all these years
later remain the stuff of Hollywood legend. This combustible blend of
creative brilliance produced some of the most acclaimed, audacious, and
innovative programming of the eighties, including a black and white
tribute to film noir, with an introduction by Orson Welles; a parody of
Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, written in iambic pentameter; an
homage to The Honeymooners; and countless metafictive episodes breaking
through the fourth wall -- almost unheard of at the time for hourlong
comedy-dramas. Without a doubt, Moonlighting helped pave the way for the
era of prestige television we are now all enjoying. The real story of
this pioneering television series and the extraordinary
behind-the-scenes challenges, battles, and rewards has never been told
-- until now, Author Scott Ryan (The Last Days of Letterman,
thirtysomething at thirty: an oral history, The Blue Rose, Scott Luck
Stories) conducted over twenty interviews with the actors, writers,
directors, and producers who made Moonlighting such a dynamic,
unforgettable show, delving deep into their thoughts and feelings as
they relive this magical moment in pop culture history in this full
color oral history. New Interviews with: Cybill Shepherd (Maddie Hayes),
Allyce Beasley (Ms. Dipesto), Curtis Armstrong (Herbert Viola), Glenn
Gordon Caron Creator, Executive Producer, Writer Jay Daniel Executive
Producer, Director Roger Director Writer, Producer, Season 4 Showrunner
Allan Arkush Director Bob Butler and more.
