The one hundred and sixty-first TV show: #364 Moonlighting

At some point, Moonlighting failed to pay off the hype. There's an interesting feeling to the show, one that does what it wants with some fun meta-jokes and fourth wall breaking, including them walking off set at one point to do a chase through the studio. It's cheeky and fun, and when it goes for those it's a lot of fun. The problem is the other half, where David (Bruce Willis) and Maddie (Cybil Shepherd) are in a will they, won't they relationship that just isn't as gripping as the creators think it is. It's not too believable, it's drawn out way too much and it works best when we aren't actually worrying about this love plot - frequently bickering friends is far better than a love story.

And having seen the episode where it comes together and they sleep together for the first time - a supposed highlight - shows how toxic the writing around this is. It was a frustrating episode that we didn't like, and missing the genius that the show can be when it wants to be its own madcap self. There's a lot of potential here in Moonlighting, which occasionally pays off, but in the end it's not what I'd want it to be.