You're Not A Pierce Brosnan Fan If You Haven't Seen His '80s Detective Show

Pierce Brosnan's career can be broken down into three acts: 1) When will he play James Bond?, 2) He is James Bond, and 3) He's free of James Bond. The third act has by far been the most satisfying as a moviegoer. I've loved his work in films like "The Matador," "The Ghost Writer," the "Mamma Mia!" movies, "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga," and, most recently, "Black Bag." Though Brosnan kicked off his career as Tennessee Williams' hand-picked star of the play "The Red Devil Battery Sign," he's never taken himself too seriously as an actor. He's got a bit of Cary Grant's ladykilling self-assurance, as well as his willingness to look utterly ridiculous. I don't know why he hasn't had more hits as a leading man, but he seems happy with how it's all played out.

Still, while I tend to prefer his post-Bond work, I have a great deal of nostalgia for the 1980s television series that served as his mainstream breakthrough. Created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason, "Remington Steele" was a slick, sexy, and quite funny show that starred Stephanie Zimbalist as Laura Holt, the owner of a struggling private detective agency. When Laura realizes people are reluctant to hire a female P.I., she creates a male boss, Remington Steele, to boost business. Initially, though, there is no Remington Steele. She simply tells clients that he's busy with a hefty caseload, but not to worry because she's operating under his orders. Then Brosnan, a skilled thief and con man, shows up, and suddenly Laura has a real-life partner. Of sorts.

"Remington Steele" was a hit with critics and audiences at first. Brosnan and Zimbalist had spectacular chemistry, and the show settled into a mystery-of-the-week groove. Then the Bond chatter started...

Like just about every hour-long drama at the time, "Remington Steele" bounced from one isolated episode to another. There was constant will-they-or-won't-they sexual tension between Steele and Laura, and like many shows of this era, the series let the question hang in the air for too long. Fortunately, the banter remained snappy, and while there were rumors of on-set animus between Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist (which both actors eventually acknowledged was true, if overstated), this energy was never evident on the screen.

The show began sinking in the ratings after its third season, which led to NBC canceling it before the end of its fourth season. However, it was during this season, in 1986, that Brosnan was cast as James Bond, which had felt like an inevitability after 58-year-old Roger Moore labored through 1985's "A View to a Kill." But what should've been the final nail in the coffin for "Remington Steele" wound up resurrecting it. The ratings improved after Brosnan's 007 hire, which prompted NBC to exercise an option for a fifth season of feature length episodes. Now that viewers knew Brosnan was out as Bond, the ratings plunged.

NBC definitely did Brosnan dirty, but don't let that sour you on "Remington Steele." The first three seasons are zippy sleuthing fun, and you can hop around because there's no real overarching narrative. Young Brosnan was a joy to watch, and you can see for yourself if you've got a Fubo or Philo subscription.