Today, people remember "Remington Steele" more as Pierce Brosnan's break-out role and that it cost him his first shot at the role of 007. But it's more than that (not much more, however). It's a light-hearted romantic comedy/mystery that stood out in the 1980s field of tough guy, shoot 'em up action shows.

On the one hand, "Remington Steele" is pure 1980s TV fluff. Like so many other shows, the acting is hammy, the scripts are predictable and nothing about the episodes stays with you long. But on the other hand, hidden within this are two great performances, strong chemistry and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor that occasionally elevates the material.

What set "Steele" apart from the pack? It's the stars - Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist. Sure, they were gorgeous people on dangerous assignments in exotic locales, but they were damn fun to watch, particularly in their flirtatious banter and frustrated arguments. The show itself was sometimes a bit smarter than the competition as well. For one thing, a woman was the star (not just eye candy) and actually more capable than her male counterpart. Secondly, the stories were (at first) a bit more farcical and light hearted. The notion of making Brosnan's character a film buff also allowed for a lot of allusions to classic films and actors. As the show went on, the action was amped up a little more and Brosnan's Mr. Steele became more of a man of action. But at first, he was essentially a dandy who needed Stephanie Zimbalist to bail him out at the sign of trouble.

If you're a fan of mysteries, or if you want to see how Pierce Brosnan showed the world he could be James Bond, "Remington Steele" is worth a spin on your rental queue. It's great viewing - it's light, entertaining and when it's over there's nothing left hanging.

When i first saw it on dvd i said wow. Its just smart and funny. Remington Steele is one of those characters u just gotta love. The story is simple. Laura Holt is a private eye who gets no case cause she is female. So Laura Holt makes Mr. Steele up for her job. Now she gets cases all the time. Then a con man shows up trying to steal some diamonds. He doesnt and decides to take over Steeles idenity since he dont exist. So he goes straight and no longer a con man. She goes along with it cause it makes thing easy for her. Since in pilot someone wanted to meet Steele though he didnt exist. So he helped her out by becoming steele. I like the plots and the actors. Murphy & Fox were good characters but are only on season one. When season two starts, it just gets even better. With Mildred Krebs a new character. She works well as she gives more respect to Steele than Holt. In the end just a great mystery show.

Laura Holt has always dreamed of playing detective and enjoys solving mysteries. However, because she is a woman, nobody seems to trust her in solving the cases. So she invents a fictitious boss “Remington Steele” who is always unavailable because he’s busy or not in the country, but in fact, she is the one solving the cases. Her ruse seemed to be working fine until one day she is busted by a mystifying man who assumes the identity of Remington Steele. Mildred Krebs is the secretary of their agency by is more of a motherly figure that watches over both. While working together, Laura and “Mr Steele” start to develop a certain attraction towards each other.

As a child i would watch this show everytime it came on. I'd get the remote switch it to 61 and watch Remington Steele right after Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I remember sitting just a few inches away from my television set and wishing i was in the show. i loved it when they went under cover. One of the epiodes that sticks out is that of when They went under cover as a married couple. The whole premise of the show is wonderful. That A frankly stupid good looking male takes all the credit for a womans work. The fact we know who really solved the case makes us above everyone else in the show. I'd love to see more and more of them and maybe just maybe some GOOD remakes.