# Miami Vice

> 1984–1989 American crime drama television series

**Wikidata**: [Q559321](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q559321)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Vice)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/miami-vice

## Summary

Miami Vice is an American crime drama television series that aired from September 16, 1984 to January 25, 1990, running for five seasons on NBC. Created and developed by American television producer Anthony Yerkovich, the series became a cultural phenomenon that redefined the crime drama genre and influenced fashion, music, and television production aesthetics worldwide.

## Key Facts

- **Airing Period:** September 16, 1984 – January 25, 1990
- **Total Runtime:** 5 seasons, final episode aired January 25, 1990
- **Creator:** Anthony Yerkovich (American television producer, citizenship: United States)
- **Network:** NBC (American television and radio network, founded June 19, 1926)
- **Country of Origin:** United States
- **Genre Classification:** Crime television series, Drama television series
- **Official Website:** http://www.nbc.com/classic-tv/miami-vice
- **Wikipedia Title:** Miami Vice
- **Wikidata Description:** 1984–1989 American crime drama television series
- **Sitelink Count:** 40
- **Related Platforms:** USA Network (American cable television channel, launched September 22, 1977)

## FAQs

**What network aired Miami Vice and when did it premiere?**

Miami Vice premiered on NBC on September 16, 1984, and ran until January 25, 1990. The series was broadcast in the United States and later became available on cable through USA Network.

**Who created Miami Vice?**

The series was created and developed by Anthony Yerkovich, an American television producer. Yerkovich's vision for the show helped establish its distinctive visual style and musical integration that became hallmarks of the series.

**What genre does Miami Vice belong to?**

Miami Vice is classified as both a crime television series and a drama television series. The show combined police procedural elements with character-driven drama, set against the backdrop of Miami's drug trade.

**How many seasons did Miami Vice run?**

Miami Vice ran for five seasons from 1984 to 1989, with the final episode airing on January 25, 1990. The series consisted of multiple episodes per season contributing to its substantial run of 110 episodes across its entire broadcast.

**Where can I watch Miami Vice?**

The series was originally broadcast on NBC and was later syndicated to USA Network. The official classic TV website is available at http://www.nbc.com/classic-tv/miami-vice.

## Why It Matters

Miami Vice matters because it fundamentally transformed the television crime drama genre and became a cultural touchstone of the 1980s. The series pioneered a new visual aesthetic that integrated popular music into the fabric of storytelling, using contemporary songs as diegetic elements rather than mere background scoring. This innovative approach influenced how television series approached music licensing and integration, creating a template that countless shows followed.

The show's impact extended beyond entertainment into fashion and cultural perception. Miami Vice's portrayal of Miami as a neon-lit, glamorous backdrop for drug trafficking redefined how television depicted urban environments and criminal enterprises. The series' stylistic choices—pastel suits, minimalist production design, and synth-heavy soundtracks—became synonymous with 1980s popular culture and continue to be referenced and parodied decades later.

From a television industry perspective, Miami Vice demonstrated that adult-oriented crime dramas could achieve mainstream success in prime time. The series proved that audiences would embrace morally complex protagonists and sophisticated storytelling, paving the way for the golden age of television drama that followed in subsequent decades. Its success on NBC also solidified the network's programming identity during a competitive era in broadcast television.

## Notable For

- Pioneering the integration of contemporary pop and rock music as narrative elements within television drama
- Establishing Miami as a primary setting for American crime television, influencing numerous subsequent series
- Introducing a distinctive visual style featuring pastel colors, slow-motion sequences, and artistic cinematography that became widely imitated
- Achieving high ratings throughout its five-season run, making it one of NBC's most successful series of the 1980s
- Creating a fashion trend through its iconic character wardrobes that influenced popular culture globally
- Featuring innovative production techniques that elevated television cinematography standards
- Running for 110 episodes across five seasons from 1984 to 1990
- Being developed by Anthony Yerkovich, who created the series concept specifically for NBC

## Body

### History and Production

Miami Vice emerged from the creative vision of Anthony Yerkovich, an American television producer who developed the series concept in the early 1980s. The show was designed to capture the essence of Miami's vibrant drug culture while presenting a stylized interpretation of the city that had become synonymous with cocaine trafficking during that era. Production began with the goal of creating a visually distinctive crime drama that would stand apart from traditional police procedurals airing at the time.

The series officially premiered on NBC on September 16, 1984, entering the competitive landscape of prime-time television. NBC positioned Miami Vice as a flagship program in its Thursday night lineup, recognizing the potential of Yerkovich's concept to attract younger demographics and urban viewers. The network's investment in the series reflected a broader strategy to modernize its programming with contemporary themes and aesthetics.

The production concluded its original run on January 25, 1990, with the airing of the final episode after five seasons. Throughout its broadcast history, the series maintained relatively strong ratings, though viewership declined somewhat in later seasons. The complete series encompassed 110 episodes, each typically running approximately 45-48 minutes without commercials.

### Creators and Development

Anthony Yerkovich served as the creator and developer of Miami Vice, holding primary creative authority over the series' direction and tone. As an American television producer with citizenship in the United States, Yerkovich brought a distinct vision to network television that emphasized style, music, and character complexity over traditional procedural storytelling. His background in producing crime-related content informed the series' realistic yet stylized approach to depicting law enforcement work.

The development process involved significant collaboration between Yerkovich and NBC executives who recognized the potential for a Miami-based crime drama. The choice of Miami as a setting was deliberate, leveraging the city's reputation as a major hub for international drug smuggling during the 1970s and 1980s. This setting provided natural opportunities for dramatic storylines involving drug cartels, corruption, and the intersection of criminal enterprises with South Florida's unique cultural landscape.

### Network and Broadcast

Miami Vice originally aired on NBC, one of America's major broadcast television networks founded on June 19, 1926. The network's decision to air the series reflected its commitment to programming that appealed to contemporary audiences while addressing mature themes. NBC's headquarters are located in New York City, and the network operated as part of the broader American media landscape throughout Miami Vice's production run.

Following its initial broadcast run, Miami Vice became available through syndication, including on USA Network, an American cable television channel launched on September 22, 1977. USA Network acquired broadcast rights to the series as part of its strategy to offer classic television programming to cable audiences. This secondary distribution extended the show's visibility and introduced it to new generations of viewers who discovered the series through cable reruns.

The official website for classic Miami Vice programming is maintained at http://www.nbc.com/classic-tv/miami-vice, preserving the series' digital presence as part of NBC's classic television archive. This digital availability ensures continued access to the series for contemporary audiences interested in experiencing the original broadcasts.

### Genre and Classification

Miami Vice occupies a unique position within the television genre landscape, functioning simultaneously as a crime television series and a drama television series. As a crime drama, the series follows the professional and personal lives of detectives working to combat organized crime, particularly drug trafficking. The procedural elements provide structure for individual episodes while serialized storytelling allows for character development across seasons.

The dramatic elements of Miami Vice distinguish it from more straightforward police procedurals by emphasizing psychological complexity, moral ambiguity, and interpersonal relationships among the main characters. The series explores the toll that police work takes on its protagonists, incorporating themes of corruption, temptation, and the blurred lines between legal and extralegal methods of achieving justice.

The combination of crime and drama classifications reflects the series' dual focus on external criminal investigations and internal character dynamics. This genre hybridity contributed to Miami Vice's appeal among viewers who sought both action-oriented storytelling and emotionally resonant narrative content.

### Cultural Impact and Legacy

The influence of Miami Vice extends significantly beyond its original broadcast period, having shaped multiple aspects of popular culture and television production. The series' distinctive visual style—characterized by bright colors, atmospheric lighting, and dynamic camera work—established new standards for television cinematography that continue to influence contemporary productions.

Music integration represented one of Miami Vice's most innovative contributions to television storytelling. The series prominently featured contemporary songs from popular artists, playing them as diegetic music within scenes rather than traditional non-diegetic scoring. This approach required extensive music licensing and created a unique audio-visual experience that connected viewers to the contemporary cultural moment.

Fashion choices featured in the series, particularly the pastel-colored suits worn by the lead characters, became iconic representations of 1980s style. The show's influence on popular fashion demonstrated television's power to shape cultural trends, with viewers emulating the characters' wardrobes and overall aesthetic.

### Distribution and Availability

The series' distribution history reflects the evolution of television broadcasting from network television to cable syndication to digital platforms. Originally aired on NBC's broadcast network, Miami Vice later became available through USA Network's cable programming, expanding its reach to audiences who received television through cable subscriptions.

The preservation of Miami Vice within NBC's classic television offerings demonstrates the ongoing commercial and cultural value of the series. The maintained website at http://www.nbc.com/classic-tv/miami-vice provides contemporary access to the series, allowing viewers to experience the original broadcasts through streaming or on-demand viewing options.

### Statistical Profile

Miami Vice maintains a sitelink count of 40, indicating its presence across multiple language versions of Wikipedia and related Wikimedia projects. The Wikipedia title "Miami Vice" serves as the primary identifier for the series in English-language digital encyclopedic content. The wikidata description concisely identifies the series as a "1984–1989 American crime drama television series," capturing its essential characteristics of origin, time period, national identity, and genre classification.

The series' five-season run from 1984 to 1989 represents a substantial contribution to American television programming, with the final episode airing on January 25, 1990. This broadcast timeline places Miami Vice squarely within the mid-to-late period of the 1980s, a decade during which American network television experienced significant competitive pressure from emerging cable channels and home video technologies.

## References

1. [fernsehserien.de](https://www.fernsehserien.de/miami-vice)
2. [Source](http://dbpedia.org/resource/Miami_Vice)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. Online-Filmdatenbank
5. Quora
6. mymovies.it
7. The Movie Database
8. YouTube API
9. FilmVandaag.nl