Remember when Cannell had the bucks to give us top quality action shows? Riptide was my favorite. If I'm not mistaking, I think he did Magnum and A-Team as well. In the 90s, for whatever reason, the shows became cheesier and lower in quality. I'm thinking of Renegade, in particular. Does anyone have any memories about those great action shows of the 80s?

My favorite was the "A-Team"! I never missed that show, I was glued in front of the tv every week! I just liked the hilarious exchange between Murdock and B.A.! :lol: Great show! :thumb:

I agree with ya, most of the television shows of today are produced cheaper and you rarely see anything as action packed as what the 80's had to offer. It's a shame that's gone!

If I'm not mistaken, I also think he produced the cop drama, "Hunter", which was a personal fave of mine, as I really liked Stephanie Kramer! Loved the relationship between Dee Dee McCall and Hunter!!! :)

Thanks, guys. You're both right. The A Team was great, as was Hunter. It's sad that they don't make 'em like that anymore. Look at what the 90s produced. The only shows with any longevity have been Friends and The Real World. If the 80s were the me decade, or whatever they call it, then the 90s must be the crap decade.

Was Wiseguy one of his? I loved that one. I think it was late 80's.

Originally posted by ImSoooSure
Was Wiseguy one of his? I loved that one. I think it was late 80's.

I believe it was. :thumb:

I want to say "The Fall Guy" was one of them. I always liked that show and the theme song. It always made me want to sing along with it.

Isn't he the guy you would see, after all his shows, on the typewriter?

I think he did Greatest American Hero and 21 Jumpstreet, too!:confused: Both great shows.

I also liked the A Team. Watch it every week with my lil' bro's. *aah..memories*

Originally posted by fiya kraka
Isn't he the guy you would see, after all his shows, on the typewriter?

I think he did Greatest American Hero and 21 Jumpstreet, too!:confused: Both great shows.

I also liked the A Team. Watch it every week with my lil' bro's. *aah..memories*

He's the guy. He did Greatest American Hero, and I don't know if he did Jump Street or not.

Originally posted by Iluvthe80s
I want to say "The Fall Guy" was one of them. I always liked that show and the theme song. It always made me want to sing along with it.

That was another good one. Did it have Heather Thomas or Heather Locklear on it? Oh, silly me. They're the same person.

Originally posted by Benjamin Calypso


That was another good one. Did it have Heather Thomas or Heather Locklear on it? Oh, silly me. They're the same person.


Heather Thomas was in The Fall Guy while Heather Locklear was pulling double duty on TJ Hooker and Dynasty. They were both hotties but I've always been partial to Heather Locklear...

Originally posted by 80sTrivia



Heather Thomas was in The Fall Guy while Heather Locklear was pulling double duty on TJ Hooker and Dynasty. They were both hotties but I've always been partial to Heather Locklear...

Didn't Cannell do TJ Hooker as well?

Originally posted by Benjamin Calypso


Didn't Cannell do TJ Hooker as well?


Come to think of it, I believe he did! :)

I looked him up over at the IMDb. (Little too much time on my hands? :D ) He's done a ton of stuff.

"Booker" (1989) TV Series (executive producer)

"Unsub" (1989) TV Series (producer)

"Sonny Spoon" (1988) TV Series (producer)

"Wiseguy" (1987) TV Series (producer)

"21 Jump Street" (1987) TV Series (executive producer)

"Stingray" (1986) TV Series (producer)

Hunter (1984) (TV) (executive producer)

"Hardcastle and McCormick" (1983) TV Series (producer)

"A-Team, The" (1983) TV Series (executive producer)

"Quest, The" (1982) TV Series (executive producer)

"Greatest American Hero, The" (1981) TV Series (producer)

"Stone" (1980) TV Series (executive producer)

"Tenspeed and Brown Shoe" (1980) TV Series (executive producer)

"Duke, The" (1979) TV Series (executive producer)

"Baa Baa Black Sheep" (1976) TV Series (producer)

"Rockford Files, The" (1974) TV Series (producer: 1974-1975)

Originally posted by Valley Dude
I looked him up over at the IMDb. (Little too much time on my hands? :D ) He's done a ton of stuff.

"Booker" (1989) TV Series (executive producer)

"Unsub" (1989) TV Series (producer)

"Sonny Spoon" (1988) TV Series (producer)

"Wiseguy" (1987) TV Series (producer)

"21 Jump Street" (1987) TV Series (executive producer)

"Stingray" (1986) TV Series (producer)

Hunter (1984) (TV) (executive producer)

"Hardcastle and McCormick" (1983) TV Series (producer)

"A-Team, The" (1983) TV Series (executive producer)

"Quest, The" (1982) TV Series (executive producer)

"Greatest American Hero, The" (1981) TV Series (producer)

"Stone" (1980) TV Series (executive producer)

"Tenspeed and Brown Shoe" (1980) TV Series (executive producer)

"Duke, The" (1979) TV Series (executive producer)

"Baa Baa Black Sheep" (1976) TV Series (producer)

"Rockford Files, The" (1974) TV Series (producer: 1974-1975)

You rock, dude!!!!

Wow, Valley Dude, thanks for doing the research for us! I remember almost all of those shows listed, my faves being Hunter and 21 Jump Street. :)

Hey I love Steve Cannell made shows!! :)

Check out his website:

http://www.cannell.com

His favorite shows are listed there too:

The A-Team
The Greatest American Hero
21 Jump Street
Renegade

Honestly I don't know why the man likes Renegade, I always thought that show was one of his weaker attempts. He probably likes it because he starred in it as Dutch Dixon, the guy hunting Reno Raines. Renegade always seemed like a bad A-Team clone to me anyway. Reno Raines was running from the law for a crime he didn't commit, yadda yadda yadda....

The Greatest American Hero was fianced completely out of Cannell's own pocket. Many of the SFX were very impressive by TV standards too, like the alien spaceship and the 3rd season flying SFX. Yes the man did produce some lavishly made TV shows in the '80s.

The A-Team was a pyromaniacs fun house. There were more car stunts and explosions in one episode then most movies up till that time. Cannell pulled out all the stops for his shows, and it was shame that TV shows, whether made by him or not, seemed to get cheaper in the '90s.

Originally posted by Benjamin Calypso


Didn't Cannell do TJ Hooker as well?

Actually no he didn't do T.J. Hooker. Stephen J. Cannell's specialty are cop like shows, but you can spot his shows very easily. Cannell's shows are laced with high action mixed with a lot of humour, i.e. A-Team, The Greatest American Hero, and 21 Jumpstreet.

His characters always have a running theme of never being able to please anyone or do things adequately, i.e. The A-Team being framed for a war crime they didn't commit, Ralph Hinkely losing the instruction book to the suit and not knowing what the aliens wanted him to do, and Reno Raines also running from the law for a crime he didn't commit. And all his characters do their good deeds icognito, they never recieve credit for the work they do. Hannibal Smith and the A-Team always had to drive away after each village or town they helped, since they were being chased by the military. The A-Team were undeground heroes. Ralph Hinkley lacked a public super hero persona, he always had to fly away after his good deeds so no one found out about him and the red suit. The cops of 21 Jumpstreet went undercover as students, again incognito, not as their true selves and they never recieve the credit for the good deeds they do. It's always been Cannell's running theme of the invisible "auteuer". Since he himself feels that writers never get the credit for the TV shows or movies that are made.

I think I didn't like Renegade because it lacked the humour that was so prevelant in all the other Cannell endevours. When you try to do such an outrageous concept seriously, it doesn't come off very well.

Originally posted by Vincent


Actually no he didn't do T.J. Hooker. Stephen J. Cannell's specialty are cop like shows, but you can spot his shows very easily. Cannell's shows are laced with high action mixed with a lot of humour, i.e. A-Team, The Greatest American Hero, and 21 Jumpstreet.

His characters always have a running theme of never being able to please anyone or do things adequately, i.e. The A-Team being framed for a war crime they didn't commit, Ralph Hinkely losing the instruction book to the suit and not knowing what the aliens wanted him to do, and Reno Raines also running from the law for a crime he didn't commit. And all his characters do their good deeds icognito, they never recieve credit for the work they do. Hannibal Smith and the A-Team always had to drive away after each village or town they helped, since they were being chased by the military. The A-Team were undeground heroes. Ralph Hinkley lacked a public super hero persona, he always had to fly away after his good deeds so no one found out about him and the red suit. The cops of 21 Jumpstreet went undercover as students, again incognito, not as their true selves and they never recieve the credit for the good deeds they do. It's always been Cannell's running theme of the invisible "auteuer". Since he himself feels that writers never get the credit for the TV shows or movies that are made.

I think I didn't like Renegade because it lacked the humour that was so prevelant in all the other Cannell endevours. When you try to do such an outrageous concept seriously, it doesn't come off very well.

Renegade LOOKS like a 90s version of an 80s Cannell show to me. The 90s were darker, more serious, more pretentious and had a general disdain for anything that was over the top. Also, why did he choose himself to play Dutch? He's a better producer than actor!!!!

Originally posted by Benjamin Calypso


Renegade LOOKS like a 90s version of an 80s Cannell show to me. The 90s were darker, more serious, more pretentious and had a general disdain for anything that was over the top. Also, why did he choose himself to play Dutch? He's a better producer than actor!!!!

I fully agree. Renegade did seem like a darker, '90s version of many of his '80s shows. When you play a concept like that soooooo seriously, you just want to laugh. Not laugh with it like the other shows, but laugh at it. I didn't like him as Ducth Dixon either, he overacted and hammed it up too much. He's a much better writer then he is an actor. Come to think of it, all his shows in the '90s got darker. But this guy, along with Glen A. Larson and Donald Bellasirio were very much responsible for most of the big hits of the '80s.

Originally posted by Vincent


I fully agree. Renegade did seem like a darker, '90s version of many of his '80s shows. When you play a concept like that soooooo seriously, you just want to laugh. Not laugh with it like the other shows, but laugh at it. I didn't like him as Ducth Dixon either, he overacted and hammed it up too much. He's a much better writer then he is an actor. Come to think of it, all his shows in the '90s got darker. But this guy, along with Glen A. Larson and Donald Bellasirio were very much responsible for most of the big hits of the '80s.

Renegade was laughable in spots, I'm just not sure it intended to be. :thumb:

I loved his shows back then. 21 Jump Street, Hardcastle & McCormick, cool stuff man!! :D

I really liked HUNTER, the GREATEST AMERICAN HERO and ROCKFORD FILES. I never watched 21 jump street when it was on prime time but when it came on as reruns, I started watching it and it was pretty good.

Hi! Count me in as a fan of "Hunter"! IMHO, his best.