What’s 67 episodes long, introduced one of the best action movie stars and made the 80s twice as entertaining? The answer is Moonlighting. The classic show, which aired on ABC through the late 80s and early 90s, has been conspicuous by its absence from the best streaming services. But now it’s back, streaming on Hulu and it’s a brilliant blast of 80s nostalgia.
If you’re not already a fan, prepare to be. Moonlighting featured Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd as two apparently ill-matched detectives who, it soon becomes clear, are perfect for each other. It’s a genuinely funny show and its flights of fancy were hugely entertaining and often completely off the wall. Take the episode Atomic Shakespeare, for example, in which a kid has to do his English homework before he’s allowed to watch Moonlighting. Naturally the episode takes the show and turns it into an irreverent remake of The Taming of the Shrew.
The reason Moonlighting’s taken so long to reach streaming is simple: music. Not Bruce Willis’s pretty dreadful music, but good music. Moonlighting is absolutely packed with pop, and getting the necessary rights clearances to stream nearly 70 episodes worth of multiple music selections must have been an absolute nightmare.
And that’s not the only classic Hulu’s just added to its catalog.
L.A. Law is coming to Hulu – and it’s been given an upgrade
The classic 80s legal show L.A. Law is coming to Hulu too, and it’s been given a massive upgrade. All 172 episodes have been remastered in HD with a 16:9 aspect ratio – something I really wish they’d do with NYPD Blue, if anyone at Disney Plus is listening.
From November 3, you’ll be able to stream every episode in glorious HD, and the soundtrack – which, like Moonlighting, used tons of hit songs – is intact and has upgraded audio quality too. The show is also available on Prime Video but not in its newly remastered format.
L.A. Law was a fantastic show, with stars including Harry Hamlin, Jimmy Smits, Blair Underwood and Susan Day as part of a large ensemble cast. Written by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher – Bochco also wrote Hill Street Blues and the aforementioned NYPD Blue – it won tons of awards including five Emmies, four Golden Globes and many more.