As you likely noticed, I hired Erik Peabody to do the voiceover for this one, as I was traveling then caught bronchitis for a couple months, and this helped me get the video out this year! Please support my work: PATREON ► www.patreon.com/IndigoGaming | SUBSCRIBESTAR ► www.subscribestar.com/indigogaming Kit Ryder's original music is available on Bandcamp: kitryder.bandcamp.com/album/miami-vice-defining-a-decade-ost
@Indigo_Gaming it makes me realise how, for some reasons, the 1980s were and still are a ubiquitous period of cultural icons. Well probably still have 80s throwbacks by the 2080s
It speaks volumes that I never watched this show but it's elements are all recognizable, everyone that made current culture was heavily impacted by it.
Facts, I see it everywhere as an avid lover of the show and I’m 20. It’s crazy how few people younger than gen X know of it (everyone around in that time would remember it clearly)
As a huge fan of Miami Vice and someone who is working on their own documentary on the series for radio, you have just raised the bar astronomically. This isn't a RU-vid video, this is a work of Pop Art.
Very flattering! Best of luck on your documentary, there's lots of ground and angles to cover. As long as this video is, you can't cover five seasons and 40 years of influence in two hours.
@@Indigo_Gaming it's very difficult to do indeed! Being based in the UK and being on radio I'm looking at the UK impact and the sound of Vice and have been lucky enough to interview producers, writers, casting agents, stunt men and actors who all worked on the show so there's a lot to work with. Condensing that all down into 2 hours is insane so genuine hats off to you, especially with the visuals, this looks gorgeous!
@@Turbo_Waitress In the UK in the 80s there were few TV channels, the main ones being BBC 1 which was publicly funded and ITV which was commercial. ITV was THE channel for glossy American imports, Magnum PI, The A Team, Knight Rider. So when the BBC got the rights to screen Miami Vice it was quite something. They scheduled it Friday nights as in the US and it was a massive hit. Crockett's Theme went to number one (which is how I found the show years later going through my parents record collection when I started collecting vinyl) and people would copy the fashions in the UK as in the US though the weather wasn't agreeable to it so you were freezing and looked like a prune. There's some great BBC Vice related stuff on RU-vid including trailers for the series 1 and series 2 pilots plus a big discussion around censorship of episodes here.
@@Indigo_Gaming it's ironic because Don Johnson said it best, they weren't trying to be the next big thing or cutting edge, they were just being contemporary.
Inimitable! Not all of the fashion was tasteful (especially with the intentionally tacky drug dealers and limits), but some of the Armani and Versace stuff still looks great IMO. To say nothing of the incredible sports cars, neon nights and atmosphere. 🤌
I watched a react video of zoomers to When Harry Met Sally (1989) and was shocked by how much I miss the fashion and look of that era. I was born 1983 so I remember when people dressed like that unironically, it was trendy and COOL. The slender chick in the pants suit with a simple gold chain and big hair was HOT.
@@RobertMorganYeah, my mom was born in 1942 (a bit older than most other moms) but she was always up with the new fashions. I was born in 1977, so I thought the women you described also were hot🙂.
my parents, both of whom are from miami, would absolutely agree with you i've seen a lot of 80s movies & media because of my dad and i really do have to agree with him, miami vice is the *perfect* capture of the 80s from the more normal 'brown' cars and scenery to the flashier neon nightclubs and sports cars, nothing else just really shows off how life was the same way except for anecdotes, photos or home video
Finally, a documentary that recognizes the emotional and dramatic aspect of Miami Vice (the tv show of the 1980's). Yes, there's the fashion aspect, the pastel colors, but above all, this series has a very present, captivating, touching, felt aspect (almost every episode ends badly, or bitterly), showing that life isn't always rosy, it's realistic: 54:50
I'm happy to see more people who believe so! Most just remember the series for its superficial qualities (which are enjoyable for sure), but the show delivered far more narrative gut-punches than I was expecting.
I mean the video itself (which I can't change after the fact) has "Miami Vice: Defining a Decade" in the opening credits. I adjusted the RU-vid title to represent what the story is about better, the legacy of the show. In retrospect, I kind of like "Enduring Legacy" better, but it's almost always a bad idea to have an apostrophe in the title ("Miami Vice's").
@@Indigo_GamingThat's what I think is great about the show: it can be enjoyed on a surface level with the clothes, cars, music, and vibe, but if one delves deeper, they have even more to enjoy (I mean, the show has an episode where Nietzsche is discussed, and season 1's "No Exit" is a title borrowed from the work of Jean-Paul Sarte. This show was often an exercise in existentialism and/or forensic/abnormal psychology).
i gave miami vice a watch over christmas with my parents, both of whom are from miami knew people who made the show, and i'm so glad i did. it's easily one of the best tv shows of all time and the fact it doesn't tend to get much recognition among my generation or at all these days is depressing. it's ruined television for me.
Thanks very much! I was months into this before the announcement that GTA 6 was actually getting a trailer this year, but that helped motivate me to get it out before December.
only gta vice city captures the spirit of 80's and the heat as well as scarface and gta 6 is a literal joke in contrast to what the series always was gta has died and braindead morons are cheering for memes form internet
@@ashleybanks-wm4cgI’ve been into it for a long while, I just turned 20. Miami Vice was one of the first things I got into when it came to the 80s vibe
@@E3T7 bro if you really want the vibes pick up a 80s interior design book or look up something about the styles of back then they were ahead of their times the 90s ruined everything
I'm a Gen Xer and am in shock. I've seen documentaries of Miami Vice before, but nothing as comprehensive and downright cool as this one. Kudos across the board!
no media has such a profound impact on me as GTA VICE CITY did. since i first played it as a kid back in 2002 i was never the same, 80s became my lifestyle, clothes, gym culture, movies and especially music. i am a better person for it ,and it was all thanks to Miami Vice. shows how much a single show can do for millions around the globe.
It made me go into the punk /metal and hardcore scene … even the music was a bliss when you just drove with regular music from te radio …. It was a time we took no shit and didn’t listen to what sjw’s told us to do … I would return in a heartbeat , and the women were all beautifull , I’ve married one and i am glad I did
And the rise of Japanese Animation in are lexicon, culture and language, Cars got faster again, and meaner on the road, Computers got bolder, and the future got darker with the introduction and development of Cyberpunk, the 80s had arrived in earnest
Vice City was my gateway to Miami Vice, Scarface (other DePalma's like Body Double) and everything 80's Americana. Now, Synthwave is part of my everyday-life-"soundtrack"
Don Johnson said Miami Vice was before the technological revolution of the 90s... As a 80s small child, I almost long for that time again. At least the time before the smartphone. Haha here in my middle-age I'm becoming a luddite. But man was the time before smartphones and social media fantastic. Nice video by the way. Will put Miami Vice on my watchlist.
It's really something, right? I was a kid when the show originally aired and had some idea that it was great, but I REALLY watched it when I was 34 and was absolutely memorized!
What a great documentary. Must have taken a ton of time and effort to make. Miami Vice was hands down the coolest thing on TV for a few years. It became a target for ridicule in the 90's, as styles changed, but its inherent awesomeness has made it an enduring cultural touchstone. I love the whole 80's vibe and aesthetic, and synthwave is mostly what I listen to nowadays. Thing is, us 80's kids didn't really appreciate the decade when we were living through it, it was just life. But now, looking back, it seems like some kind of magical golden age compared to today.
It was a colossal project. I started writing it back in 2022, finished a couple videos, then resumed in 2023, and it took most of the year to wrap up. Glad you enjoyed! I think the series has gotten a lot of undue mockery over the years as well, ignoring the trailblazing style and cinematography it introduced to the medium.
40:00 that's a fact, Michael Mann is obsessed with filming the living night. Heat and Collateral are prime examples where Los Angeles is a major supporting character in it's own right.
The Daytona Spyder destruction continuity error was NBC's doing. The episode where the car was destroyed was moved up so it could happen during the season premier.
This is the comment I was going to make, one of the most polished, best edited, best sound design on a RU-vid video I have ever seen, and the content is great too. I think they really did all the Miami Vice people proud.
Choppy AI speech? Endless stock photos? A script full of nonsensical AI babbling? This is the opposite of amazing production quality. This is unwatchable. It says so many stupid things. "Stricken by the guilt of one bad decision!" just randomly with no context LOL. 1984 music is awesome because .... it's "star-studded"? It's almost completely meaningless LOL.
Just last week I showed a friend of mine the pilot on Blue-ray because she didn't believe me that it not only was a great show but that it still holds up to todays standards. She was much surprised, but it does. Funny to see this great documentary just one week later. 🙂
Great timing! Brother's Keeper still holds up as a solid movie, and there are a few episodes in S1 and S2 in particular that are incredibly powerful, even to those (like me) who didn't experience the show when it aired.
I showed the pilot to my nephew last year (he was 20 then) and he was just complaining it was too long. He also said he didn't understand it. Still to this day whenever I mention Miami Vice, he calls it a "movie" because of the pilot episode's length. He did not like it.
Mannnnn…I lived this ish! Me and my Air Force buddies every Friday night before going to the airman’s club. Some 40 years later, I’m still watching it. It was a snapshot in time that can’t be duplicated.
There is no Miami Vice franchise. There can’t be because the 1980s were its biggest star. That’s why any attempt to bring it back always fails. This is the very best documentary on Miami Vice. The compendium. Thank you.
In my opinion the movie would’ve worked if they would have used actual 2000s pop and ragee instead of fucking linking park. Also they turned Sonny into captain price and Tubbs into a gangster wannabe it’s so cringe.
Fantastic work as usual. Would have finished watching this sooner, but I've been busy and wanted to give it my full attention since your editing is so meticulous. Was a little sad to hear the lack of your narration at first, but Erik is a consummate professional. All I can say is that you're able to fully command my attention with a subject that I'd never seek out prior to watching. Hard to give a compliment higher than that.
Thanks for the high praise! Means a lot coming from you. I put a ton of time into researching and structuring this narrative, and though it repeats itself a few times, I hope you got something out of it. I know a 1984 show isn't exactly hot topic #1 after thirty nine years, but for some reason, the origins of the show and its influences seen in the media afterward, seemed like it needed a comprehensive primer on the topic. Thanks for watching!
You left out the fact that it's Sam Houser (along with Dan) who is the genius behind GTA Vice City, when he brought the idea to their Rockstar peers they all thought it was a terrible idea and were against it, but Sam being the absolute Miami Vice superfan convinced them and thus making their dream a reality. Ever since Vice City, every GTA game that followed (except for Liberty City Stories and Chinatown Wars), featured a couple of songs per game which were used in Miami Vice, as sort of a homage to the series. Like, I'm a huge "Vicer" myself and if I developed a game, of course I'm using music from the series lol. "But the thing that was more of a direct influence was Miami Vice, because it’s a little bit later. Scarface is earlier, like ’83, and it kind of looks it, but Miami Vice was ’84 to ’89, about five seasons, 110 or so episodes, and I’ve seen them all many times. Before you could get them on DVD I bought them off eBay - the crappiest quality VHS copies you’ve ever seen, and I have them all. What blew me away about that series - and Michael Mann is, I think, a visionary film maker - is that each episode was 50 minutes long, and they sort of hit on all the bases in every episode. It was very adult - I remember at the time watching it and thinking that it was very risqué. But it was an incredibly slick show, and when we were first talking about it, everyone was kind of laughing, like: “What are you on about?” And I was like, “No, no, no - it’s so slick”. Just in terms of music alone, when you look at the tracks that Miami Vice used, it’s an amazing list, and Michael Mann would create these miniature pop videos in every show which would be montages. So his use of music in the show was remarkable. A dream of mine and Dan [Houser]’s is to have a montage in a game, actually. We’re on our way; we’ll get it one day - a montage of your experiences set to music. Come on, that’s going to be amazing, right? Also, Michael Mann’s use of colour and light is wonderful. Miami is such a beautiful place anyway, so the light is gorgeous, but his use of night lighting made it so glossy and sexy. He’s also an expert in the use of weapons, and we met all of the weapons experts who worked on Miami Vice. We got into the details in a hardcore way. Then the other thing I loved - and we all loved, actually, although initially there was a lot of arm twisting that had to go on in order to make people watch it - was that each show was kind of like a mission. It may have had a few cool little action sequences in it which were novel, but the overarching story was like a mission, so there was so much cool stuff to take in, whether it was the vehicles they used - incredible cars, incredible helicopters, incredible boats - or whatever. While we were finishing GTAIII I would even go home at lunchtimes and watch episodes, and I did that for about a year - it was all I watched. You could sit there and watch it and get stills of so many moments in the show from just one episode and I’d think: “If we can just get that or this or that…” I remember Aaron [Garbut, GTA series art director] working so hard just to get the neon the way he wanted it. He’d been to Miami and he’d seen it in the show, and he knew exactly what he was looking for but it was so difficult [to achieve]. But when he got it right, you were just like [snaps fingers]: “That’s it!” So there were plenty of other things that influenced us but I would have to say the strongest influence of all became Miami Vice ” - Sam Houser speaking with Edge Magazine 2012 I thought you'd definitely bring up that article in a documentary about Miami Vice's influence on Vice City.
That's a great article! But to be fair, I cover Mann, Scarface and Miami Vice's influence in pretty comprehensive detail. Would have been nice to have a snippet from Houser about his inspirations, but oh well. I think the doc works fine as is. What interested me is that they even conceived Vice City in the first game, even before Houser was even involved in the project (back in the DMA Design days). Kind of a match made in heaven, I guess.
Man, I didn't even know Sam Houser gave an interview like this! Thank you very much for writing about this, and I hope the new GTA6 will contain references to Miami Vice.
@@dame3996 There were references to both the TV show and the movie in the trailer so I'm sure Sam's touch will be in this one too. There will definitely be music from the soundtrack too as with every GTA game.
Yeah, i like that Rockstar added Los Santos Rock Radio in GTA5. There a lot music from 80's and Miami Vice. In trailer i saw Ferrari Testarossa. Hope, we will see more references in the game.@@Streetw1s3r
Excellent subject, Indigo! I thought about this since your Cyberpunk videos, because there are games and tv shows that mix elements from both sci-fi and Miami Vice. Even when MV is not an overt inspiration, you can still feel it. P.S Good job with the narration, Erik!
There's definitely a crossover in the synthwave/cyberpunk style. Although Miami Vice isn't sci-fi at all, the bright neons, vivid colors and seductive delve into sin is comparable.
yes yes and yes... not only the styling but i would say in the portrayal of characters as well... when you get into these worlds you expect to have a focus on exploring complex ambiguous characters... and a lot of introspection
As a young adult in the mid 80's it was the best time to be alive! I never missed a Friday night NBC episode of "Miami Vice", the last great TV show! Living in LA during that time was magical & affordable great times!
I was very young in the 80s, but even as a kid, I absolutely adored the media that came out in that decade. From the classic movies, the incredible music, and the unmistakable energy!
@@Rico-ow3ysdon't think the young people who lived in South Central, Compton, Inglewood, Long Beach, and East LA felt that way with gang violence and crack on the rise.
@@PeteMcCorvey I grew up in Watts at the time, Yes , it was bad, but we got through it, and still managed to have some fun. Compared to now, it was a way better then.
I admired the show because they had the guts to poke into politics. The Iran-Contra affair was a dirty affair on so many levels and Miami Vice were not afraid to put it on the screen. In a way, yeah, it perfectly fit their narrative.
I started watching this series over a decade ago and for a long time it felt as if the series just was forgotten despite the cultural impact it had. Seeing this documentary and the comments it warms my heart to see MV is getting the recognition it had and deserves to keep having
I had heard about it for decades, but never sat down and actually watched it until recently. A lot of it holds up really well (even for someone who doesn't have nostalgia for it), and the more dated stuff comes off as cheesy in a charming way, and helps sell the atmosphere of the decade.
I never watched Miami Vice, but you sure sell it well and now I want to watch it. This is what I wished Cyberpunk 2077 would be like. And some parts aren't far, like the River Ward questline, or even Judy's quest line with Evelyn. Cops working in a corrupt environment, dark prostitution rings, human trafficking, drugs, etc.
One of the early ideas for the CP77 story, well before they added Johnny, was that you'd be working on several gigs alongside a detective, gradually unravelling clues that tied the mayor to criminals. I'm sure it would have had all that stuff. Those ideas were dropped and some of it rolled into the River storyline.
This is a well put together gem. Thank you for producing this and reminding fans old and new on how magnificent and unique Miami Vice as a show was and still is today.
It's a lovely aesthetic, and I'm eternally confused by why they work together so well, since it goes against all the color wheels I've ever studied as a graphic designer. Blue and orange are complementary, and light red (aka pink) SHOULD be complimentary to green.
Amazing video! Thanks for putting this together. I think I need to go watch Miami Vice (or at least the first two seasons) to catch up on what inspired a lot of the media I love.
I was in my late teens when Miami Vice hit our TV screens, and life wouldn´t be the same. My best friend and I would get so into it that we purchased cheap H&M suits in mint green and turquoise respectively, added some (very old) gold necklaces, bracelets and fake Rolexes, no sox and of course got almost toasted at the local tanning salon (or self-tanner) to look the part. Then, these two skinny, white Miami Vice clones hit the local disco. Once while entering the club, someone yelled: "Which one of you is Crockett and which one is Tubbs?". We saw it as an absolute badge of honor. In our minds we´d 100% nailed the look and were now at the cutting edge of fashion and cool. We couldn´t quite make that fit with the fact that we had zero luck with the ladies. Thankfully, it took quite a while before we understood that our love for Miami Vice wasn´t really helping our social life :D
It's a style that's immediately recognizable but extremely difficult to pull off, hence the many parodies and skits imitating that style. Must have been a wild time! Thanks for sharing this story.
@@Indigo_Gaming Anytime. Not sure how wild those times were. They felt more free than today, but that might have been due to our youth and innocence. What I miss the most is the fact that the world was mostly analogue so we had to have real interactions with each other, and speaking of analogue: There was just something way more interesting about having to wait for a show to come on TV, or popping a VHS in a VCR than today´s digital, glass screen interactions - despite today´s way better TV/movie quality. It was an event renting and then watching a VHS or gathering for a TV show.
My buddy and I hit our local nice Mexican restaurant wearing our Crockett and Tubbs suits until some guy at a table started whistling ‘You Belong To The City’. 😂😂
Only 13 minutes into your video and I must say it is one of the better researched videos on RU-vid covering a topic from before the internet where sources are a little harder to track down/double/triple check for possible inaccuracies. You have definitely hit on the style of video that best suits you. Keep it up. Even if you only complete one every once in a while, with this level of attention to detail the views/fans will find you. You make this your primary style going forward and I know that I will definitely be back to subscribe. Until then, I am eagerly sitting on the fence waiting to see what you may possibly produce in this style of video again…
******Addition****** Really surprised in all your mentions of shows influenced by Miami Vice that were about or in Miami that you didn’t mention Dexter at all.
Hats off, Sir! I won't comment on all of your video but one aspect ins particular. Working under youtube's copyright restrictions and doing justice to Miami Vice of all shows with your own soundtrack and soundbites - that part of this video alone is a Masterpiece and I don't want to know how many hours and attempts it took. There is much to praise here, but I find that this part alone deserves to be highlighted.
Thanks so much for noticing! I can't tell you how many hours I spent carefully cutting, re-editing scenes and shots to pass the Fair Use test while documenting over 60 shows/movies/games together for this project, and Miami Vice alone has over 100 episodes. I even hired a friend to compose a few songs that evoke the style of Jan Hammer, Phil Collins and Hall & Oates, in order to emphasize the musical aspect of the documentary--a core component of what made the show special.
As a 35 year old and having watched Miami Vice as a kid, I'm baffled how I never connected GTA: VC, Archer: Vice or vaporwave to this serie. This was hands down one of the best youtube productions I've ever watched. It is a full-fledged, professional documentary. Thank you.
A year ago I was in Miami, living on Ocean Drive in Colony... my dream from the time of Miami Vice and GTA Vice City came true. Even though in Eastern Europe before '89 we didn't have much access to the neon 80s, they will remain forever in my heart
I see some of Don Johnson's quotes are from his 2014 Rolling Stone interview, one I've read often. What he said when asked how much of Don Johnson was in Sonny Crockett, that the lines were blurred, very good. It goes well with what someone wrote in the "Miami Vice" online community, that Sonny Crockett was the idealized version of Don Johnson (nothing wrong with that!).
Awesome! Only discovered it in adulthood for me, although I was a big Collins fan. My favorite cassettes as a kid were MJ's Thriller and (embarrassingly) Milli Vanilli. 😂
One of the best Miami Vice docs! Kudos! Also I enjoyed that Fastlane was included. One of my favorite shows because I recognized the "new take" on Miami Vice. Shame it ended only after one season. Anyway, enjoyed this watch. One of those vids where 2+ hours feel like 2 minutes. Awesome!
Fantastic! If something long feels short, it means it's well-paced. Glad you enjoyed! From what I heard, Fastlane had a decent following, but it was incredibly expensive to make, for some reason. And that was during the cancel-happy Fox days, where they axed Firefly before they could even finish the first season.
Something I think many people often forget is that Miami Vice not only worked for its style but also its harsh subject matter and especially the acting which in my opinion is better than the acting in some movies today. Great documentary!
I agree! There were some duds here and there, but I was very surprised at how much of the drama worked for me. I always saw parodies and superficial nods to Vice, but that painted a different picture than the actual show did.
I think the acting is underrated, and I love how a lot of acting is done with a look or facial expressions; it makes me think, as well as appreciate a performer who can make me feel something without even saying a word (love the dialogue in the show though, very neo-noir).
It was actually kind of accidental. I started writing this last summer, while an editor helped me with the Quintet video early on, and I was going through weird health issues. Then, Quintet and Diablo III videos later, manage to finish it right before the GTA 6 trailer, haha. Hopefully it helps get some more eyes on this doc.
Outstanding work Indigo & well narrated Eric! Well crafted & researched videos like this (for free!!!!) are way more entertaining than 99% of mass media nowadays.
Agreed. Really well-done! Only the AI voiceovers make me go ‘hmmm.’ It’s possible that may become illegal in the near future. It’s a real grey area, even if the quotes are accurate.
This was so good! Thank you for all the love and care you put into this, it really shows. I was born during the show’s run, and vaguely remember it as a kid, but have since watched it on my own and it really does just feel like a piece of “the 80s” in the best way possible. That and “Crockett’s Theme” is such a great piece of music. It was interesting to see its legacy and impact on Miami.
I too was born during the show's run. After season one, but before season two. I didn't watch it growing up, but was curious about it, as my mother is a big fan, and she shared the excitement of the series, and especially the famous 'In the Air Tonight' night drive.
@@Indigo_Gaming ofc you're right, maybe I should emphesize more on the positivity of that statement. Tron 3D was very impactful on the crystallization of synth retro aestethics, (it's a really unique Disney tbh, it had beatiful DVD physical release), but I remember it being a cult classic among enthusiasts, and it was Drive that really gave spotlight for that aesthetics, it took the cinemas by storm. I remember everyone talking about it. I even saw someone sporting the satin jacket with on the street. Hotline Miami is basically Drive game, but deeper, brutal and more abstract, just Only God Forgives, which is even weirder, more aesthetically pleasing and could be a honourable mention.
I almost mentioned Only God Forgives, Neon Demon, and NWR's later work, but I decided to stick with just Drive (it is most relevant to Michael Mann/Miami Vice/Hotline Miami, and is arguably his best work). His cinematography, style and lighting remained gorgeous, but I haven't enjoyed any of his TV/movie projects since Drive.
I don't think that western civilization will ever get to experience "the second 80's era". It was cultural renaissance, revolution and entertainment all in one. Not to mention a standard of life for a common man was way higher than it is today. And, freedom of speech was way higher than it is today too. And, sexual revolution still did not took for the worse. But most importantly...i think it was more "love in the air" in general.
There was a ton of excitement and innovation during the time, and entertainment was riding on a crazy high, but there were also some drawbacks like the rising crime and murder rates (rising from the sixties all the way to 1991 if I remember correctly). Still, a vivid moment in history.
Zito was my favorite and I wish him and Switek got more screen time... Can't wait to play GTA6 later on and cruise around Vice City while Running with the Night from Lionel Richie plays on the radio 🦩🎵🎶
Yeah I wish we got more great episodes with Switek and Zito. I believe John Diehl asked to be written out of the show, due to not enough good material being written for his character.
@@Indigo_Gaming I know and I understand his decision. His character has had almost no screen time, but his death still made me really sad. Good thing about modern TV series is that basically every character gets enough screen time. Great example of this is Orange is the new Black. I randomly bought the first season once, watched it and then kept buying all the other seasons, because they gave enough spotlight to almost everyone. Most of the time I am more interested in side characters than into the main ones.
@@Indigo_Gaming it was ultimately for the best, john diehl went on to have a very successful career in movies as a side character while most of his costars, except for edward james olmos or don johnson, had dying careers or were never really able to star in anything after
damn Indigo gaming just dropped a new video which for sure will be an amazing banger, time to drop everything at work and watch it in full, every time one of your videos comes out its fantastic love your videos man keep up the good work
Crazy work, I'm a fan of Miami Vice and I still learned a lot of things from your documentary, thank you for these 2 and a half hours of pastels, sunsets, glamor, gun fight, synthesizer and mustaches ;)🌴
I've lived in Miami for over 20 years, I always have a playlist ready for taking a drive through South Beach through 195, and then going North on Collins. It's a great drive.
I’ve been waiting for this documentary since I first watched Miami Vice a year ago. Which is not very long admittedly but I’m glad to see the show getting the respect it deserves.
Nice! I only watched the show in its entirety last year as well. Saw the pilot years ago but never got very far past it. I'm glad I gave it another chance, it's clear why it was such a sensation back in the 80s.
Your documentary really is outstanding. You put so much information together and present it in a style which is most appropriate for this legendary TV-series. Your feature caught my attention from the beginning until the end - true class. Thank you, and kind regards from Germany. Christoph
I was born in 83, but i remember my parents watching this show. Besides my usual cartoons, this was the only adult show I have any memory of. I'm 40 years old now and bought the whole series on bluray. Watching it now and loving it, while feeling nostalgic for it at the same time. Great show, great music, great cameos, and plain cool.
I’m only a half hour in and so far this has been amazing. I was born in 1986 but was introduced to Miami Vice by my uncles in the early 90’s and fell in love with the show ever since. Hell, I at least watch one episode or a clip from Miami Vice daily.
Vice City is one of my favorite video games of all time. When I was first introduced to Scarface, I thought it was pretty much Vice City the movie. Been interested in checking out Miami Vice to get move of that beautiful 80s vibe. Plus I love cruising around to Crockett's theme.
Yeah I was surprised when digging into the game how much it shared with Scarface and Carlito's Way. Stylistically it owes a lot to Vice, but story wise, it borrowed a ton from De Palma films.
There will NEVER be another show like Miami Vice, it was like no other shows on t.v. and it was an icon that represented the 80s I was fortunate to have lived in the time this first came on t.v. and couldn't wait for Fridays to watch another episode
The definition of "lightning in a bottle." There have been rumors of a reboot show for years, but considering all the other 80s revival shows (Lethal Weapon, Magnum P.I., Knight Rider, etc.), I'm more than skeptical that they could capture the energy of the first few seasons of the original show.
You also gotta mention 2 Fast 2 Furious with Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson - it's inspired by Miami Vice. Bryan O' Corner (Paul Walker) is an ex-cop from LA, working for the FBI to nail a South American drug lord. The 80s vibes made a comeback in 2018 with Cobra Kai, a sequel to Karate Kid. In Season 2, Robbie, Johnny Lawrence's son, rocks a Crockett look at a Hollywood-themed party. Season 3 ends with Phil Collins' 'In the Air Tonight,' and in Season 4, Robbie goes full Crockett in a red Testarossa at a dance party with his girlfriend Torrie. Cobra Kai nails everything '80s - from style to music. If you wanna relive those days, Cobra Kai is the way to go. And speaking of GTA, Vice City is making a comeback in GTA 6.
Yeah I almost mentioned Dexter, but the fact that they left Miami after trouble filming the pilot, and it's about a murderer not a cop made it different enough that I felt I could cut the comparison.
Writing a comment straight away to get this gem to trending! What a jolt of happiness every feature-length upload of yours is, Indigo. My future self is already enjoying this very much :)
As an 80's child, and I mean I was 5/6 when Miami Vice came out, this all resonates HARD! There is not a day I do not lament on the 80's, the times, the music, the neon, the cars, the aura and mystique. I love and miss it all. GTA Vice City is without a doubt my favorite game of all time! I play it often still. When it came out in 2002 I was 24/25 and it was a flashback in time when I fired that disc up. It literally haunts my life, lol. But I'd rather be haunted by the 80's, Miami Vice, and GTA Vice City than anything else I have come across in my life and travels. This genre will never go away and I am completely at peace knowing that fact! This video was one of the best on the topic that I have ever viewed. Heck, this might be one of the best videos I have ever seen period! Amazing storyline, details, facts, explanation, editing, and of course, music and visuals! Serious applause for you and the team that made this iconic review poignant in 2024!
This means so much to me after working on this for many months. My aim was to make the most comprehensive documentary about the show out there, while also detailing its influence in the industry. Thanks for watching and sharing!
This is the best documentary I've ever seen regarding this theme, from the clips used to the writing itself. Very good pacing. Overall, I think it does encapsulate a time I never lived, but I have a deep fascination for. Bravo. Greetings from Italy (and thanks for the English subtitles, those are always welcome).
In mentioning the games which kind of played off Vice I think not mentioning the 1988 Williams game "Narc" is a big omission. It didn't specifically reference Miami Vice, but the timeframe (during Vice's run), style and theme clearly seemed to borrow a bit from Miami Vice. Also as an arcade game it is somewhat more advanced graphically than the listed PC and console games of the era and somewhat following. It involved grinding electronic music (of course, given the era) and its ultra violence make it notorious as a symbol of the corrupting influence of video games. Something that would rear its head in a big way again only slightly later with GTA III and much later with Hotline Miami. I think also not mentioning that Grand Theft Auto III used several Giorgio Moroder songs from (De Palma's) Scarface is an omission. Yes, they would have fit better into GTA: Vice City, but surely Vice City wasn't under consideration yet since GTA III had not become a massive success at the time GTA III was being made. This was yet another way that DMA/Rockstar showed their dedication to the influential Miami crime movies of the 1980s. Additionally, as an aside, I always thought the Ferrari 348 was more 80s typical than the similar Testarossa. It's slightly more stylish with its cleaned up rear end. And with it having a direct heritage to Thomas Magnum's 308 GTS it also ties it in to iconic 1980s TV.
Even Tommy Vercetti reminds me a bit of Sonny Crockett (actually a lot more than Tony Montana), with only difference of Tommy being gangster and Sonny being cop
This was an outstanding documentary! So glad to see MV getting the love it deserves. I only watched the series this year and it was incredible to see how much pop culture it influenced but also how poorly or fuzzily the show itself is remembered - distilled and perpetuated into the public consiousness as a set of somewhat inaccurate stereotypes.
That's a really good point. I allude to it a bit in this video, but you're right, what the general consensus and "collective memory" of what the series was is often wrong. It wasn't all feelgood noise and 80s schlock. Some pretty heavy themes over the seasons
20 years ago in 2004 me and my brother started playing GTA Vice City on our brand new desktop computer which we brought a month ago. Loved the game i tell you.
Yes! Finally someone speaks out about the enormous influence of this show ! I actually started watching it after playing Vice City, when I was already 18 yo, and it changed my life. I know own a Daytona replica, a white Testarossa and a couple pairs of Wayfarers :)
Crockett's hair and Tubbs' weird beard near the end of the show was a great metaphor of not only the show running its course but Crockett & Tubbs fighting a losing war. Like Crockett's hair is sooo bad in the final season
I really like how they did his hair in seasons 1/2 (even though his style changes a bit between the pilot and the rest of S1). Season 3 made it spiky and goofy. His run as "Sonny Burnett" was kind of cool with the ponytail, but you're right, they completely gave up as of Season 5.
@@Indigo_Gaming He's not saying the showrunners gave up, he's saying Sonny's style that season was a deliberate choice to make him seem "tired of it all", which logically leads to him quitting Vice, and leaving Miami.
