Miami Vice turns 40: A look back at the iconic series

"Miami Vice" ran for five seasons on NBC in the ‘80s, debuting a groundbreaking vision that set it apart from other cop shows at the time. 

Its culture, sound and style gave the show staying power, and it is still revered as one of the icons decades later. 

"Miami Vice" turned 40 this weekend, and everyone from fans to the former cast and crew gathered in Miami to celebrate the anniversary and reminisce about the show.  

The edge of "Miami Vice"

FILE - Los Angeles, Calif.: Stars of the television show Miami Vice, Don Johnson (L) and Philip Michael Thomas, hold up their Peoples Choice award.

"Miami Vice" brought sights and sounds to TV that weren’t seen before. 

The show set the tone in the first episode, as "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins plays while Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas cruise the streets of Miami in their Ferrari convertible.

Premiering just a few years after the launch of MTV, "Miami Vice" embraced contemporary style and music. Besides Jan Hammer’s original scoring, the producers regularly included songs from popular artists like Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Dire Straits and Foreigner. Record sales were known to soar after songs got air time on the show.

As for the show’s aesthetic, the characters donned designer fashions and actually graced the streets of South Beach while many TV shows were still being filmed on sound stages in Los Angeles or New York. 

Producer John Nicoletta said at the time that he approached each episode as a movie. Each episode had about a million dollar budget.

"It’s a movie once a week, one hour, every seven days, God knows how," he said. "Its approach is like that - hard, push-the-limit, slick, high-tech."

"I noticed a lot of the other shows are trying to copy us, and they just don't have the formula," Johnson said in a 1986 interview. 

South Beach transformation

Speaking of South Beach, "Miami Vice" helped set the area on the map. 

"When we were here, when we started the show in 1984, there was no South Beach," actor Edward James Olmos said during one of the anniversary gatherings. He played Lieutenant Marty Castillo. "There was a South Beach, but it was dilapidated. The buildings were all literally falling into disrepair."

Years before serious restoration efforts would transform South Beach into a center of fashion, music and tourism, Olmos said production crews were painting the exteriors of the neighborhood’s historic Art Deco buildings themselves to make them look good on camera.

"We would paint the facades and put out tables, and we did what now became the reality of South Beach," Olmos said.

Don Johnson

"Miami Vice" is the show that made actor Don Johnson a household name. He played Detective Sonny Crockett. 

Johnson revealed in a Wall Street Journal interview earlier this month that he spent years living "below the national poverty level" before achieving Hollywood stardom. 

In 1983, when Johnson was 34, he auditioned for "Miami Vice" and felt an immediate connection.

"I couldn’t believe somebody had seemingly been jotting down my thoughts, feelings and emotions. The part was meant for me," he recalled. "The audition went well, so well that I was convinced it was a sure thing."

However, "Then came the letdown. First the project was delayed, and then it was pushed forward. Months later, I landed ‘Cease Fire,’ an independent film in Miami. Just as I finished the movie, Tony Yerkovich, the creator of "Miami Vice," called from L.A. to offer me the part. I was annoyed with the process but slipped right into the role."

The show earned Johnson an Emmy nomination in 1985, and his popularity helped him launch a singing career. 

Johnson’s Hollywood career continued with his next hit series, "Nash Bridges," running from 1996 to 2001 on CBS.

He continued working, adding movies like "Machete," directed by Robert Rodriguez, and "Django Unchained," directed by Quentin Tarantino, to his resume, as well as playing Jane Fonda’s romantic interest in the "Book Club" films.

The 74-year-old next stars in the Netflix thriller "Rebel Ridge," playing the police chief.

Philip Michael Thomas

Philip Michael Thomas has worked on several other TV projects and guest starring roles since playing Detective Ricardo Tubbs on "Miami Vice", and has been very involved in the theater.

He co-wrote the play "Sacha on Broadway," which opened in New York City in 2005 and has been produced eight times, according to his website. 

As a health enthusiast, he’s also been involved in various health-related projects.