Moon Over Maddie and David

Hark back to early 1987. The country was in the midst of Moonlighting fever. AndAmerica was tuning in to watch the final five episodes of that season. Thequestion was when and how David and Maddie, those bickering detectives of theBlue Moon Agency, would realize they were in love.

In many ways, that 1986-87 season was the greatest for the quirky detectivecomedy, which resurrected Cybill Shepherd’s career and made a star out ofwisecracking Bruce Willis. The stories were unique, imaginative, daring,romantic.

Who can forget the “The Atomic Shakespeare” spoof of “The Taming of the Shrew”in which Willis sang the Rascals’ 1966 hit “Good Lovin’ ”? Or Willis andShepherd performing a sultry ‘50s-style dance number in the “Big Man on MulberryStreet” show?

But that same season, fans began to grumble and grumble loudly. Productionproblems-squabbling stars, long shooting schedules-abounded. Viewers caught newepisodes of “Moonlighting” once in a blue moon. In fact, the final five episodesof the 1986-87 season, the episodes which finally brought the two together, wereaired over a three-month period.

This week Lifetime showcases the last episode of that golden period, plus fourfrom the 1987-88 season. Because of Shepherd’s pregnancy, the story line foundMaddie returning to her parents’ home in Chicago trying to sort out herrelationship with David and discovering she was pregnant, and David trying tokeep the Blue Moon Agency alive. As the season progressed, the show lost itsspark and its audience. For more on Shepherd, see Cover Story, Page 77.

On Tuesday’s show, look for a pre-”Roseanne” John Goodman (who also is a goodfriend of Willis) in a story which finds David tracking down a mystery woman whohas left an earring as the only clue to her identity. And Friday’s installmentfinds a clever convict (Tony Bill) pulling off an identity swap with David beingsent to work on a prison chain gang.

“Moonlighting” airs Monday-Friday at 2 p.m. on Lifetime