Simon & Simon

By Wikipedia

Simon & Simon was a detective series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker. The show ran on CBS from 1981 to 1988.

The show revolved around polar opposite brothers Rick (McRaney) and A.J. Simon (Parker). Rick was a Vietnam veteran and had much more street sense while A.J. went to law school and had book smarts. Rick preferred things that were viewed by his brother as lower-class, like pickup trucks, while A.J. earned more money and could afford to be more fashionable. Rick lived on a boat in the back of A.J.'s house. A.J. preferred to do things by the rules while Rick was much more of a free spirit, using a type of vigilante justice. The two went into a venture together running a private detective service, so the two different ways that the brothers had in mind as to how to run the business provided much of the story each week, in addition to the cases that they solved.

The show was almost canceled in 1982 before it was scheduled to run after Magnum, P.I.. This brought Simon & Simon's ratings up and allowed it to run for many years.

Cast

• Gerald McRaney - Richard "Rick" Simon
• Jameson Parker - Andrew Jackson "A.J." Simon
• Mary Carver (their mom) - Cecilia Simon
• Eddie Barth (episodes 1-36) - Myron Fowler
• Jeannie Wilson (episodes 1-43) - Janet Fowler
• Tim Reid (episodes 43-127) - Lt. Marcel Prust "Downtown" Brown
• Joan McMurtrey (episodes 128-156) - Lt. Abigail Marsh

Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again (1995)

This reunion movie premiered on February 23, 1995. Some years have passed and a now married A.J. works in Seattle as an attorney. Rick stops by to visit en route to delivering an expensive yacht. The trouble starts when the yacht is hijacked - with mom Cecilia on board.

Share Your Memories!

Do you have a favorite episode of Simon & Simon? What do you remember about the series? Share your stories with the world! (We print the best stories right here!)

		Your Memories Shared!

"I have a standing date with myself at 1 a.m. twice per week. I nuke some popcorn and huddle in my arm chair, watching re-runs on A&E of Simon & Simon. I dunno what I was doing in the Awesome80s that I missed these guys, but I'm watching them all now in 2002! Jameson is SUCH a babe, I can't believe he's 20 yrs older than me (I was born in 1967). As a theatre critic for a prominent newspaper for 8 years, i'm not sure it's "politically correct" to admit my obsession with this duo. But there it is. An unreasonable and utter fascination. They just tickle my fancy, on so many levels, and that's it. It's so great to go to bed with a smacking big grin on my face! If i'm too busy with three kids, three dogs, two jobs (and a husband) and happen to miss a week, i kind of get a nagging feeling that something is "missing." Then, with a snap of my fingers, I realize I need my blonde Simon boys. Wonder what they think of all these re-runs? Here's hoping they are secretly thrilled that a whole new generation is discovering their particular brand of entertainment." --LadyMac

"I found the eight seasons of Simon & Simon MOST enjoyable and special and underrated. I miss it to this day. I continue to follow the careers of Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker. Gerald McRaney remains now and always, my favorite actor." --MackieLover

"Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker are both WONDERFUL actors. I adore them. I'm only 22 years old, and alot of people seem to be surprised that I like this show so much, because I was only a baby when it first aired!! Yet, I began watching it years later, and I still enjoy it. All my love to Rick and A.J.!!!" --Karen

"I have many favorite episodes of Simon and Simon but would have to say that 'May The Road Rise Up' is the best. I liked the halloween episode where Rick acts like a child and looks for the candy, barely able to sneak a piece into his mouth before AJ yells, "Rick, put that piece of candy down!" Both Jameson Parker and Gerald McRaney are brilliant actors, that we would love to see more of on the television today. Simon and Simon remains my all-time favorite TV show." --Sue

"This show helped pull me through the 80's when I had three preschoolers. I haven't seen this show for almost 10 years but I remember the big difference between these two men. They were brothers but much more different like night and day. It had family, humor, and action all rolled into one. They have NEVER made another show as good as this one. Jameson Parker and Gerald McRaney are indeed underappreciated in Hollywood today. Family loyalty was a high point of the show, and the chemistry between the actors was perfect." --Cindy

"Simon & Simon is my favorite tv show of ALL time, and I miss it something awful. I have it on tape but there's just nothing like tuning it in on the tv weekly. I am a huge fan of Jameson Parker and Gerald McRaney and I have followed Jameson Parker's career up until now, where he has a few books out, one being "An Accidental Cowboy. " It is a must read book, which takes us on a personal journey of the horrific time he had recovering emotionally after being shot by a neighbor and how he learned to be a cowboy. I hope some channel picks up the rights to air this GREAT show and airs the entire eight seasons." --Jeanne

"Simon & Simon was and still is my all time favorite tv show. I've been a Jameson Parker fan since "One Life to Live". I have every Simon & Simon episode on tape and still enjoy watching them. I have a lot of favorite episodes but one that stands out is "Walk A Mile In My Hat"; I really enjoyed AJ's impression of Rick (or the impression he seemed to have of Rick). It was really funny. The two actors really complimented each other. They had great chemistry. I would love to see them do something together now." --DonnaMD

"Simon & Simon was an awesome TV show because the chemistry between Rick (Gerald McRaney) & A. J. (Jameson Parker) Simon was excellent. They were brothers who had a detective agency. They were as different as night and day, but their core values and drive for what was right were the same. There are many funny comments made between Rick and A. J. but they happen so fast that you must be paying close attention to catch them. I cannot pick a favorite episode, as I love them all. Thank God I had a VCR in 1987 so I could capture some episodes. It would be great if episodes were available on DVD or some more permanent medium. I wish they had kept their theme song "Best of Friends" by the Thrasher Brothers. That was from their first season and really summed up their brotherly relationship. I believe they lived in the shadow of Magnum, P. I. and that was extremely unfortunate. They did not receive the kudos they deserved for their incredible acting abilities. The thing that really kills me is that I am now the age they were when the show was on prime time. I can't believe that it has been since 1981 when the show first aired! They were attractive men, but Rick was always my favorite. I still try to catch shows that he's on to this day, but his perfect role was as Rick Simon, and he will ALWAYS be Rick Simon to me." --Beth-Ann

"I agree that Simon & Simon was one of the most under-rated shows of the Awesome80s. The detective duo were always up to the challenge and provided some comic relief in the process. It is one of the few shows that doesn't get too redundant." --Tucker

"The writers and actors combined to make this a great and often overlooked show. You could really believe that Rick & A. J. were brothers. The episodes were entertaining (except after Tim Reid left - the show got too serious). A favorite episode is when A. J. falls for a mysterious woman, and Rick is angry because everything points to her as a murderer. But she's actually a witness for the government in the wrong place at the wrong time and they have to hide her again, and A. J. never sees her again. They also focused a lot on Rick & A. J. 's lives in the Vietnam era and how it shaped their lives. Another favorite episode is when A. J. 's old girlfriend needs his help and they flashback to those days. Joe Pantilioni (I'm not sure I spelled his name right) is in this episode. He's since been in tons of TV shows and movies. Usually the funniest thing in each episode are when they go undercover or con somebody to get information in some goofy way. Anyway, if you get a chance to check it out, do so. It's a lot better than most of the drabble TV gives us." --VAP

"I must say the best memory I have from Simon and Simon was when they went to commerical break, and Gerald McRaney would day "Simon & Simon, will be right back", and the Jameson piped in "They know that!" I don't know why but that always stuck with me." --esteemelissa