MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Miami Beach residents and visitors can feel it coming in the air tonight — and the rest of the weekend — as “Miami Vice” cast and crew gather to celebrate the iconic television series' 40th anniversary.
The show premiered on NBC on Sept. 16, 1984, and ran for five seasons. The “cocaine cowboy”-era crime drama, featuring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as undercover cops, was revolutionary in its use of pop culture, style and music and spawned a film reboot in 2006. And by filming the show primarily in South Florida, the series helped transform the image of Miami and Miami Beach in a way that would reverberate for decades.
Former cast members, including Edward James Olmos and Michael Madsen, met with fans Friday at the Royal Palm South Beach and were set to return Saturday. Also attending were Saundra Santiago, Olivia Brown, Bruce McGill, Joaquim De Almeida, Bill Smitrovich, Pepe Serna and Ismael East Carlo.
“It was not ‘Hill Street Blues.’ It was not ‘Police Story,’ ” Olmos said on Friday. “It was way different in artistic endeavor on all levels. The creativity, as far as music, writing, production value. The production value was so overwhelming. We spared nothing. I mean, these people were serious, and they spent a lot of time and money for each episode, and it shows.”
Olmos said that the show had a profound effect on introducing Miami to the world and creating an idealized version of South Beach that would later become a reality.
“When we were here, when we started the show in 1984, there was no South Beach,” Olmos said. “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 productions 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.
While most television production was still being done in Los Angeles or New York in the 1980s, Olmos doubts the show would have been as successful if they had tried to fake South Florida in California.
“They could have never shot this anywhere else in the world,” Olmos said. “Look at the show from the very first episode, and as it went on, the beauty of Miami is unprecedented.”
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.
Fred Lyle, an associate producer and music coordinator for “Miami Vice,” said the importance of music was evident from the first episode, as “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins plays while Johnson and Thomas cruise the streets of Miami in their Ferrari convertible.
“And that’s when ‘Miami Vice’ became different musically than anything else,” Lyle said. “Music was going over this scene, that scene. One song was helping to stitch the fabric of the narrative together.”
Aside from the show's style, the stories and characters also had substance. Veteran television actor Bruce McGill has played countless cops, coaches and other authority figures over several decades, but he said his guest role as a burnt-out former detective in the second season of “Miami Vice” stands out compared to the straight-laced characters that comprise most of his career.
“It was a very good part that they allowed me to make better, to enhance, to ham it up a little,” McGill said. “And it was very satisfying.”
"Miami Vice" fan Matt Lechliter, 39, traveled all the way to Miami Beach from Oxnard, California, to celebrate the show's anniversary.
“I wasn't alive when it premiered, but it's a part of me,” Lechliter said.
Lechliter said he remembers watching the later seasons and reruns with his parents as a child but really became a fan when he rediscovered the show about five years ago.
“I binge-watched it," Lechliter said. “I was like, ‘Wow, this really is amazing.’ When I heard about this event, I said, ‘I’ve gotta go.' ”
The anniversary celebration will continue through the weekend with career discussions, as well as bus and walking tours of filming locations.
The Miami Vice Museum is open to the public from Friday to Sunday, featuring a wide range of items never before displayed together since the show’s conclusion in 1989. The exhibit is being hosted at the Wilzig Erotic Art Museum.
And to kick off the celebration on Thursday, Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner met with cast and crew at the Avalon Hotel in South Beach to present a proclamation declaring Sept. 16, 2024, as “Miami Vice Day.”
Fans gathered at the Royal Palm South Beach in Miami Beach, Fla., on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the television series "Miami Vice." Actor Bruce McGill, who guest-starred as retired detective Hank Weldon in the show's second season, signs a model Ferrari for a fan. (AP Photo/David Fischer)
Fans gathered at the Royal Palm South Beach in Miami Beach, Fla., on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the television series "Miami Vice." Actress Olivia Brown, right, who played Detective Trudy Joplin, speaks with a fan. (AP Photo/David Fischer)
Fans gathered at the Royal Palm South Beach in Miami Beach, Fla., on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the television series "Miami Vice." (AP Photo/David Fischer)
Fans gathered at the Royal Palm South Beach in Miami Beach, Fla., on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the television series "Miami Vice." Actor Edward James Olmos, who played Lt. Martin Castillo, takes a photo with a fan. (AP Photo/David Fischer)
Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded almost simultaneously across Lebanon and in parts of Syria on Tuesday, killing at least eight people, government and Hezbollah officials said. Officials pointed the finger at Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated, remote attack.
The Israeli military declined to comment.
Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that sparked the Israel-Hamas war. Since then, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire daily, coming close to a full-blown war on several occasions and forcing tens of thousands on both sides of the border to evacuate their homes.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The ministry does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count but says a little over half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The war has caused vast destruction and displaced about 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million.
Here's the latest:
WASHINGTON — The U.S. says it's gathering information on the pager explosions in Lebanon and Syria.
“I can tell you that the U.S. was not involved in it,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. "The U.S. was not aware of this incident in advance. And at this point, we’re gathering information.”
BEIRUT — The son of a member of Hezbollah’s bloc in Lebanon's parliament was among those killed Tuesday. The sons of two other senior officials were wounded, a Hezbollah official said.
Prominent Hezbollah legislator Ali Ammar spoke to The Associated Press after his son, Mahdi, was killed.
“This is a new Israeli aggression against Lebanon,” Ammar said. “The resistance will retaliate in a suitable way at the suitable time.”
A Hezbollah official said the wounded include the son of Hezbollah legislator Hassan Fadlallah and the son of senior security official Wafiq Safa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
— By Associated Press reporter Bassem Mroue
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's foreign minister has strongly condemned what he and other officials say was an Israeli attack in which hundred of pagers exploded across Lebanon and parts of Syria.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reports that Abbas Araghchi made the comments in a phone conversation with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdallah Bou Habib. The explosions occurred in the suburbs of Beirut and in other areas that are strongholds of Iran-backed Hezbollah.
IRNA reported that during the phone call, Araghchi offered condolences and expressed solidarity with the Lebanese government, nation. He also said Iran is ready to provide treatment for the injured people or their transfer to Tehran.
Israel has not commented.
BEIRUT — Lebanon’s foreign ministry has condemned what it called and “Israeli cyber attack,” in which hundreds of handheld pagers exploded across Lebanon and parts of Syria.
The ministry said in a statement that it is preparing to submit a complaint to the U.N. Security Council.
“This dangerous and deliberate Israeli escalation is accompanied by Israeli threats to expand the scope of the war against Lebanon on a large scale, and by the intransigence of Israeli’s positions calling for more bloodshed, destruction and devastation,” it said.
Israel has not commented.
BEIRUT — At least eight people were killed Tuesday after hundreds of handheld pagers exploded near simultaneously across Lebanon and in parts of Syria, government and Hezbollah officials said.
Officials pointed the finger at Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated, remote attack. The Israeli military declined to comment.
Lebanon’s health minister, Firas Abiad, said at least eight people were killed and 2,750 wounded. Hezbollah said at least two of its members were among the dead.
Iranian state-run IRNA news agency said that the country’s ambassador, Mojtaba Amani, was superficially wounded by an exploding pager and was being treated at a hospital.
BEIRUT — Hezbollah said in a statement that at 3:30 p.m. (1230 GMT) pagers used by people working for the group’s institutions began exploding “mysteriously,” killing a young girl and two Hezbollah members and wounding several people.
The statement said Hezbollah is carrying out “a security and scientific” investigation into the simultaneous explosions.
Hezbollah called on people not to listen to rumors that are part of “psychological warfare” as Israel threatens to change the facts on the ground along its northern border.
“The resistance, at all its levels, is on high alert to defend Lebanon and its steadfast people,” the statement said.
JERUSALEM — Israel’s internal security agency says it foiled an attempt by Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group to kill a former senior Israeli security official.
The Shin Bet said in a statement on Tuesday that it had found an explosive device fitted with a camera and a mechanism that would allow it to be activated by Hezbollah from Lebanon. It said the attack was to be carried out in the coming days.
The Shin Bet did not provide evidence linking the device to Hezbollah, which has been trading fire with Israel along the Lebanese border since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
It did not say where the device was found or identify the target of the attack, but said the official had been notified. It said the device was similar to one found in a park in Tel Aviv in September 2023 that it said was intended to target a senior Israeli official.
That device went off without causing any injuries. The Shin Bet said Hezbollah was behind both planned attacks.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.
In recent days Israeli officials have warned of a wider military operation to halt Hezbollah rocket attacks and allow tens of thousands of Israelis to return to their homes in the north.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian officials say Israel has struck a number of homes in the central Gaza Strip, killing at least four people, including a child. The Civil Defense first responders say more people are trapped under the rubble and the toll is likely to rise after the strikes early Tuesday.
Another strike late Monday in Gaza City killed a man, his wife and child, according to the Civil Defense.
Israel says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It accuses Hamas and other armed groups of endangering civilians by operating in densely populated areas.
The Civil Defense said that their rescue crews came under Israeli fire as they arrived in the area, injuring one.
The Israeli military said it was targeting militants preparing to fire at troops and was reviewing “reports regarding harm to uninvolved civilians.” A military official speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations said that paramedics from agencies such as the U.N. sometimes have to coordinate with the military before rushing in to evacuate the wounded.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, which was ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel. It does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says a little over half of those killed were women and children.
The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attacks and took another 250 hostage. They are still holding around 100 captives, a third of whom are believed to be dead, after most of the rest were released during a cease-fire in November.
JERUSALEM — Returning residents evacuated from Israel’s north due to cross-border fighting with Hezbollah is now an official war goal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday.
Israeli officials have long said they aim to return the tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to their homes, so it was not immediately clear how the announcement would impact the conduct of the war. But it was a strong indication Israel is prepared to take tougher military action to realize that goal.
Visiting White House envoy Amos Hochstein met with Netanyahu and other top officials Monday to try to soothe tensions and avoid the opening of a new front between Israel and Lebanon.
Netanyahu told the envoy that Israel will do “whatever is necessary” to bring home the residents.
In a brief statement after an overnight Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu’s office said Israel will continue to work toward the goal — the latest sign that patience is running out.
Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that sparked the Israel-Hamas war. Since then, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire daily, coming close to a full-blown war on several occasions and forcing tens of thousands on both sides of the border to evacuate their homes.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has said the focal point of military action is moving from Gaza to Israel’s northern front. In talks with Hochstein on Monday, both he and Netanyahu warned that time was running out for a diplomatic solution and heavier military activity could be inevitable.
UNITED NATIONS — The United States ambassador to the United Nations accused Israel’s military of striking schools, humanitarian workers and civilians in Gaza in a sign of growing American frustration with its close ally as the war approaches its first anniversary.
Israel has repeatedly said it targets Hamas militants, who often hide with civilians and use them as human shields, in retaliation for the Oct. 7 attacks in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and launched the war in Gaza.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield was unusually outspoken against the Israeli military at a U.N. Security Council meeting Monday, saying many of the strikes in recent weeks that injured or killed U.N. personnel and humanitarian workers were preventable.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an independent investigation.
Thomas-Greenfield told council members that the U.S. will keep raising the need for Israel to facilitate humanitarian operations in the Palestinian territory and protect humanitarian workers and facilities. She also reiterated outrage at the death of Turkish American activist Aysenur Eygi, who was shot and killed Sept. 6 during a protest in the West Bank. Israeli Defense Forces said it likely killed Eygi by mistake, and the government began a criminal investigation.
Palestinians in Lebanon hold placards during a protest in front of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
People gather outside the American University hospital after the arrival of several people who were wounded by exploding handheld pagers, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
Civil Defense first-responders carry a man who was wounded after his handheld pager exploded, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.(AP Photo)
FILE - Smoke rises after an Israeli shelling on an area in Lebanon, seen from the Israel-annexed Golan Heights, next to the Israeli-Lebanese border, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, FIle)
Mehmet, left. the father of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26 year-old Turkish-American activist killed by the Israeli military, attends prayers during his daughter's funeral outside the central mosque of Didim, Turkey, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024,(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A Palestinian woman rides her donkey near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Palestinians in Lebanon wave their national flags during a protest in front of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
An Israeli firefighter works to extinguish a fire burning in an area, following an attack from Lebanon, near the Kibbutz Snir, northern Israel, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
