Silk Stalkings - General Discussion

[Guest]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[Guest]

Discuss.

[TimetoShine]

I was a kid (and watched after initial airing) but I still can't forgive what happened to Chris. Lol, gets me mad every time I think about it. 

Edited February 20, 2017 by TimetoShine

[WendyCR72]

5 hours ago, TimetoShine said:

I was a kid (and watched after initial airing) but I still can't forgive what happened to Chris. Lol, gets me mad every time I think about it. 

Blame Rob Estes. It's the ending he wanted! (Well, to be fair, he was leaving and he didn't think Chris would ever leave Rita and their baby otherwise, so...) And it's better than the exit the writers initially were planning (Mitzi also leaving changed to the other ending) where Chris/Rita hooked up, but it would ruin their partnership/friendship and Chris leaves Palm Beach and transfers to another police force! (As I said, this was thought of before Mitzi also made it clear she wanted to leave.)

I'm not sure which I hate more.

[WendyCR72]

I cannot believe how much the DVD sets are going for on eBay now (at least the first 5 seasons). The Anchor Bay sets - now out of print - are at insane prices! Mill Creek re released S1 but no older seasons and, after S1, just released the Tom/Cassy years in a single set, skipping the others altogether.

I guess I'm lucky I bought the DVDs as they were released. I do recall Anchor Bay made an error where the S5 box had S4 episode titles and descriptions, but they had a replacement program, so I managed to be lucky enough to get the "right" box...

[Angelsmom1009]

4 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

I cannot believe how much the DVD sets are going for on eBay now (at least the first 5 seasons). The Anchor Bay sets - now out of print - are at insane prices! Mill Creek re released S1 but no older seasons and, after S1, just released the Tom/Cassy years in a single set, skipping the others altogether.

I guess I'm lucky I bought the DVDs as they were released. I do recall Anchor Bay made an error where the S5 box had S4 episode titles and descriptions, but they had a replacement program, so I managed to be lucky enough to get the "right" box...

Last time I checked, the entire series is on Hulu, I was binge watching not too long ago :-)

9 hours ago, TimetoShine said:

I was a kid (and watched after initial airing) but I still can't forgive what happened to Chris. Lol, gets me mad every time I think about it. 

Me too, me and my friend/next door neighbor watched it with her grandmother religiously, and we continued to watch up until a few episodes after Rita died and Chris left. The new people just didn't have the same chemistry. Watching it as an adult, I know the sex and violence is pretty tame by today's standards, but damn, I don't know how my 9-year old self was allowed to watch this show without the adults in my life batting an eyelash, LOL!

Now if they would just release New York Undercover SOMEWHERE, my life would be complete :-)!

[Racj82]

On Mon Feb 20 2017 at 9:24 PM, Angelsmom1009 said:

Last time I checked, the entire series is on Hulu, I was binge watching not too long ago :-)

Me too, me and my friend/next door neighbor watched it with her grandmother religiously, and we continued to watch up until a few episodes after Rita died and Chris left. The new people just didn't have the same chemistry. Watching it as an adult, I know the sex and violence is pretty tame by today's standards, but damn, I don't know how my 9-year old self was allowed to watch this show without the adults in my life batting an eyelash, LOL!

Now if they would just release New York Undercover SOMEWHERE, my life would be complete :-)!

Don't tease about the last part. That ain't never gonna happen though. Those music rights ain't nothing to play with.

This was my first ship for real. Or maybe second after Winnie and Kevin. Wonder years. Both these ships left me unsatisfied to say the least.

[ketose]

The actors really should have hung on a few more seasons, they haven't had too much going on since.

[ketose]

I actually remember Susanna Thompson when she played an unlikable DA in the Pilot. It was her first TV gig according to IMDB.

[WendyCR72]

4 hours ago, ketose said:

I actually remember Susanna Thompson when she played an unlikable DA in the Pilot. It was her first TV gig according to IMDB.

I remember her. She and Rita were close to catfighting, verbally if not physically. Rita was a lot "harder" in the pilot/S1. (Probably because of that brain aneurysm that also quickly disappeared post S1.)

[WendyCR72]

4 hours ago, ketose said:

The actors really should have hung on a few more seasons, they haven't had too much going on since.

I know Mitzi Kapture did some USA movies (back before NBC Universal bought the channel and stopped those) and was on Baywatch, but yeah. Still, Rob Estes still seems to pop up. I know he is doing an arc on Major Crimes. And he seems to still land gigs. I understand he is remarried with small kids (I know his kids with Josie Bissett must be older by now), so maybe he needs the cash more?

[ketose]

2 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

I remember her. She and Rita were close to catfighting, verbally if not physically. Rita was a lot "harder" in the pilot/S1. (Probably because of that brain aneurysm that also quickly disappeared post S1.)

Oh man, that dumb brain aneurysm. Forgot about that plot line. One of the better things about the show is that it started off with a lot of gimmicks and actually settled down in later seasons.

[Jaded]

8 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

I know Mitzi Kapture did some USA movies (back before NBC Universal bought the channel and stopped those) and was on Baywatch, but yeah. Still, Rob Estes still seems to pop up. I know he is doing an arc on Major Crimes. And he seems to still land gigs. I understand he is remarried with small kids (I know his kids with Josie Bissett must be older by now), so maybe he needs the cash more?

She was on The Young and the Restless for awhile too. Her character was the Mom to one of the young female characters and had an affair with one of the young male ones who had dated her daughter.

[Vandy10]

On February 23, 2017 at 4:22 PM, Racj82 said:

Don't tease about the last part. That ain't never gonna happen though. Those music rights ain't nothing to play with.

This was my first ship for real. Or maybe second after Winnie and Kevin. Wonder years. Both these ships left me unsatisfied to say the least.

Never say never! For years that was the reason given for why China Beach wasn't getting released on DVD, but they finally did in the last couple of years. So, it might take 25 years, but it could happen! LOL

[ketose]

On 7/19/2017 at 8:14 AM, Vandy10 said:

Never say never! For years that was the reason given for why China Beach wasn't getting released on DVD, but they finally did in the last couple of years. So, it might take 25 years, but it could happen! LOL

WKRP never got good clearance, so there's a considerable amount of crappy filler music instead. That show is 40 years old.

[WendyCR72]

1 hour ago, ketose said:

WKRP never got good clearance, so there's a considerable amount of crappy filler music instead. That show is 40 years old.

In the original release, yeah. But it was re-released a few years back by another company that, IIRC, cleared about 90%+ of the music used.

[ketose]

4 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

In the original release, yeah. But it was re-released a few years back by another company that, IIRC, cleared about 90%+ of the music used.

Shout Factory certainly put more effort into clearing WKRP music. I'm glad After The Love Has Gone made it back in, but some stuff still hasn't due to what I consider stubborn rights holders.

Much like the out of print Silk Stalkings DVDs, the mostly restored WKRP was selling for over $100. Apparently, it's gone down now. Thanks, WendyCR72, I might pick up a copy.

[Serendi]

I'm so annoyed that the series ended on such an AWFUL note, namely a cliffhanger in which the darling Chris Potter and Janet Gunn have just had a NASTY conversation that makes it seem like there's no way back from it.

Grrrr....

[WendyCR72]

1 hour ago, Serendi said:

I'm so annoyed that the series ended on such an AWFUL note, namely a cliffhanger in which the darling Chris Potter and Janet Gunn have just had a NASTY conversation that makes it seem like there's no way back from it.

Grrrr....

Yeah. But, in a way, I think it was partly TPTB's fault. While ratings did rebound from the disastrous Michael/Holly blip, it apparently still wasn't as high as the Chris/Rita days and it was 8 seasons in. Being so aged, there should have been a more definitive ending, just in case. And, if I recall, the last season or two went from the usual September/May deals like the network shows to a summer series. Maybe a demotion, maybe not, but it showed me it was no longer on priority show on USA.

But then, a lot of shows get caught in the lurch just like this one, with no resolution. It always sucks.

Well, according to Wikipedia (this was in the article for USA Up All Night but seems to apply across the board):

"In 1998, USA came under the new management of Barry Diller, and decided to go for a more general and upscale viewership. This meant many of USA's long-running series were either overhauled or canceled." (Silk Stalkings got axed in early 1999.)

Guessing it was Diller that axed Silk Stalkings. Maybe TPTB didn't know, after all.

[Serendi]

I agree that whoever decided to end the series on that particular cliffhanger was taking a major chance. At least "John Doe" has had someone say publicly how the cliffhanger would have been resolved. Ah, well....

[WendyCR72]

I just realized it will be a full 20 years in April since the show ended! (April 1999) My God, I'm old!

[ketose]

22 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

I just realized it will be a full 20 years in April since the show ended! (April 1999) My God, I'm old!

And over 25 since the show premiered. The show was cancelled on CBS for the "new" David Letterman Late Show.

[WendyCR72]

6 minutes ago, ketose said:

And over 25 since the show premiered. The show was cancelled on CBS for the "new" David Letterman Late Show.

Yeah, it premiered in 1991 on CBS' "Crimetime After Primetime" and also shown on USA. David Letterman took the slot in 1993, and the show moved exclusively to USA that same year. Wow. Like I said, I'm old!

[WendyCR72]

Doubt anyone will read this, but eh! I decided to go "old school" and watch some Silk Stalkings on Hulu. I ended up watching, at one point, "Cadillac Jack" from S4, the episode where Rita's friend was seeing a married man and killed in "Margaritaville" and meets cops Jack and Savannah, investigating the case.

Out of curiosity, I looked up some of the actors from the episode, and I was stunned to learn that Meg Wittner, who played Savannah, was born in 1950! I thought she was a contemporary of Rob Estes and Mitzi Kapture, both born in the early '60s. So Wittner had a good 12 years on them. But you'd never know it!

Great genes, I guess!

As an aside, if we had to have another pair to finish S5 with Kapture and Estes' departures, maybe the show should have brought Jack and Savannah back. But then there likely would not have been the need for the third pairing/recasts with Chris Potter/Tom and Janet Gunn/Cassy.

[Jaded]

It still makes me kinda sad when I think of how they chose to write off the characters of Rita and Chris. I always understood that it probably made it easier to get them both off screen. That never made me dislike it any less though.

[DXD526]

I always found the killing off of Chris to be mean spirited. Thought so at the time and still think so. They could have written those two out of the show by having them just disappear together, there was no reason for death. It seemed mean and unnecessary and I never enjoyed the show as much afterward. 

[ketose]

5 hours ago, DXD526 said:

I always found the killing off of Chris to be mean spirited. Thought so at the time and still think so. They could have written those two out of the show by having them just disappear together, there was no reason for death. It seemed mean and unnecessary and I never enjoyed the show as much afterward. 

It's sort of an infamous sour grapes reaction where if you want to leave, the producers make it harder to come back. They killed of Col. Blake on his way home on MASH. They killed off Marissa on when she was leaving the OC.

[WendyCR72]

I hate that Chris died, too. But, as I said, blame Rob Estes. Apparently, he wanted it. (He did not think Chris would leave Rita and their child any other way.) If he did have to die, at least he died protecting Rita and their baby.

Still better than what was originally planned, before Mitzi Kapture announced her departure, too. In that they would sleep together, the friendship sours, then Chris leaves town. It was not a rumor. I believe I read this in TV Guide years back or whatever. But then MK wanted out, so things were changed.

So in the end, I can't decide if Chris dying or the above plan was worse.

[WendyCR72]

One thing that never changed from years ago and a few days ago when re-watching "Cadillac Jack": I was glad to see the back of Jillian! (Rita would be rid of Eric in the season 4 finale, the following episode, "Into The Fire".)

I wonder why the original actress to play Jillian (in "Natural Selection", Parts 1 and 2), Nancy Valen, didn't stick around? Suanne Braun was okay, but something in her portrayal irked me.

[Jaded]

I've been watching the show on Pluto even though it's on the FilmRise app and apparently officially on YouTube too. I saw an episode where Rita found out she was pregnant by a boyfriend who turned out to be crooked. Did she loose that baby, then get pregnant again after she and Chris got together? I was so confused. I hadn't seen the show in years until I saw it on the Pluto app late last year. I also didn't remember that Ben Vereen was around for more then one season and that Charlie along with Mitzi (his wife in the show too) didn't come on as cast members until the 3rd season. For some reason I thought their guest appearances as different characters happened near the end of season one.

Here's the Silk Stalkings YT channel with all of the episodes there which I just discovered earlier.

[WendyCR72]

13 hours ago, Jaded said:

I've been watching the show on Pluto even though it's on the FilmRise app and apparently officially on YouTube too. I saw an episode where Rita found out she was pregnant by a boyfriend who turned out to be crooked. Did she loose that baby, then get pregnant again after she and Chris got together?

No, she wasn't pregnant. As she told Chris at the end of the episode ("Into The Fire", S4), she had endometriosis.

[Jaded]

2 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

No, she wasn't pregnant. As she told Chris at the end of the episode ("Into The Fire", S4), she had endometriosis.

I don't know how I missed that last scene. I just watched it on YT and saw what you mentioned. I must have gotten distracted by something which was most likely my cat trying to get my attention and missed the ending considering the time of night I usually watch the show.

Edited January 24, 2020 by Jaded

[WendyCR72]

4 hours ago, Jaded said:

I don't know how I missed that last scene. I just watched it on YT and saw what you mentioned. I must have gotten distracted by something which was most likely my cat trying to get my attention and missed the ending considering the time of night I usually watch the show.

Well, to be fair, it's an old show and, hey, it aired late when it originally aired, too! So, could have been easy to miss!

[WendyCR72]

Shout! TV buys the rights to Stephen J. Cannell's library; plans for streaming of those properties. Silk Stalkings is on the list.

[WendyCR72]

An extremely young-looking Mitzi McCall (Frannie Lipschitz) is on a 1974 episode of Match Game on GSN today.

[Rossmaniu]

I cannot for the life of my find an episode that I remember watching years ago. 
 

someone who looked like Rita was shot in her apt and everyone thought it was her. She showed up while Chris was in her apt upset and said that a friend was apt sitting and that must have been who was killed. Anyone remember it???

[WendyCR72]

On 9/9/2020 at 12:51 AM, Rossmaniu said:

I cannot for the life of my find an episode that I remember watching years ago. 
 

someone who looked like Rita was shot in her apt and everyone thought it was her. She showed up while Chris was in her apt upset and said that a friend was apt sitting and that must have been who was killed. Anyone remember it???

"The Party's Over", Season 3.

[Rossmaniu]

On 9/14/2020 at 10:33 PM, WendyCR72 said:

"The Party's Over", Season 3.

Thank you!  I’ve been binge watching lately cause it was a fav of mine when it aired. Holding out hope for a reboot now that I’m sucked back in. Can’t bring myself to watch season 5 yet...still bitter about it 😂🤣 

[WendyCR72]

1 minute ago, Rossmaniu said:

Thank you!  I’ve been binge watching lately cause it was a fav of mine when it aired. Holding out hope for a reboot now that I’m sucked back in. Can’t bring myself to watch season 5 yet...still bitter about it 😂🤣 

If you don't mind my asking, where are you watching it?

[Rossmaniu]

3 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

If you don't mind my asking, where are you watching it?

Seasons 1-4 are on Amazon Prime for free (with short ads in a couple spots each episode. Season 5 I found on YouTube for free (not free on Prime). 

[Jaded]

Oddly enough Season 8 is available through Prime all by itself .....Seasons 1-4 are offered through Amazon's  IMDB streaming service viewable through Amazon. Apparently Seasons  6 and 7 are pay extra to view on Amazon (with the Shout! Factory logo) in the same playlist as the Season 8 I mentioned previously that's included with Prime.  

Seasons 1-4 are also on YT in a playlist on FilmRise's channel there, on Tubi TV and on Pluto in their On Demand section.  I know FilmRise and Shout TV have different distribution rights but it's weird that Season 5 isn't included with 1-4 which are free to view on multiple sites while also not being included in what Shout! Factory is offering through Amazon to view.

P.S. I just found seasons 5-8 all viewable for free on Shout! Factory's website. The picture quality isn't that great compared to the seasons FilmRise has made available. They also used the edited version of the opening which I think is the international one that omits the lady vocalizing.

https://www.shoutfactorytv.com/videos?utf8=✓&commit=submit&q=silk+stalkings

Edited September 20, 2020 by Jaded

[Rossmaniu]

Mitzi did an interview on CRAGG radio a couple of days ago...teased with conversations of a possible reunion...ugh, that would be a dream and so awesome if it happened!

 

 

[Jaded]

Thanks for that @Rossmaniu!

I installed the  Shout! Factory app on my Fire TV to see what the Silk Stalkings seasons offered would look like on my TV and my advice would be not to do it. I was shocked at how much worse the quality was compared to what it is on their website which is already pretty poor. The quality reminded me of a TV I had in my room when I was young that had a row of buttons going down the right side for each channel. On the side of the TV in a compartment with a small door with tuners one would run a finger over to get each channel to come in clearly. When a channel had issues coming in clearly it looked like what the episodes do on the  Shout! Factory site. I was lucky that little TV allowed me to have cable in my room though. 

Not that it matters but this is the TV model I was describing above. It's been a long time since I saw one like this in person.

Sorry for the babbling...

[Rossmaniu]

6 hours ago, Jaded said:

Thanks for that @Rossmaniu!

I installed the  Shout! Factory app on my Fire TV to see what the Silk Stalkings seasons offered would look like on my TV and my advice would be not to do it. I was shocked at how much worse the quality was compared to what it is on their website which is already pretty poor. The quality reminded me of a TV I had in my room when I was young that had a row of buttons going down the right side for each channel. On the side of the TV in a compartment with a small door with tuners one would run a finger over to get each channel to come in clearly. When a channel had issues coming in clearly it looked like what the episodes do on the  Shout! Factory site. I was lucky that little TV allowed me to have cable in my room though. 

Not that it matters but this is the TV model I was describing above. It's been a long time since I saw one like this in person.

Sorry for the babbling...

I started watching season 5 on shout on my iPad and the quality seems ok—better than Prime for seasons 1-4. I remember TVs back when the show was on...and taping with VHS 🤣. I’m sure chances are small for the reunion but one can hope and dream—mainly to fix the original ending for Rita and Chris. Still can’t watch their last 2 episodes 😂😫

[Rossmaniu]

There is an app/website STIRR tv...that has a 24 hr Silk Stalkings channel!

[WendyCR72]

17 hours ago, Rossmaniu said:

I’m sure chances are small for the reunion but one can hope and dream—mainly to fix the original ending for Rita and Chris. Still can’t watch their last 2 episodes 😂😫

I generally despise reboots/reunions, but if it fixes the travesty of an ending that Chris/Rita had, I'll make an exception. (Although I doubt it happens, so...) On another note, Chris/Rita were THE main reason for my late teen/early 20-something self watching this show. But while I never felt as invested after they departed, I did come to like Tom/Cassy well enough.

Enough to be miffed (not really upset like C/R's ending but...miffed) that the S8 Tom/Cassy cliffhanger went forever unanswered.

Generally had no use for Michael/Holly, if we're discussing all three teams.

[Rossmaniu]

22 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

I generally despise reboots/reunions, but if it fixes the travesty of an ending that Chris/Rita had, I'll make an exception. (Although I doubt it happens, so...) On another note, Chris/Rita were THE main reason for my late teen/early 20-something self watching this show. But while I never felt as invested after they departed, I did come to like Tom/Cassy well enough.

Enough to be miffed (not really upset like C/R's ending but...miffed) that the S8 Tom/Cassy cliffhanger went forever unanswered.

Generally had no use for Michael/Holly, if we're discussing all three teams.

I’m usually iffy on reboots as well but would LOVE to see that ending fixed—still get angry watching their last two episodes. 
 

I honestly never gave other seasons a look. Might give them a try but if the flubbed yo another ending it’ll just annoy me even more 🤣😂. 
 

STIRR app/website has a 24 hr silk Stalkings channel with episodes from seasons 1-4. Quality is pretty good as well. 

[ketose]

The show came out in the early 90's, so the resolution is going to be broadcast quality, which has something like 1/6 of the pixels of a standard HD show now. Plus, the color depth is not as good. I have some old stuff on VHS where the reception was less than perfect and there's "snow" in the screen. I remember when I first watched HD and was amazed at how much sharper it was.

[Jaded]

On 9/26/2020 at 8:17 PM, ketose said:

The show came out in the early 90's, so the resolution is going to be broadcast quality, which has something like 1/6 of the pixels of a standard HD show now. Plus, the color depth is not as good. I have some old stuff on VHS where the reception was less than perfect and there's "snow" in the screen. I remember when I first watched HD and was amazed at how much sharper it was.

Shows from that long ago or before can be remastered to look perfectly decent without being in HD. The FilmRise Silk Stalking episodes (Seasons 1-4)  are the ones available from the various places including STIRR look good visually because the quality has been cleaned up. I just hate that Shout! Factory seems to acquire rights to TV and movies then proceeds to just release them without doing anything to improve their watch ability when it's needed. The Shout! Factory episodes look a lot better on a smaller screen at least compared to trying to watch them on a TV.

Edited September 28, 2020 by Jaded

[Jaded]

The openings for Seasons 6, 7 and 8 on Shout! Factory seem to be the regular one with the lady vocalizing. The first five seasons available there have the opening without vocalizing and just the music. I wonder if the issue is broadcasting rights so the early seasons on their site are from a different source then the later ones.