Posting has been a little thin in these, the dog days of summer. Not that that’s an actual excuse, mind you, it just sounds nice. In any case, I think this one may be a little popular. My stats are clear on one thing, readers like color, and readers love the ’80s. Hey, I love both, too; just a little trickier getting ’80s furs here, at least with televised sources. This leads me to this, which isn’t from a televised source at all. They didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped because the DVD of Seasons 1 & 2 of Moonlighting is pretty crappy.
Moonlighting – The Series
Not to say that Moonlighting wasn’t televised, it certainly was, and I watched it. The story of a down-on-her-luck model/actress (Cybill Shepherd) with only one remaining source of income, a detective agency she didn’t know she had, and the relatively free-spirited guy (Bruce Willis) who ran the place solo until she showed up. Romantic tension abounded, cases were solved, and some very innovative television appeared from time to time. Then the writers screwed it all up. But that was seasons 3 and 4, so my annoyance with the show shouldn’t be much of an issue here.
Moonlighting – The Furs
While the monetary woes of Madeline “Maddie” Hayes drove her to a day job at a detective agency, little about her home and, most importantly, her wardrobe suggested she was in any real financial trouble. No, Maddie generally looked the part of a model/actress, and she certainly didn’t have to sell her furs to make ends meet. Oh, what furs they were…
“Gunfight at the So-So Corral”
This episode introduces us to the full-length amber fox coat that receives quite a bit of screen time in this and another episode. The coat ends up in the credit sequence for Cybill Shepherd in later seasons.
This episode provides two relatively long sequences for the fox coat, which is, like every fur Maddie wears, a poster child for 80’s mega fox.
There are a few good close shots of it as well.
Fur Runtime: 3:55
“Read the Mind… See the Movie”
Up next is this equally ravishing crystal fox.
Like the previous episode, the coat is given quite the display, clocking in at nearly 3 minutes, with some great wide shots.
And closer shots as Maddie argues with David later. Them, arguing? I’m shocked!
Fur Runtime: 2:41
“Next Stop, Murder”
The full-length amber fox fur coat is back, and if you didn’t get enough of it in “Gunfight at the So-So Corral,” then “Next Stop, Murder” will help you out… a lot.
The coat clocks in at about 8 minutes of screen time, almost a fifth of the episode.
She wears it dangling from her shoulders most of that time, as we’re treated to it from almost every angle and width of shot.
Multiple close-ups provide very lovely views of Miss Shepherd’s face framed by the fur.
Fur Runtime: 7:30
“Brother, Can You Spare a Blonde?”
Season two starts off relatively light, with what may be the crystal fox coat seen in “Read the Mind… See the Movie” in a confined driving shot. It’s probably an entirely different coat, though.
The coat is only seen twice when she’s driving and once when she’s a passenger. Not all that great an episode by any stretch of the imagination.
Fur Runtime: 0:40
“Knowing Her”
Things don’t pick up much as season two rolls on. While Miss Shepherd did most of the fur wearing in the series, it certainly wasn’t exclusive to her. This relatively quick shot of a quintessential 80’s prostitute, wearing fox, of course, isn’t very long but is appreciated for keeping the stereotype alive.
Fur Runtime: 0:18
“The Bride of Tupperman”
Things get back on track with this episode and a full-length lynx fur coat that receives all the attention it deserves.
There are a few close-ups, and the coat is seen from all angles.
Plus, she is wearing some gloves with lynx for those who may be interested.
This was the second season’s second-best fur episode overall.
Fur Runtime: 2:45
“North by North Dipesto”
In keeping with the opening up of mega fox fur coat wearing to those not Cybill Shepherd in season two, there’s reliable Agnes Dipesto’s shot at glamor with this episode.
While Agnes Dipesto (Allyce Beasley) doesn’t entirely fill this fur out the way Maddie might, she makes a go of it.
It becomes the focus of a joke as Agnes encounters a man who (dashingly) removes it and tosses it over a railing, where it lands on a chatting couple.
Fur Runtime: 0:20
“Every Daughter’s Father Is a Virgin”
Season two’s final fur is a good one to go out on. This is a different full-length white fox coat, and it is worn a bit more appropriately by Maddie Hayes. It also receives the screen time such an enormous fox merits, a good 2 minutes.
At no point in any episode has Maddie worn anything but a huge 80’s fox fur, and for that, we can certainly appreciate the dedication of the show’s costuming department.
You can tell this is a different white fox from “North by North Dipesto” because of the chevron pattern to the pelts in the back, which the previous white fox lacked.
Fur Runtime: 2:15
Moonlighting‘s overall episode ratio isn’t quite the impressive stat of a Dynasty or Dallas, but the quality of furs when they appear is exquisite. As I said, Maddie Hayes has only one kind of fur in her closet, and that’s big. There’s little doubt these fabulous fox and lynx coats hailed from the mid-’80s. Later seasons didn’t have much fur, but they were still uniformly large when they did. That certainly makes Moonlighting a worthy addition to any collection.
Full Gallery: Fur Fashions of Moonlighting’s 1st and 2nd Seasons
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