Customer Reviews

Riptide - The Complete First Season

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Diciding to go into the private-detective business, Nick & Cody worked from Cody's cabin cruiser, the "Riptide". Having at least two advantages over the compitition: Cody's Speeboat the "Ebbtide", and the "Screaming Mimi", Nick's old but serviceable pink painted helicopter.

Since they knew it was the high-tech era, they employed an army buddy called Boz, a computer nerd and genius with electronics.

The boys also occasionally get the help of Mama Jo and her charter boat all-girl crew moored next to their boat.

First telecasted on January 3rd, 1984 until its last telecast on April 22nd, 1986 for a total of three seasons and 58 episodes.

The show ranked 18th among the best 30 TV shows in its first season, getting 18.8% of viewers according to the Nielsen Rating. The rating jumped even higher in the second season ranking 14th, getting 19.2% of viewers(The Nielsen Rating is the percent of all TV-equipped homes tuned to the program on an average night, as measured by the Nielsen Media Research).

The cast were:
* Cody Allen ..... Perry King
* Nick Ryder ..... Joe Penny
* Murray "Boz" Bozinsky ..... Thom Bray
* Mama Jo (Occasional, 1984) ..... Anne Francis
* Lt. Ted Quinlan (1984-1985) ..... Jack Ging
* Kirk "The Dool" Dooley (1984-1985) ..... Ken Olandt
* Lt. Joanna Parisi (1985-1986) ..... June Chadwick

The first season consisted of 14 episodes and they are as follows:

01- Riptide (Pilot) (1) 1/3/1984
02- Riptide (Pilot) (2) 1/3/1984
03- Conflict Of Interest 1/10/1984
04- Somebody's Killing The Great Geeks Of America 1/17/1984
05- Hatchet Job 1/31/1984
06- The Mean Green Love Machine 2/7/1984
07- Diamonds Are For Never 2/21/1984
08- The Hardcase 2/28/1984
09- Four-Eyes 3/6/1984
10- #1 With A Bullet 3/20/1984
11- Long Distance Daddy 3/27/1984
12- Double Your Pleasure 4/3/1984
13- Raiders Of The Lost Sub 5/15/1984
14- Something Fishy 5/22/1984

I Hope the second and third season will be released shortly after the first.

Thanks for reading my review and have a nice day :)

There are TWO releases of Riptide "Season one" on DVD. This release by Sony, and another by a company named VEI. Here is why I'm urging you NOT to buy this version, and instead support VEI;

Sony has a long history of neglecting fans and waiting for several YEARS to release further seasons. They also tend to discontinue many DVD TV releases, citing poor sales (no further seasons). For instance, TJ Hooker may never see another season released.

VEI on the other hand, seems to care about the fans of each series they release. Everyone thought that Hardcastle and McCormick would never make it to DVD, yet VEI released ALL THREE seasons, QUICKLY, and apparently unedited (no music changes)!

Sony has not released season TWO of Riptide, while VEI has already released BOTH Season One AND Season Two, with Season Three just around the corner (February 27, 2008)! I doubt you will even see a Season Two release of Riptide by Sony!

So, why would you want to buy this release and support Sony, when they will probably NEVER even release season two? Before clicking on the "BUY" button, I urge you to Search Amazon for the VEI release. As consumers we need to support the DVD releasing companies that SUPPORT ALL OF US!

Here's the info on the DVD release that you should buy:

Studio: Unidisc.Inc (This is VEI)
DVD Release Date: November 7, 2006
ASIN: B000HD0YGA

You'll find it here on Amazon.

Also, the VEI release is indeed an "Official Release" (Fully Licensed) and you will not be sacrificing quality!

VEI will soon be releasing Stingray, another great Stephen J. Cannell series!!!

I have NO AFFILIATION with VEI. I'm just a fan who appreciates it when a studio actually releases an entire TV series, quickly!

This series deserves FIVE STARS. The ONE STAR rating is for this SONY release.

JM

The genius of Riptide is difficult to quantify; it is the one subtle aspect of a show that threatens to careen overboard in all other areas. You first briefly see its brilliance during the opening theme, so explosively edited that the appearance of the title itself feels like an afterthought. You see it in the characters: in Nick and Cody, who are constantly surrounded by beautiful, bikini-clad women but always look most comfortable sharing each other's personal space; in Murray, the impossibly earnest nerd who must have invented wireless internet; in Roboz, who brilliantly doubles as inimitable set design and convenient deus ex machina; and even in Quinlan, a police chief so one-dimensionally inept that he symbolizes an erratic force of nature more than a being capable of rational thought. You see it in the action sequences, bravely realistic in their haphazard composition, and in their running gags, the sheer length of which must have set network television records every week. It even shines through in the guest stars, most of them lesser-known actresses showcasing the most unique of performances. You see it too in the deceptively uncomplicated plots, the curious end credit freeze-frame choices, the ever-unspooling variations on the theme reprise, and the alarming frequency of shirt-removing.

It all adds up to a singular viewing experience, a fascinating product of its time that could not be replicated today. Two more seasons of Riptide gold were produced, including cameos by Steve Allen, James Cromwell and George Clooney; hopefully sales of this DVD will be high enough to warrant their future release.

Its great to see this tv series finally released. Some of the special effects may be a little dated or cheesy but the dialogue is crisp, fast & fun. Perry King & Joe Penny were at their physical peak & very easy on the eyes. They also had a real chemistry & easy banter that was believeable as long-time friends running a detective agency. They also managed to squeeze in a racing car, speeding boat or swooping helicopter chase in each episode. Worth the price & hope to see season 2 & 3 released soon.

A totally cool time warp back into the jiggly, wonderfully politically incorrect 1980s - LOVE IT! And man, oh, man is Perry King easy on the eyes!!! :)

It's funny how when you are a kid, you see things so differently. I used to love this show (still do), but now I can see exactly how corny and cheesy it was. I never used to notice what stands out today like a sore thumb - bad acting, bad editing, the two main characters Nick and Cody always touching each other and plain unrealism, however it's for some reason excellent.
There are two 'hunks' (I always did like Nick - Joe Penny) and a geek who is into computers (if they only knew back then what we know now about computers). They run a detective agency and solve cases. Each episode stands alone and by the 80's standards was pretty high tech. One reason this is probably so good is because of what they could do without today's technology - no cell phones or internet etc. This is crime the old fashioned way and it sure was fun.
If you can get beyond the outdated fashion, the corn factor and the bad humour, then you will love it. Stephen J Cannell productions put this out and he was responsible for so many hits back in the day. It's plain old fun and I highly recommend it. It brings back a few memories that's for sure. PS. - Look for appearances from a very young Geena Davis, Denis Franz and Kelly Preston.

What can I say? The long wait has ended. Fans of this 80's classic detective show are so happy to finally have this gem to add to their collection. Riptide was not a critic's darling or media attention-grabber, but this was escaptist fun at its best. Buy this. Discover Cody Allen, Nick Ryder and Murray Bozinsky...three guys - three true friends - a pink helicopter (yes, pink) and whole lot of humor and good times. The relationship between these characters only grows and deepens in Seasons 2 & 3. Let's hope they follow soon.

This show isn't for newcomers--the scripts and mysteries aren't spectacular, there are no extras, and the transfers are so-so, particularly on the pilot. There's graininess on that episode, and washed-out skies on the rest, although other colors are fine.

Ah, but the nostalgia factor! My sophmore college roommate just sprang full-blown into my mind as soon as the show cued up. That Mike Post theme music--a signature of 80s action shows--is there in all its glory. Nick and Cody are hot and often shirtless, and Murray Bozinski as the computer geek is head and shoulders above T.C., Rick, and the rest of the 80s sidekick crowd. The relationship between the trio is sweet, some of the unsophisticated humor had me laughing out loud, and the computer stuff is just amazinging simplistic after all these years. This show is just wonderfully cheesy. Boz is really more hero than sidekick, and his character is, in some ways, the best.

I always remembered the third episode in which Nick meets up with a smart girl he knew in high school who hates him now. They have an exchange about the misunderstandings from way back when at the show's midpoint and bury the hatchet--and the scene is just as sweet, charming, and real as I remember.

I love Alias, Lost, and 24 as much as any other modern viewer--but if you ever want to step back to a time when t.v. was just mindless, silly, light fun at times, there's no better way than revisiting Riptide.

The Riptide first season was lots of fun to watch again after all those years. Its still great. I wish there was some bonus features like a reunion etc. The first episode, I saw a few years after the original run I always thought was a reunion movie, but I didn't know it was the pilot. Can,t wait for season 2 and hope for bonuses.

Riptide was and will always be my favourite tv show. I was only in my teens when I saw this series and having it now on DVD is a dream come true. This show had it all, three best mates, girls, Nick's corevtte, car chases, shoot outs, the Sreaming Mimi. One awesome show.