10 Amazing TV Action Set-Pieces That Rivalled Cinema
2. Miami Vice - Harbor Shoot-Out
For the 80s public, Miami Vice wasn’t the standard procedure series you caught at home, it was literally just as exciting (if not more so) then product at your local cineplex. There was no better proof of this than with the pilot's iconic finale.
As mismatched partners Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas) and Crockett (Don Johnson) put their differences aside and team up to take down their mutual target, the percussion of Phil Collins “In The Air Tonight” fades over the audio while they cruise down the night streets of Miami - audiences knew they were in for something truly special.
The following action scene paid off in spades; excitingly editing, brilliantly scored and with break-neck Uzi infused action. It's no surprise this show became a pop-culture phenomenon and major stepping stone for the TV format immediately after airing.