Silk Stalkings

Plot synopsis:
=== Chris and Rita ===
From 1991–95, the lead characters were played by Rob Estes and Mitzi Kapture, as detectives Christopher Lorenzo and Rita Lee Lance, respectively. Early in the series, Ben Vereen played Rita's boss Captain Hutchinson ("Hutch"). Vereen was compelled to retire from the show during the second season due to an off-screen accident, but he returned for a few guest appearances. His successor was Lt. Hudson, played by Robert Gossett, who stayed on until the third season. Chris and Rita's new boss, who would stay with the show for its duration, was Charlie Brill as Captain Harry Lipschitz. Brill would go on to appear in the most episodes of any actor, 129, ahead of Kapture's 101 and Estes' 100. He was promoted to the opening credits starting with season six.
Brill's real-life wife Mitzi McCall played Lipschitz's free-spirited wife Frannie on the series, and the two provided some occasional comic relief amid the dramatic tension of the storylines. They also appeared in the second season playing completely different characters. Working prominently with Lorenzo and Lance was assistant district attorney George Donovan (William Anton). Various recurring characters came and went, notably Dennis Paladino as mob boss Donnie "Dogs" DiBarto (DiBelco in his first appearance); John Byner as Cotton Dunn, a cunning but likable con artist; Scott Atkins as Officer Perry, a rookie cop; Kim Morgan Greene as Melissa Cassidy, a late night radio talk show host, sex therapist, and old flame of Chris's; Danny Gans as Roger, a coroner who frequently (and unsuccessfully) tried to get Rita to go out with him; Marie Marshall as Solange, a local photographer with a faux French accent who crossed paths with Chris and Rita in the second season; and Lucy Lin, who played forensic expert Dr. Noriko Weinstein. Actress Freda Foh Shen took over Lin's role in later episodes. In the first season, it was shown that Rita suffered from occasionally intense headaches, which were caused by a blood bubble in her brain. Rita opted not to have surgery to fix this because it was deemed too high-risk. However, as the series went on, this condition was gradually phased out of the plot and was never mentioned again.
Estes and Kapture were equal co-stars. The opening credits would alternate, one week showing Estes first and then Kapture, the following week showing Kapture first and then Estes. The opening montage of quick cuts were "teasers" that suggested the sexy and violent subject matter of the show, but were not taken from any of the show's actual episodes. According to Stephen Cannell, in a DVD extra, they were developed initially as a promo, filmed and assembled by Ralph Hemecker in a single day of filming, and featuring a leggy blonde actress/model whom Cannell said was named Avalon Jones. In the first two episodes of the series, Kapture was shown first, and then Estes; they alternated after that, except for Kapture's final episode, in which she (and not Estes) appeared in the opening montage, followed by the two new co-stars.
Two off-screen events in the summer of 1995 were pivotal to the show and were worked into the storyline. Both actors were ready to leave the series, Estes to pursue other acting opportunities and Kapture to take time off for her first child.
Estes had first flirted with departure at the end of the third season (spring of 1994). The season ended in a cliffhanger episode, "Dark Heart", with Chris being shot by an obsessed woman, played by Crystal Chappell. Chris was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance as the closing credits rolled. After negotiations, Estes decided to renew his contract, and the fourth season (fall 1994) began with Chris' recovery from his near-fatal wounds in a two-part episode, "Natural Selection", that was later released on VHS as a two-hour film.
In the fifth season (fall 1995), Chris and Rita's mutual attraction finally moved from friendship to love in a two-part episode in November, called "Partners". Nick Kokotakis, as detective Michael Price, was introduced during that episode. Rita, who was promoted to Lieutenant, was soon confirmed to be pregnant (as was Kapture in real life), and Chris and Rita were married in an early December episode titled "Till Death Do Us Part". The next week's episode, "The Last Kiss Goodnight", ended with Chris being shot and killed in the line of duty.
Kapture appeared in one more episode, "Dead Asleep". This episode's credits featured Kapture, but not Estes, (for the only time in the series) as well as Kokotakis and Tyler Layton, who was introduced in the previous episode as Chris' new partner, detective Holly Rawlins. Most of the episode, which began with Rita, Harry and Frannie Lipschitz, Price, Rawlins and Donovan at Chris' burial, was spent focusing on Michael and Holly's first case. At the end of the show, the grief-stricken Rita spends one final scene talking to Chris at his gravesite, says goodbye to Lipschitz, and leaves the force for parts unknown.
=== Tom and Cassy ===
With Estes and Kapture gone from the show, Kokotakis and Layton took over the lead roles. Fans of the show did not embrace the new characters, and they were replaced after that half-season by Chris Potter and Janet Gunn. Gunn, who starred in the Primetime after Crimetime series Dark Justice as Kelly Cochrane in 1992 and '93, previously played a secretary arrested for murder in season 3.
Unlike the transition that was played out between Chris and Rita and Michael and Holly, no on-screen explanation was given for Michael and Holly's departure, and fans of the series sometimes refer to them as the "lost cast". ADA George Donovan was also written out of the series at the end of season five, leaving Harry and Frannie Lipschitz as the lone holdovers from the Lance and Lorenzo episodes.
The detectives moved into an upgraded precinct in season seven.
The romantic chemistry between Potter and Gunn's characters, Tom Ryan and Cassandra St. John respectively (who, according to the story line, had been married to and divorced from one another before their arrival on the series), revived interest in the show and it rebounded in the ratings. After three additional seasons, USA canceled the series in 1999. The final episode of the final season, in spring 1999, placing Tom's career and relationship with Cassy on the rocks, was a cliffhanger with no resolution.

Tags: violence, neo noir, murder

Review:
Rob & Mitzi: More Chemistry than duPont!.
Silk Stalkings will go down in TV history as the little cable show that really scored in the ratings.
Rob Estes and MitziKapture had more genuine, honest and passionate on-screen chemistry than any TV characters I've ever seen before or since.
The show also featured great supporting players like Charlie Brill and William Anton.
But all good things eventually come to an end.
When Rob & Mitzi left in the middle of the 5th season the new team was totally unable to continue on in any way even close their predecessors.
Asthe 6th season started Executive Producer David Peckinpah left the series.
Season 6 gave us new producers, directors, writers, supporting players, and a new team of detectives.
We were supposed tobelieve that a divorced couple were now the number one detective team in Palm Beach.
had ever even known Chris and Rita.
Rob & Mitzi had more chemistry and heat sitting at their desks than Potter and Gunn could ever hope to muster.
It was just impossible to replace the magic that graced the screen with Rob Estes and Mitzi Kapture.
We still miss their characters but luckily have tapes to enjoy for years to come..
It is a sexy and overt grabber sequence that rivals that of "Hawaii Five-O", "Miami Vice", and even "Mission Impossible".It is usually followed by Rita's narrative of what is yet to come.So...
A formula that remains in use.Chris and Rita, the two main cop partner characters continue to have a professional but close relationship which adds some spark to the show.
The show still went on to much disappointment (at least by me).
Please don't dismiss the first few years.Silk Stalkings presented a very new and different scene for a police detective environment which borrows from "Miami Vice" and then takes it over the top.
When you get sick of commercials, just pop a Silk in the DVD player and enjoy.
The outrageous police department decor and the dress of the main characters helped keep me interested.Ignore the predictability, "Silk Stalkings" is a one of a kind, and worth a few enjoyable hours..
Two young, glamorous cops investigate and solve murders committed by snooty Palm Beach socialites, and do so without messing up their hairstyles or expensive wardrobes.
Most of the women wore form-fitting spandex, packed obvious silicone implants, and look like hookers masquerading as royalty.
To put it mildly, it's hardly typical of Palm Beach society women.
Indeed, the film seems to say that all rich people are scum and it's fun to watch their downfall.
Much of the credit goes to Rob Estes and Mitzi Kapture.
As detectives Christopher Lorenzo and Rita Lance, they give a genuinely convincing portrayal of dedicated detectives and supportive partners.
New characters were introduced, and the show sank to the level of "Ken and Barbie play cops." Still, the series ground on for four more years, which says much about the quality of the USA Network's programming.Would I watch it again?
I'm not very original, but the classic silk episodes were the best.
Everybody who saw the classic episodes should confirm that.I was so upset when Rob and Mitzi left the show.
I admit, the scripts of silk stalkings weren't always great and the cases weren't always realistic, but the actors made up for all that.Rob and Mitzi were great together.
The chemistry between the two of them was great and you could see they had a lot of fun in front of the cameras.I miss watching the reruns late at night, but I've got a lot of episodes on tape (I won't be bored).
Thumbs up for Rob, Mitzi K (Sam and Sam), Charlie, Mitzi M, William and all the other actors who made my life a lot better every day!
Mitzy and Rob have great chemistry as Rita and Chris.
Great, hip, and sexy show about bored rich people who commit crimes.
silk stalkings one of the best.
i loved this show when it was on CBS and when he moved to USA Network.i think they should have given Chris and Rita a different ending.Rob and Mitzi have great chemistry.the two partner parings ofter them didn't have that spark.i watched the show both on Crimetime after Primetime along with Forever Knight they were some of my favorites.i think the USA Network should bring this show back.i think the producers of the show should have gone the same way the show Dallas did with the whole dream sequence when Pam thought Bobby was dead.i loved both Ben Vereen and Charlie Brill as the captains.the two actors who played Michael and Holly their was no spark.the last to actors were OK,but we already knew what happened to their relationship..
Chris and Rita Did it for Me....
Chris and Rita's personality and chemistry did it for lots of viewers of the late night show.
They clicked, and you knew that they would eventually become more than just partners and friends....that was part of the lure that kept people coming back to view the show.
It was the give and take, the support and the pride, that made Rob and Mitzi really work on the screen in their roles.
My wife and I would make a popcorn evening of watching the two back-to-back episodes of SS when it was on USA Network.
I remember staying up and watching this show mostly due to the almost sofcore stories and air brushed cast but as i grew older i started watching the show more for the unnecessary comedy than anything else.Just noticing the typical casting done for the extras and supporting cast, every cop in that station was a model or made of plastic.
The acting wasn't exactly bad persay just that the cast didn't have much to work with or just became compliant to getting a pay check.Watch it for fluff and turn your brain off, and you'll get some pleasure from watching this bad TV..
I started watching Silk Stalkings when it aired on the CBS Crimetime after Primetime schedule in 1991 and was glad to see it picked up on the USA network instead of being cancelled like my other favorite show Dark Justice in which Janet Gunn also starred.
When the show first aired you could see the great chemistry with Rob and Mitzi.
It was sad when they killed of Rob's character and Mitzi left shortly afterwards.
When they brought in Nick and Tyler to replace Rob and Mitzi it just didnt work.
The best thing that happened was bringing in Janet and Chris to replace them.
Janet and Chris also had great chemistry.
Bringing in these two allowed a great show to go on for four more seasons.
Support, especially for Chris and Rita.
Silk Stalkings is; for what it is and it doesn't pretend to be anything else; great viewing, especially the episodes with Chris and Rita, the other pair just don't have the same screen effect..
The few episodes that I have watched I found boring.
What captivated me about Silk Stalkings is the way the writers treated relationships (Buffy has this same genius).
Great action and adventure coupled with incredible long term story and character development makes for irresistible entertainment.I can't wait for the series to come out on DVD (I won't have to wait long since it is due out Sept.
My hobby is silk stalkings.
Silk Stalkings is a great show.
Rob and Mitzi stole the show, but the new ones are still ok.
I'll never forget the life that Chris and Rita had.
but it is obvious to be a real good serie.
While the actors are probably good and the women certainly beautiful, I get bored.
Even I know it has to come off for interesting things to happen.
Also, I've noticed several actresses starring in different roles on this show as different characters, who usually end up dead.
I'm the latter.In general, this show is disappointing.
Cannell fails to create a Palm Beach, FL scenario using his San Diego filming location.
As a result, upon watching the episodes, some may be convinced (at least visually) that the story (ie plot) is based in San Diego, not Palm Beach, FL.Honestly speaking, San Diego is a very beautiful place that has a lot of unique characteristics.
By NO means can it be "transformed" into a Palm Beach scenario.
(And it's also a bit ridiculous to see a pair of male-female cops fooling around, doing "dirty" things, having talks on "inappropriate" subjects, etc.)If I were to choose only ONE police drama, then Miami Vice would definitely be the one to go (for) 'cause that's the one which is filmed in the real location and almost every episode is packed with the same level of intensity (and "heat")..
I have watched almost all the episodes and have most on tape.
I especially enjoy Classic Silk with Rob and Mitzi(my favorite actress) but also like the new stuff now and then.
If you ever get a chance to watch SS but don't know if it is worth your time...
The new Silk team has made this show worth watching.
Commenting as a New Silk fan (Tom and Cassy), I have to say that I have enjoyed the years with this team.
The unnecessary T&A scenes have been toned down (thankfully) and we're left with an enjoyable series with two very likable leads.
Tom (Chris Potter) and Cassy (Janet Gunn) were partners, lovers, married and divorced and now back to partners.
Tom is the kind of guy that any women would want...kind, sweet, talented not to mention very attractive and his friendship with Cassy, despite their differences, makes the show a great treat..
A well remembered guilty pleasure of mine a treat to view some very sexy eye candy!.
I remember growing up in the 90's as a young man I was glued to this series which was properly and rightfully called "Silk Stalkings".
It first started on a late night trial run on "CBS" then it would quickly move over as a regular series at the "USA Network" and would run strong all thru the 90's.
The key players would change hands a few times yet the first and best cop team was that of Sgt. Rita Lance(Mitzi Kapture)and Sgt. Chris Lorenzo(Rob Estes)and later I remember the attractive Janet Gunn as a cop.
The series centered around the team of cops investigating murders, blackmail, scandal, white collar crime, drugs, and sex crimes involving high class escorts all of this happening with the ultra and very premium rich and well to do of Palm Beach, Florida(yet the series was mostly filmed in San Diego, California and Arizona).The thing that stuck with me the most from this series was the hot sexy scenes of eye candy with hot sexy high society socialite women wearing very sexy colored bras and underwear!
Need I say more the series had it all it had drama and suspense with crimes of passion with the very rich and it was spiced up and treated with very sexy scenes that were eye candy treats and most episodes had plot twist.
To bad that series this excellent aren't made anymore as "Silk Stalkings" was clearly a seduction and guilty pleasure for a viewer to watch..
Excellent Crime Drama Series.
From the beginning Chris (Rob Estes) and Rita (Mitzi Kapture) have great chemistry.
By episode eight in season five, the emotions and relationship mature and Silk Stalkings turns into a true romance series.The next six episodes are pure genius.
Anyone who enjoys a good love story will be glued to the tube.
The crimes take a back seat and the character development of Chris and Rita take center stage.
Call me a romantic, but at times you forget that this is a crime drama.When it is all said and done, you will feel deprived to not know and only dream where Chris and Rita's lives could have gone next..
Silk was the highest rated original series on USA when it ran for 8 seasons...because it really was a great show.
The stars made the show what it was, of course, because in spite of the creators trying to lay the T&A (aka nudity) on thick, the real attraction was the awesome chemistry between actors Rob Estes and Mitzi Kapture for the first 4.5 seasons.
Chris and Rita were the subject of many a "ship" till they finally fell into each others arms.
However it wasn't just about romance with this pair, they were the best of friends and the special relationship they had always became part and parcel of the roles and the plot and enhanced the story lines perfectly.
There were also some very intriguing characters (Guest stars) who lent support to the leads as well as the comic twists and turns that made the show very likable and entertaining.
I own all 4 seasons on DVD mainly because of Chris and Rita (Rob and Mitzi) but every time I watch I am reminded there was always more to love in this show...nudity aside..
Erotic crime drama series.
Cannell created one my most favorite TV series SILK STALKINGS.
Stalking ran from 1991 to 1999 on CBS and then USA.
Mitzi Kapture as Detective Rita Lance and Rob Estes as Detective Chris Lorenzo made the show what it was.
Two detectives solving sexually-based crimes in Palm Beach, Florida(although the show was filmed in Sand Diego, California).
The close working relationship between Estes and Kapture at times pseudo erotic is so smooth and easy to watch.The series became very mediocre when the original duo left for other projects.
First being replaced by Nick Kokatkis and Tyler Layton; who would be replaced with Chris Potter and Janet Gunn.
Catch SILK STALKINGS on DVD at BlockBuster.
I'm a fan of both vintage Silk (Chris and Rita--played by Rob Estes and Mitzi Kapture) and New Silk (Tom and Cassy played by Chris Potter and Janet Gunn).
The writing quality was--respectable, I guess and the on screen chemistry between the characters of Chris and Rita was superb.
They had the dream sequence kiss that was such a tremendous relief and fun to watch and then the stark news that Chris had died (I think in surgery).
The closing shot of the ep was of Rita looking through the hospital window, absolutely spiritually destroyed.
They were beautiful physical specimens, of course, but neither of them could act very well--(though, by the by, I did see Tyler Layton guest-star on Charmed that one time and she succeeded rather well, so maybe she improved her technique in the ensuing 2-3 years after she left this show).
Tom and Cassy were nowhere near as engaging as the original pair and the writing dropped off seriously at the end, but it was still an enjoyable hour of television.
Die-hard Chris and Rita fans claim the loss of his influence killed the show.
And I've also watched Peckinpah drive other successful series into the ground (like Sliders).
When the series starts with an incredibly clumsy attempt at double entendre about golf and promiscuity, I feel like I am 15 years old again.
But my favorite episode so far was a van and car chase which STARTED with the car already dented up, before the van hit it.
Silk Stalkings is the best show I have ever seen, it's been my favorite for 5 years now.
It's about a platonic relationship between Sgt. Christopher Lorenzo(Rob Estes, now Melrose Place) and his partner Sgt.
(later on Lt.) Rita Lee Lance(Mitzi Kapture, now Baywatch), that work in the Palm Beach Police Department, they work on the high society crimes of passion (Silk Stalkings).
Rita that wants to guarantee a safe life for her baby lives Palm Beach.
I think the show is so special because it was mainly about a great friendship built between Chris and Rita.
In the end they did end up together, but I loved the fact that they were best friends for so long, so they had something to build the relationship on.
Rob and Mitzi have such a great Chemistry and I hope they'll work together again in the future.
One Of The Best TV series of the decade!!!!!!!.
Silk Stalkings is considerably the best cop show on television today.
The homicide cases were interesting and tends to get even better week after week!!!Most importantly, the thing that keeps viewers watching is the relationship between the lead cast...
For the first 5 years, Rob Estes and Mitzi Kapture were cast as Chris and Rita and have certainly earned the respect of fans of the show.
For the next 3 years, Chris Potter and Janet Gunn took over as Tom Ryan and Cassy St.John, this cast was in my opinion better than the first 2.
However, both teams have EXCELLENT CHEMISTRY and portrayed their roles extremely well.
SPOILERS AHEADThe only downside of this show is the endings.The first "silk" cast had a sad ending.
Rob's character Chris Lorenzo died somewhere in the middle of the 5th season leaving his wife Rita Lance pregnant with his child.
The newer "silk" cast didn't really got an ending at all.They just left cliffhangers (unresolved questions) everywhere as to what is the outcome of Tom and Harry??????
It had lasted for 8 years but judging from the ratings it got, it should never have got cancelled.....Perhaps people could write in to usanetwork and ask for a movie to be made....tie up loose ends from the 8th season..
Silk Stalkings is nothing without Chris & Rita.
I would like to see it continue with Chris & Rita.
I stayed up until 22:15 just to watch Salk Stalkings with Chris and Rita.
Bobby died and when the next series started he was standing in the shower.
Please do something like that and bring Silk Stalkings back but with Chirs (Rob Estes) and Rita (Mitzi Kaptuse).
If you do that I will stay up still later but if not I will not even bodder to watch Silk Stalkings further.