Be honest—when was the last time you even thought about Simon & Simon?
For most people, the answer is “never.” For some of us, it’s “honestly... not that long ago.” It doesn’t get the same 80s nostalgia hype as Magnum, P.I., The A-Team, or Remington Steele, but Simon & Simon was a real hit back in the day-and somehow ended up one of the most underappreciated shows of that entire era.
This Was Actually A Long-Running Hit
This wasn’t some short-lived show people are overhyping in hindsight. Simon & Simon ran for eight seasons from 1981 to 1989 and racked up more than 150 episodes. That kind of run only happens when people are consistently watching, even if nobody brings it up much now.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
The Setup
Two brothers. Private investigators. Completely different personalities. That’s it. And if that rings a bell, you’re already in. If not, if it sounds almost too simple to have worked, then you probably weren’t watching TV in the 80s.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
This Was Basically The Odd Couple P.I.
That was the whole hook. One brother does things his way, the other has a plan, and the case sits right in the middle of that. No mythology, no “previously on,” no long arcs to track. You just drop in and watch them figure it out like it’s 8:00 on a random night.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
Rick And A.J.: You Definitely Picked A Side
This wasn’t as intense as Team Edward vs. Team Jacob, but be honest, were you a Rick person or an A.J. person? Rick (Gerald McRaney) was instinct, pickup truck, let’s just go. A.J. (Jameson Parker) was planning, structure, and “maybe let’s think about this first.” And yeah, you probably got annoyed with one of them every episode.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
And The Show Knew That Was The Point
The cases were fine, but that’s not why you were watching. You were watching to see them disagree about how to handle it. Half the time it felt like you were just waiting to see which one would end up being right, or how they’d both somehow get there after ignoring each other first.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
It Felt Like Real Brothers
They didn’t just argue for a quick joke and move on. They stayed annoyed. They doubled down. They absolutely did not let things go. It felt like they’d been having the same arguments since they were kids, and neither one was ever going to win, which somehow made it better.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
It Lived In That Perfect “Just Put It On” Era
This was peak “turn the TV on and leave it there” viewing. No recaps, no catching up, no “what did I miss?” You just watched. Miss a few weeks, it didn’t matter. You were back in immediately like nothing happened.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
And It Looked Way Better Than Most Shows Like It
Most detective shows looked like nobody had seen sunlight in months. Meanwhile, Simon & Simon is out here solving crimes in perfect San Diego weather like it’s a tourism commercial that occasionally involves insurance fraud or someone running down a dock.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
You Definitely Remember That Theme Song
Or at least you remember hearing it and immediately knowing what was on. One of those themes where you don’t think about it, you just go, “oh yeah,” and sit down for a minute that turns into the whole episode.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
It Sat Right Next To The Big Shows
This wasn’t buried in some weird time slot. It aired alongside shows like Magnum, P.I. and held its own. You didn’t think of it as “less than.” It was just another show you watched without even questioning it.
Screenshot from Magnum, P.I., NBCUniversal (1980-1988)
Magnum, P.I. Crossover
Not just a cameo, a full crossover story. At the time, that felt huge. Like, wait, these shows are actually connected? That was basically the 80s version of a shared universe before that was even a thing.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989), enhanced
Critics At The Time Got It
Even back then, nobody was pretending the cases were the main attraction. Reviews kept coming back to the same thing. The dynamic. Watching Rick and A.J. go back and forth was the show. The cases just gave them something to argue about.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
It Never Tried To Suddenly Become Something Else
No darker season where everything suddenly gets serious. No “this is the gritty reboot year.” It just stayed the same show the whole time. And honestly, that’s probably why it lasted as long as it did. You knew exactly what you were getting every week, and it never tried to trick you into something else.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
And That Kind Of Consistency Is Rare Now
Now everything has to twist, escalate, or reinvent itself every season. Back then it was just, is this a good episode? Cool. See you next week. And somehow that was enough-and probably still should be.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
Pre-Internet Problem-Solving
No phones, no Google, no “let me just check something real quick.” If they needed info, they had to actually go find it. Talk to people, dig around, follow leads. Which usually meant more time for Rick to ignore the plan and A.J. to get annoyed about it... which, let’s be honest, was half the fun.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
If You Watched It, You Watched A Lot Of It
This wasn’t a “caught it once or twice” show. This was a “wait... why do I remember so many episodes of this?” show. It was just always there, and you kept watching, even if you didn’t really mean to. One episode turned into two, and suddenly it was just part of your routine.
And Yet...It’s Not The One People Bring Up
That’s still the strange part. Same era as Miami Vice, same nights as Magnum, P.I., and yet it’s not the one people go back to in conversations. It didn’t disappear... it just slowly stopped getting mentioned, which almost feels weirder.
Screenshot from Miami Vice, NBCUniversal (1984-1989)
It Didn’t Get The Endless Rerun Treatment
Some shows never leave TV. You just keep running into them over and over again. This wasn’t really one of those. And once it’s not in front of you anymore, it’s a lot easier to forget how often you used to watch it back then.
But If You Remember It, You REALLY Remember It
This isn’t a vague memory. It’s more like, oh yeah-I used to watch that all the time. The truck, the arguments, the whole vibe. It comes back fast. And with more than 150 episodes, it’s not surprising. This wasn’t a “couple episodes” show. It was something you saw over and over, whether you meant to or not.
It’s A Perfect “Throw It On” Show
No commitment, no catching up, no confusion. You just put it on and you’re in. That was the whole design. Every episode stands on its own, which is why it worked in the 80s and why it still works now. You could drop into episode 12 or episode 112 and not feel lost for a second.
Watching It Now Feels Weirdly Relaxing
Not slow, just not exhausting. No constant twists, no heavy arcs, no pressure to keep up. Most episodes wrap everything up in under an hour, and that’s it. Compared to modern shows that feel like homework sometimes, this feels more like just watching TV again.
It Didn’t End With A Big Moment
No huge finale everybody still talks about. No “you had to be there” ending. It just ended. The final episode aired in 1989 without a massive send-off or cultural moment, which was normal at the time. If you missed it, you probably didn’t even realize it was the end.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
It Was Popular-Just Not Flashy About It
At its peak, it pulled solid network ratings and held a steady spot on CBS for years. But it didn’t have a loud visual style like Miami Vice or a big hook like The A-Team. It just worked every week, which doesn’t always translate into long-term pop culture attention.
Screenshot from The A-Team, NBCUniversal (1983-1987)
That’s Why It Feels Underrated Now
Not because people didn’t watch it-they did. Eight seasons proves that. It just didn’t carry forward the same way some other shows did. No constant reruns, no big revival, no ongoing references. It didn’t disappear-it just slowly drifted out of the spotlight.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
So...Who Else Actually Remembers It?
Because if you do, you probably had a favorite brother, remember the theme instantly, and didn’t realize until now how long it’s been since you even thought about it. And if you went back and watched one now, there’s a very good chance you’d end up watching a few more.
Screenshot from Simon & Simon, NBCUniversal (1981-1989)
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