Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980) User Reviews

Another Lost Classic..

[Gislef · 8/10 · 12 August 1998]

Why doesn't A&E, or Lifetime, ever show this? Jeff Goldblum's only foray into series TV as a regular demonstrates that he should have done it much more often. His naive, karate-chopping ex-stockbroker private eye-wanna be is probably one of the most unique characters to be seen on TV. Ben Vereen is more your typical con-man type (which Stephen Cannell re-visited a few years later in "Sonny Spoon"), but Vereen makes the part entirely his own.

Mix with goofy, homage plots (they did Maltese Falcon twice), and you have Moonlighting without the ego trips.

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Revised: Well, the series is now out on DVD, and obviously Jeff Goldblum has gotten a new series in the intervening years. Having fully watched a few episodes, I won't say that the memory cheats. But the first couple of episodes are rather complex, and not in a good way. The plots tend to meander along and new characters are introduced late in the game and you're left wondering who they are. "Robin Tucker's..." makes a big ado about being at the Robin Tucker Ballroom... and then the ballroom really has nothing to do with the case. The main characters are still endearing, and Goldblum has some very odd mannerisms (like hopping over a hedge to confront a bad guy). But the voice-over in the early episodes goes on quite a bit, even for a parody/homage. Goldblum sometimes goes over the edge from endearing to obnoxious, or just idiotic. Like when he drops his gun and kicks it along trying to pick it up. Lionel is naive, not stupid. Still, it's better than a lot of shows of the era... and a lot since then.

Loved this show

[CynthBage · 9/10 · 9 August 2006]

Man, I loved Tenspeed and Brownshoe so much when it came out. Jeff Goldblum was awesome and cute in portraying his character's naiveté while Vereen showed his comic side very well with the witty dialog all the actors were blessed to perform . I really enjoyed the counter-play between Vereen's character and his parole officer. Lots of comedic tension there.

My favorite episode was a spoof on Treasure of the Sierra Madre and there were plenty of winks in the direction of Looney Tunes with the tossing around of the lit dynamite. That was one of the funniest moments of that show.

There seriously needs to be a DVD release of this sadly underrated show. I think the time is right for it to find a new audience.

Needs to be released on DVD

[LizabethSTucker · 8/10 · 22 October 2006]

A too short series that was pure Stephen J. Cannell at the height of his television career.

The hardboiled private eye excerpts from a series of mysteries that had Cannell's photograph on the back; the peculiar and wonderful relationship between the main characters; the longing for a different life; it all added up to a wonderful series that should have lasted for much longer.

Jeff Goldblum was wonderfully befuddled, yet earnest in a most endearing way. Ben Vereen was tolerant and amused, drawn to this most unlikely private investigator.

The humor was unusual and the scripts did not pander to the lower level. It was a most wonderful year that ended way too soon.

An email from SJC himself states that he hopes to release it on DVD...someday. I think someday has arrived, boss. If you can release Renegade, you can release this one. Please?

Brilliant Series!

[rob-1415 · 10/10 · 13 May 2006]

In my opinion this is Stephen J. Cannell's greatest creation. The series was kind of a -What if Jim Rockford split in two? The shy, dream-laden private-eye want-to-be and the accomplished con artist team up to solve various mysteries. Goldblum and Vereen are cast perfectly. This was television fun at it's best with the homage to the pulp detectives and the MacGyver of disguises. The villains were typical Cannell with mobsters to motorcycle gangs, but these two heroes made the endings, for me, much more satisfying because of the clever characters. Saddest is how this series was miss-scheduled by ABC and destroyed in the ratings by CBS.

Most Underrated Show

[alfredhic · 18 October 2006]

I am a picky guy when it comes to TV shows, but just a few episodes were enough to establish this show, a show before its time, as one of my all-time favorites. I was absolutely befuddled when I discovered it was cancelled! It was a groundbreaking show with style, verve and heart. What else would you expect with the class of Vereen and Goldblum? They seemed destined to be famous sidekicks, forever at odds in their view of everything! The network didn't realize the value of what it had, ergo the inevitable mismanagement.

The odds are not good for this show ever being issued on DVD, in my opinion, despite its accomplished cast, because the TV promotion machine did not establish sufficient fan base. And there weren't enough episodes to pick "the best of." But if a DVD became available, I would sure buy it.

Why is there no DVD?

[JuSen4Me · 10/10 · 20 February 2008]

This series was one of the BEST of its time. I was SHOCKED when it did not continue to run in 1981. It was witty. Jeff Goldblum was the 'perfect' actor for the character of a nerdy stock-broker-turned-Mickey-Spillane-wannabe detective, paired up with Ben Vereen who portrayed the role of con-man-extraordinaire that mimicked the roles of a vast array of characters... in order to close their cases. I especially enjoyed listening to Jeff Goldblum's voice (In the background) as he would sit and read the Mickey Spillane book as he sat at his desk. It was 'pure genius' for the producers to include the book-reading episodes into the script. The plots and 'action' were believable and fun-oriented. In other words, it was a CRIME for this series to end so quickly. Now that DVD's of old movies and TV series are available, I have waited... and waited... and WAITED for Ten Speed and Brown Shoe to be released on DVD. I'M STILL WAITING!

John Mangum [e-mail]

So bad it's bad, but in good way!

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 29 July 2022]

Tenspeed and Brown Shoe has a nerdy detective time teamed up with a streetwise hustler. Individually both are awful at the detective work, but together the two balance out for a good team. Lot's of humor like sardine and peanut butter sandwich humor. Quick thinking and fast talkin work well with the long-term, dry deep detail investigation work creates humor, but intrigue for a good series. Regrettably, the series last only one season. One of my favorite when I was in grade 4. 7 stars.

It would be great to own this series...

[kcwashing1 · 10/10 · 16 September 2006]

You'd think that a series with two accomplished actors would be available on DVD based upon the current offerings of 70's and 80's material. Conceptually, I think this could work as a current movie vehicle. I think the comedic chemistry between Goldblum and Vereen was great. I never knew of the Simon and Simon or the Moonlighting link. Upon hearing that knowledge, I can reflect that I liked those shows as well. Once again, writing in the category of "things which will never happen", those are two other shows which I'd like to see published on DVD. I suppose Moonlighting perhaps has enough of an appeal and following where it may be available.

young Goldblum

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 3 March 2019]

In San Francisco, con man E.L. "Tenspeed" Turner (Ben Vereen) steals $ million of Nazi cash from a deposit box. He escapes from the pursuing Nazis by boarding a plane to L.A. in disguise. With both the mob and Nazis after him, EL hides the money in the luggage of Lionel "Brown Shoe" Whitney (Jeff Goldblum). The karate fighting Lionel is obsessed with private eye pulp fictions and hates being under the boot of his fiancee's high powered father. EL pretends to be a limo driver and picks up Lionel and his future in-laws. Lionel ends up arrested for stealing the limo. It's the start of a beautiful partnership. In order to stay out of prison, they start up a private detective agency.

The title is bad. The premise is convoluted. Tenspeed starts off really annoying. The ten-speed bell gimmick wears thin. There is a lot wrong with this show. I decided to give it a try after Conan O'Brien mentioned it on his podcast interviewing Goldblum. It's a rough start but it does grow on me over time. Iconic writer/producer Stephen J. Cannell created this after his legendary smash hit The Rockford Files finished its run. He would become a staple in 80's network comedy-action hour long drama. This is not one of those at the top of his resume. The chemistry between Vereen and newcomer Goldblum had some potential. Goldblum is starting to deliver his weird comedic timing. Vereen has the name brand. The show needs a less convoluted pilot. This is the Madlib of TV writing. It feels like Cannell had a crazy idea about a Nazi heist and decided to throw in the mob in the elevator pitch. It doesn't make sense that they start a detective agency together and Tenspeed has no incentive to stay with Lionel. He is lifelong con-man and suddenly he turns straight for no good reason. He also needs a better name especially since he never rides a ten-speed bicycle. It's a weird crazy concept trying to play it off seriously. Cannell would repeat the same detective action-comedy format over and over again with much more success and more sensible premise however outlandish. This is not one of Cannell's best although he would dominate the 80's.

Hang on, T & S fans!!

[richardnibbler · 10/10 · 20 January 2010]

I too remember this show from a very young age. I wasn't even five years old when it premiered on ABC, yet I can vividly recall the theme song. They actually showed reruns of it back when I was in grammar school, and I never forgot it. Well,according to Amazon.com, "Tenspeed and Brownshoe: The Complete Series" will be released on DVD in March of this year! I'm ordering my copy ahead of the release date so I suggest you guys check it out. At the price they're offering I doubt there'll be any extras but that's fine with me. It's true that the chemistry between Jeff Goldblum and Ben Vereen was easy and natural. Because the actors liked each other, their character's friendship seemed genuine. They were so mismatched and from totally different backgrounds, and yet they worked so well together. I was such a sucker for private eye novels and TV shows, and I loved how Stephen J. Cannell played with that genre's conventions on this show in particular. Neither of them had law- enforcement backgrounds; one of them had been on the wrong side of the law most of his life and the other one was as straight-laced as could be. Yet they were legitimate private eyes, combining their unique talents to solve the mystery while making us smile along the way. I loved how they went back and forth with each other; nowadays, this type of banter is par for the course, but in 1980 it was so ahead of it's time. Anyway, just wanted to let my fellow fans know the news.Thanks!

Before Its Time

[grayhorsedesigns · 10/10 · 31 August 2009]

I was in my twenties when this show was on and I loved it, too. It was quirky and different and I just wish it had been given time to grab an audience. Unfortunately, it came out before the viewing public started wanting something different from the usual detective TV show fare...that was so dull and predictable that you not only recognized the plot but could usually anticipate the dialogue. I always liked different though and remember how refreshing I found this show and its stars. It was delightful and introduced me to it's two stars Ben Vereen and Jeff Goldblum. It's sense of humor, for those that never had the opportunity to see it, reminded me of a show that came out several years later and was quite successful, Moonlighting. It was fresh and totally different and perhaps, in retrospect, that uniqueness is exactly what sent this wonderful show to an early grave. I hope that eventually some kind (and highly intelligent) soul does see the need to release it on DVD; I will certainly buy it. And I'd love to see it show up as a rerun...if some bright exec from TVland or Sleuth channels happens to be reading this. I think this show would weather the years well and that audiences today would love it. Sadly, it was just a show that debuted before its time.

This show deserves a re-run

[Thorsdag · 24 October 1999]

This was one of the most creative shows ever to appear on U.S. TV. The chemistry between Jeff Goldblum and Ben Vereen was perfect for this type of dry, understated comedy. I hope some enterprising cable TV programmer picks it up and re-runs it one day soon. I believe it will find a new and bigger audience 20 years later.

The real life Benjie and Todd

[todd-197 · 10/10 · 27 February 2024]

Benjie was one of the most incredible people I ever knew. We would work away around bars and restaurants on the upper east side, and Benjie would walk in and around them like he owned them. I was a naive young kid who had a front row seat with my back against the bar watching this.

One waiter worked very hard, and went on several auditions. All he got were a couple of commercials. One soap opera hired him and then called him back. He earned, Newcomer of the Year, and became a big soap opera star.

Everyone thought I was a Kung Fu Master from Benjie's description of me. We hawked the International Society for the Protection of Public Figures, and it was a lot of fun. The most amazing part was that, if you had to choose Hollywood actors,Ben and Jeff looked very much like us.

Great memories!

Fantastic!

[Richard-757 · 8 October 2005]

I was but a young lad when this show premiered, but I must say I have never forgotten it. It was my first "favorite show" that I was not influenced by an outsider to like. Didn't I say I was young? I do wish someone would show reruns of this show or at least release it to DVD. It would bring back fond memories of an innocent time. If you've never seen this, your missing out. This was Jeff Goldblum and Ben Vereen at their best! It was funny, it had mystery, and it had originality! However, it didn't last long. Perhaps the people of that time didn't know how to appreciate a show about nothing that had everything, yet. I vote for reruns!

TenSpeed and Brown Shoe - Untitled show

[darrylc212 · 8 May 2007]

I loved the show , but could not figure out why they did not title this one episode. Maybe someone could give me a clue or answer. Either way the series was a classic and Ben Vereen played his part perfectly. We love watching this series and my daughter loves it too. She keeps wanting to watch them over and over. Nothing like good clean honest writing and plots to keep your attention. This series is like a fast paced Columbo with humor. The honest clean cut innocent look on Jeff Goldblum is classic. We laugh when he falls for the dames with more curves then the San Francisco freeway. The one liners that are used are classic and you can't help but laugh at them.

why no DVD???

[fraa63-1 · 5 November 2008]

this series is excellent that was the best series of the time ,it should be print in DVD and even rerun with more episode

like they did for the twilight zone , they even should make a movie of it like they did for starky n hutch batman and so on that series made me laugh like

no other series well except maybe fawlty tower,mr bean ...

please

make a DVD of it there s DVD of older series like get smart so why not tenspeed n brown shoes (by the way i didn t know the title as i used to watch that in dub version )