View source for Hart to Hart

{{Short description|American mystery TV series}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Hart to Hart.jpg
| caption              =
| genre                = {{plainlist|
*[[Mystery fiction|Mystery]]
*[[Romance film|Romance]]
*[[Detective fiction]]
*Adventure
*Action
}}
| creator              = [[Sidney Sheldon]]
| starring             = {{Plain list|
* [[Robert Wagner]]
* [[Stefanie Powers]]
* [[Lionel Stander]]
}}
| theme_music_composer = [[Mark Snow]]
| composer             = [[Don Davis (composer)|Don Davis]]
| country              = United States
| num_seasons          = 5
| num_episodes         = 110
| list_episodes        = List of Hart to Hart episodes
| executive_producer   = {{Plain list|
* [[Aaron Spelling]]
* [[Leonard Goldberg]]
}}
| producer             = {{Plain list|
* David Levinson <small>(1979–80)</small>
* [[Mart Crowley]] <small>(1980–83)</small>
* Leigh Vance <small>(1983–84)</small>
}}
| editor               = 
| location             = 
| camera               = 
| runtime              = 44–49 minutes<br>96 minutes (pilot)
| company              = {{Plain list|
* Rona II Productions
* [[Spelling-Goldberg Productions]]
* [[Columbia Pictures Television]] (seasons 4–5)
}}
| network              = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1979|8|25}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1984|5|22}}
| creative_director    = [[Tom Mankiewicz]] (credited as "creative consultant")
| developer            = [[Tom Mankiewicz]] 
}}

'''''Hart to Hart''''' is an American [[mystery fiction|mystery]] television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. The show stars [[Robert Wagner]] and [[Stefanie Powers]] as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset lifestyle and regularly find themselves working as unpaid detectives in order to solve crimes in which they become embroiled. The series was created by novelist and television writer [[Sidney Sheldon]]. The series ended after five seasons on May 22, 1984, but was followed by eight made-for-television movies, from 1993 to 1996.

==Premise==
The premise of the show is summed up in the opening credits sequence, narrated by Max, the Harts' [[majordomo]] ([[Lionel Stander]]), as he introduces the characters:

{{Blockquote|This is my boss — Jonathan Hart, a self-made millionaire. He's quite a guy.<br>This is Mrs. H — she's gorgeous. What a terrific lady.<br>By the way, my name is Max. I take care of them — which ain't easy; 'cause their hobby is — ''murder.''}}

Several early first season episodes originally included a slightly differently worded intro, with some alternative accompanying shots. This is replaced with the standard first season opening in [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]] and later digital releases:

{{Blockquote|This is my boss — Mr. Jonathan Hart, self-made millionaire and quite a guy.<br>This here's his wife, Mrs. H — yeah, she's gorgeous, but don't let her looks deceive you.<br>Oh, and me? My name is Max. I'm their [[chauffeur]]... among other things, and it's my job to try and take care of them — which ain't easy; 'cause when they meet... it's ''murder.''}}

Beginning with Season 2 onward, the opening lines were slightly changed:

{{Blockquote|This is my boss — Jonathan Hart, a self-made millionaire. He's quite a guy.<br>This is Mrs. H — she's gorgeous. She's one lady who knows how to take care of herself.<br>By the way, my name is Max. I take care of both of them — which ain't easy; 'cause when they met, it was murder.}}

Jonathan Hart ([[Robert Wagner]]) is the [[CEO]] of Hart Industries, a global [[Conglomerate (company)|conglomerate]] based in Los Angeles. His wife Jennifer ([[Stefanie Powers]]) is a freelance [[journalist]]. Living the jetset lifestyle, the Harts often find themselves involved in cases of smuggling, theft, corporate and international espionage and, most commonly, murder. At their opulent [[Bel Air, Los Angeles|Bel Air]] estate, they are assisted by Max ([[Lionel Stander]]), their shared mansion's loyal, gravel-voiced majordomo, who also helps with their cases. The Harts' beloved pet dog is a [[Löwchen]] called Freeway, so named because he was a stray that they found wandering on the freeway. The Harts own a [[Mercedes-Benz 300 TD]] diesel wagon, a dark green [[Rolls-Royce Corniche]] convertible (replacing the Series III Bentley custom cabriolet in the first season), and a yellow [[Mercedes-Benz SL roadster]] (1979 450 SL, replaced by a 1981 380 SL) with personalized California vanity plates "3 HARTs", "2 HARTs", and "1 HART" respectively. The opening credits sequence (stock footage drawn from the series pilot) shows Jonathan Hart driving a red [[Dino 246 GTS]]. They also own a [[Grumman Gulfstream II]] private jet, which is featured at the start of the opening credits.

Critics have long noted that the premise of ''Hart to Hart'' strongly resembles that of ''[[The Thin Man (film)|The Thin Man]]'' series of 1930s and 1940s films, as well as ''[[The Thin Man (TV series)|The Thin Man]]'' television series of the 1950s, which also depict a wealthy and glamorous crime-fighting couple who have a dog and no children.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-hart-to-hart-home-is-where-the-hart-is-vol-41-no-7/|title=Picks and Pans Review: Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is|website=PEOPLE.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.moviegazetteonline.net/dvds/dvd-review-hart-hart-complete-series/|title=DVD Review: Hart to Hart – The Complete Series|date=July 1, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Snauffer2015">{{cite book|author=Douglas Snauffer|title=The Show Must Go On: How the Deaths of Lead Actors Have Affected Television Series|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vZIjGHo4kl0C&pg=PA138|date=10 March 2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-5504-1|page=138}}</ref>

==Production==
Screenwriter and novelist [[Sidney Sheldon]] had originally written a script in the early 1970s for [[CBS]], titled ''Double Twist'', about a married couple who were spies. The script remained unfilmed for several years until producers [[Aaron Spelling]] and [[Leonard Goldberg]] decided to update the idea for a potential television series. They offered the script to screenwriter [[Tom Mankiewicz]], who had by that time written several screenplays, including three [[James Bond]] films.

They instructed Mankiewicz to make the script more contemporary for a potential weekly series. They proposed to Mankiewicz that if his draft was successful, he could direct the pilot episode.<ref>{{cite news|title=PRIMING FOR PRIME TIME: PRIME TIME|author=Tom Buckley|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=Sep 9, 1979|page=SM114}}</ref> Mankiewicz reworked Sheldon's original script and renamed it ''Hart to Hart'', emphasizing the romantic aspect of the couple. As planned, Mankiewicz made his directorial debut with the pilot episode, and remained a creative consultant to the series. The first ten episodes were developed by Mankiewicz and the series's original story editor, Bob Shayne.

Spelling's and Goldberg's initial choice for the role of Jonathan Hart was [[Cary Grant]]. However, Grant (seventy-five years old at the time) had effectively retired from acting over a decade earlier; his last film, ''[[Walk, Don't Run (film)|Walk, Don't Run]],'' had been released in 1966. They then decided to find a younger actor who might embody the same style, zest and persona that Grant was famous for, and offered the role to [[Robert Wagner]]. No one else was seriously considered for the role; [[George Hamilton (actor)|George Hamilton]] had a high profile at the time and was suggested, but [[Aaron Spelling]] said that if he was signed for the role, "the audience will resent him as Hart for being that rich. But no one will begrudge RJ [Wagner] a nickel."<ref name="tom">Tom Mankiewicz, ''My Life as a Mankiewicz: An Insider's Journey Through Hollywood,'' with Robert Crane. University Press of Kentucky, 2012, p. 222.</ref>

ABC wanted Wagner's then-real life wife [[Natalie Wood]] to co-star with him as Jennifer Hart, but Wagner did not think it was a good idea. (Wood did make a cameo appearance in the pilot, as an actress playing [[Scarlett O'Hara]].) Initial choices for the role of Jennifer Hart included [[Suzanne Pleshette]], [[Kate Jackson]] (months removed from ending a three-year turn starring as detective Sabrina Duncan on ''[[Charlie's Angels]]'') and [[Lindsay Wagner]] (no relation), but Wagner suggested [[Stefanie Powers]], who had previously worked with him when she made a guest appearance in an episode of his action-adventure series ''[[It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series)|It Takes a Thief]]'' in 1970.<ref name="tom"/>

Wagner wanted [[Sugar Ray Robinson]] to portray Max, but ABC-TV executives were worried about a black man as majordomo for a rich white couple. Eventually they signed [[Lionel Stander]], who had also worked with Wagner in an episode of ''It Takes a Thief.'' In that episode, "King of Thieves", he had also played a character named Max, who was likewise a lifelong friend.

The main title theme for the series was scored by [[Mark Snow]].

Fashion and jewelry designer [[Nolan Miller]], who later designed the clothes for ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]],'' was the costume designer for the show.

The [[ranch-style house]] used for exterior filming had previously belonged to actors [[Dick Powell]] and his wife, [[June Allyson]]. Powell was an old friend of both Robert Wagner and Aaron Spelling. The actual estate, known as Amber Hills, is situated on {{convert|48|acres}} in the [[Mandeville Canyon]] section of [[Brentwood, Los Angeles]]. In the series, the Harts' address is given as 3100 Willow Pond Road, Bel Air: the real address of the house is 3100 Mandeville Canyon Road. One episode was shot in [[San Diego, California]].<ref>(1983-12-01). ''Spotlight on filming in SD County''. ''[[Daily Times-Advocate]]'', 52, 56-57.</ref>

As with most of the Spelling library series under the control of [[Sony Pictures Television]], the series was remastered from the original masters in the 2000s for [[widescreen]] [[high-definition television|high definition]] presentation. This version of the series is currently a regular part of the schedule for [[Hallmark Movies & Mysteries]].

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of Hart to Hart episodes}}
{{:List of Hart to Hart episodes}}

==TV movies==
In 1993, almost a decade after the series ended, Wagner and Powers reunited for a series of ''Hart to Hart'' TV movies. Eight 90-minute telemovies were made in total between 1993 and 1996.  The first five aired on NBC; the final three were produced for [[CTV Television Network]] and The Family Channel in the US:
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*''Hart to Hart Returns'' (November 5, 1993)
*''Home is Where the Hart Is'' (February 18, 1994)
*''Crimes of the Hart'' (March 25, 1994)
*''Old Friends Never Die'' (May 6, 1994)
*''Secrets of the Hart'' (March 6, 1995)
*''Two Harts in 3/4 Time'' (November 26, 1995)
*''Harts in High Season'' (March 24, 1996)
*''Till Death Do Us Hart'' (August 25, 1996)
}}
Lionel Stander reprised his role as Max in five of the movies before his death from lung cancer on November 30, 1994. His last screen appearance was in ''Secrets of the Hart,'' which aired in March 1995.

==Remakes==
In 2002, [[Alan Cumming]] was attached to star in a series being developed for ABC that was being touted as a "gay ''Hart to Hart".'' Titled ''Mr and Mr Nash,'' the planned series featured a gay couple, both interior designers, who "stumble upon a murder each week", but it never went into production.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/alan-cumming-signs-on-for-tv-series-a-gay-hart-to-hart-109542 |title=Alan Cumming Signs on for TV Series, a Gay ''Hart to Hart'' |work=[[Playbill]] |first=Andrew |last=Gans |date=November 13, 2002 |access-date=September 17, 2015}}</ref> In September of 2015, ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'' reported that [[NBC]] had made a script commitment to a ''Hart to Hart'' remake series featuring a gay male couple. Written by Christopher Fife and produced by [[Carol Mendelsohn]] and Julie Weitz, the new series was described as "a modern and sexy retelling of the classic series that focuses on by-the-book attorney Jonathan Hart and free-spirited investigator Dan Hartman, who must balance the two sides of their life: action-packed crime-solving in the midst of newly found domesticity."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/hart-to-hart-remake-gay-couple-nbc-carol-mendelsohn-producing-1201528906/ |title=''Hart to Hart'' Gay Couple Remake Set At NBC With Carol Mendelsohn Producing |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva |date=September 15, 2015 |access-date=September 16, 2015}}</ref> But as of late September of 2020, that series was not known to be in production either.

==Home media==
[[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]] released the first two seasons of ''Hart to Hart'' on DVD in Regions 1 & 2 in 2005/2006.

In 2010/2011, Sony Pictures released all eight TV movies on DVD individually via the [[Warner Archive Collection]]. These were Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) releases and are available exclusively through WBShop.com and Amazon.com. On October 2, 2012, Sony released all eight TV movies in two volume collections titled ''Hart to Hart: TV Movie Collection, Volume 1'' and ''Hart to Hart: TV Movie Collection, Volume 2''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hart to Hart – Details, Boxes for 'The TV Movie Collection, Volume 1' and 'Volume 2' MODs|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-The-TV-Movie-Collection-Volumes-1-and-2/17515|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120923222329/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-The-TV-Movie-Collection-Volumes-1-and-2/17515|archive-date=23 September 2012}}</ref> These are also manufacture-on-demand (MOD) releases, available via Amazon.com, and are part of the Sony Choice Collection.

On September 4, 2014, it was announced that [[Shout! Factory]] had acquired the rights to the series for Region 1. They released Season 3 in December 2014, Season 4 in February 2015, the fifth and final season in June 2015, and The Complete Series on May 30, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-Season-3/20244|title=Hart to Hart DVD news: Announcement for Hart to Hart – The Complete 3rd Season – TVShowsOnDVD.com|work=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=19 September 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714062759/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-Season-3/20244|archive-date=14 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-Season-4/20458|title=Hart to Hart DVD news: Announcement for Hart to Hart – The Complete 4th Season – TVShowsOnDVD.com|work=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=19 September 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024022855/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-Season-4/20458|archive-date=24 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="tvshowsondvd.com">{{cite web|url=http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-Season-5/20825|title=Hart to Hart DVD news: Announcement for Hart to Hart – The Final Season -|work=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=19 September 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714044902/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-Season-5/20825|archive-date=14 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-The-Complete-Series/23029|title=Hart to Hart – Get All 5 Seasons Together in 'The Complete Series' DVD Set! Get every episode starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Power, together, by the end of May -|work=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=13 February 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214103339/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-The-Complete-Series/23029|archive-date=14 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-The-Complete-Series/23181|title=Hart to Hart – Shout! Sent Over Their Formal Press Release for 'The Complete Series' 5-season set on 29 DVDs will be in stores at the end of May|work=tvshowsondvd.com|access-date=6 April 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407055607/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Hart-Hart-The-Complete-Series/23181|archive-date=7 April 2017}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|DVD Name !! rowspan="2"|Ep# !! colspan="3"|Release Dates
|-
! Region 1 ([[Anglo-America|USCA]]) !! Region 2 <small>([[DACH]])</small> !! Region 2 <small>([[British Isles|UKIE]])</small>
|-
| The Complete First Season || align="center"|23 || October 25, 2005 || November 8, 2005 || April 10, 2006
|-
| The Complete Second Season || align="center"|20 || September 19, 2006 || September 19, 2006 || October 9, 2006
|-
| The Complete Third Season || align="center"|24 || December 9, 2014 || TBA || TBA
|-
| The Complete Fourth Season || align="center"|22 || February 10, 2015 || TBA || TBA
|-
| The Complete Fifth and Final Season || align="center"|22 || June 9, 2015 || TBA || TBA
|-
| The Complete Series || align="center"|111 || May 30, 2017 || TBA || TBA
|-
| Hart to Hart: TV Movie Collection, Volume 1 || align="center"|4 || October 2, 2012 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Hart to Hart: TV Movie Collection, Volume 2 || align="center"|4 || October 2, 2012 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Hart to Hart – Movies Are Murder Collection || align="center"|8 || August 13, 2019 || N/A || N/A
|}

==Awards and nominations==
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Hart to Hart}}

==''The Greatest Event in Television History'' (2013)==
On June 6, 2013 (June 7 in the [[Eastern Time Zone]]), [[Adult Swim]] aired an edition of ''[[The Greatest Event in Television History]].'' Hosted by [[Jeff Probst]], the program went behind the scenes during the making of a [[shot-for-shot]] remake of the ''Hart to Hart'' opening sequence, with [[Adam Scott (actor)|Adam Scott]] and [[Amy Poehler]] respectively in the roles of Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, and [[Horatio Sanz]] as Max.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Greatest Event in Television History: Hart to Hart' -- VIDEO|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFEwRliQNqY| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211118/IFEwRliQNqY| archive-date=2021-11-18 | url-status=live|publisher=Adult Swim|access-date=6 June 2013|date=6 June 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The remake followed a similar effort in the fall of 2012, adapting the opening credit sequence of ''[[Simon & Simon]].''

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0078622|Hart to Hart}}
*[http://www.stefaniepowersonline.com/hart.htm ''Hart to Hart'' Episode guide and gallery]
*[http://www.retrojunk.com/tv/videos/86-hart-to-hart/240/#intro Opening credits of the 4th season]

{{Portal bar|Television|United States|1980s}}

{{Sheldon}}
{{People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1979 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1984 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1970s American crime drama television series]]
[[Category:1980s American crime drama television series]]
[[Category:1970s American mystery television series]]
[[Category:1980s American mystery television series]]
[[Category:American detective television series]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Television series by Sony Pictures Television]]
[[Category:Television series by Spelling Television]]
[[Category:Television series created by Sidney Sheldon]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American Broadcasting Company television dramas]]