# Hart to Hart > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hart_to_Hart > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hart_to_Hart.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hart_to_Hart > Source revision: 1349942784 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American mystery television series (1979–1984)}} {{more citations needed|date=October 2017}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox television | image = Hart to Hart.jpg | caption = | genre = {{plainlist| *[Mystery](/source/Mystery_fiction) *[Romance](/source/Romance_film) *[Detective fiction](/source/Detective_fiction) *Adventure *Action }} | creator = [Sidney Sheldon](/source/Sidney_Sheldon) | starring = {{Plain list| * [Robert Wagner](/source/Robert_Wagner) * [Stefanie Powers](/source/Stefanie_Powers) * [Lionel Stander](/source/Lionel_Stander) }} | theme_music_composer = [Mark Snow](/source/Mark_Snow) | composer = [Don Davis](/source/Don_Davis_(composer)) | country = United States | num_seasons = 5 | num_episodes = 111 | list_episodes = List of Hart to Hart episodes | executive_producer = {{Plain list| * [Aaron Spelling](/source/Aaron_Spelling) * [Leonard Goldberg](/source/Leonard_Goldberg) }} | producer = {{Plain list| * David Levinson (1979–80) * [Mart Crowley](/source/Mart_Crowley) (1980–83) * Leigh Vance (1983–84) }} | editor = | location = | camera = | runtime = 47–48 minutes
96 minutes (pilot) | company = {{Plain list| * Rona II Productions * [Spelling-Goldberg Productions](/source/Spelling-Goldberg_Productions) * [Columbia Pictures Television](/source/Columbia_Pictures_Television) (seasons 4–5) }} | network = [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company) | first_aired = {{Start date|1979|8|25}} | last_aired = {{End date|1984|5|22}} | creative_director = [Tom Mankiewicz](/source/Tom_Mankiewicz) (credited as "creative consultant") | developer = [Tom Mankiewicz](/source/Tom_Mankiewicz) }} '''''Hart to Hart''''' is an American [mystery](/source/mystery_fiction) television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on [ABC](/source/American_Broadcasting_Company). The show stars [Robert Wagner](/source/Robert_Wagner) and [Stefanie Powers](/source/Stefanie_Powers) as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous [jetset](/source/Jet_set) 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](/source/Sidney_Sheldon). The series ended after five seasons on May 22, 1984, but was followed by eight made-for-television movies, which ran from 1993 to 1996. ==Premise== The premise of the show is summed up in the opening credits sequence, narrated by Max, the Harts' [majordomo](/source/majordomo) ([Lionel Stander](/source/Lionel_Stander)), as he introduces the characters: {{Blockquote|This is my boss — Jonathan Hart, a self-made millionaire. He's quite a guy.
This is Mrs. H — she's gorgeous. What a terrific lady.
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 [syndication](/source/Broadcast_syndication) and later digital releases: {{Blockquote|This is my boss — Mr. Jonathan Hart, self-made millionaire and quite a guy.
This here's his wife, Mrs. H — yeah, she's gorgeous, but don't let her looks deceive you.
Oh, and me? My name is Max. I'm their [chauffeur](/source/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.
This is Mrs. H — she's gorgeous. She's one lady who knows how to take care of herself.
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](/source/Robert_Wagner)) is the [CEO](/source/CEO) of Hart Industries, a global [conglomerate](/source/Conglomerate_(company)) based in Los Angeles. His wife Jennifer ([Stefanie Powers](/source/Stefanie_Powers)) is a freelance [journalist](/source/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](/source/Bel_Air%2C_Los_Angeles) estate, they are assisted by Max ([Lionel Stander](/source/Lionel_Stander)), their shared mansion's loyal, gravel-voiced majordomo, who also helps with their cases. The Harts' beloved pet dog is a [Löwchen](/source/L%C3%B6wchen) called Freeway, so named because he was a stray that they found wandering on the freeway. The Harts own a [Mercedes-Benz 300 TD](/source/Mercedes-Benz_300_TD) diesel wagon, a dark green [Rolls-Royce Corniche](/source/Rolls-Royce_Corniche) convertible (replacing the Series III Bentley custom cabriolet in the first season), and a yellow [Mercedes-Benz SL roadster](/source/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](/source/Dino_246_GTS). They also own a [Grumman Gulfstream II](/source/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](/source/The_Thin_Man_(film))'' films of the 1930s and 1940s, as well as ''[The Thin Man](/source/The_Thin_Man_(TV_series))'' television series of the 1950s, which also depict a wealthy and glamorous crime-fighting couple who have a dog and no children.{{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}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.moviegazetteonline.net/dvds/dvd-review-hart-hart-complete-series/|title=DVD Review: Hart to Hart – The Complete Series|date=July 1, 2017}}{{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}} ==Production== Screenwriter and novelist Sidney Sheldon wrote a script in the early 1970s for [CBS](/source/CBS) titled ''Double Twist'', about a married couple who were spies. It remained unfilmed for several years until producers [Aaron Spelling](/source/Aaron_Spelling) and [Leonard Goldberg](/source/Leonard_Goldberg) decided to update the idea for a potential television series. They offered the script to screenwriter [Tom Mankiewicz](/source/Tom_Mankiewicz), who had by that time written several screenplays, including three [James Bond](/source/James_Bond) films. They instructed Mankiewicz to make the script more contemporary for a weekly series. They proposed to Mankiewicz that if his draft was successful, he could direct the pilot episode.{{cite news|title=PRIMING FOR PRIME TIME: PRIME TIME|author=Tom Buckley|work=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)|date=Sep 9, 1979|page=SM114}} Mankiewicz reworked Sheldon's original script and renamed it ''Hart to Hart'', emphasizing the romantic aspect of the couple. 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 with the series' original story editor, [Bob Shayne](/source/Robert_Shaye). Spelling's and Goldberg's initial choice for the role of Jonathan Hart was [Cary Grant](/source/Cary_Grant). However, Grant was 75 years old and retired from acting; his last film, ''[Walk, Don't Run](/source/Walk%2C_Don't_Run_(film)),'' was released in 1966. They then decided to find a younger actor who might embody the same style, zest and persona of Grant, and offered the role to [Robert Wagner](/source/Robert_Wagner). No one else was seriously considered. [George Hamilton](/source/George_Hamilton_(actor)) was suggested, but [Aaron Spelling](/source/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."Tom Mankiewicz, ''My Life as a Mankiewicz: An Insider's Journey Through Hollywood,'' with Robert Crane. University Press of Kentucky, 2012, p. 222. ABC wanted Wagner's then-wife [Natalie Wood](/source/Natalie_Wood) to co-star as Jennifer Hart, but Wagner did not think it was a good idea. (Wood made a cameo appearance in the pilot, as an actress playing [Scarlett O'Hara](/source/Scarlett_O'Hara).) Initial choices for the role of Jennifer included [Suzanne Pleshette](/source/Suzanne_Pleshette), [Kate Jackson](/source/Kate_Jackson) (months removed from ending a three-year turn on ''[Charlie's Angels](/source/Charlie's_Angels)''), and [Lindsay Wagner](/source/Lindsay_Wagner) (no relation), but Robert Wagner suggested [Stefanie Powers](/source/Stefanie_Powers), with whom he had worked in an episode of his action-adventure series ''[It Takes a Thief](/source/It_Takes_a_Thief_(1968_TV_series))''. Wagner wanted [Sugar Ray Robinson](/source/Sugar_Ray_Robinson) to portray Max, but ABC executives were worried about a black man as [majordomo](/source/majordomo) for a rich white couple. Eventually they signed [Lionel Stander](/source/Lionel_Stander), who, like Powers, had worked with Wagner on ''It Takes a Thief.'' In that episode, "King of Thieves", Stander played a character named Max, who was likewise a lifelong friend. Stander was also cast as Max in Tom Mankiewicz's film ''[The Cassandra Crossing](/source/The_Cassandra_Crossing)'' in 1976, in which the lead characters, portrayed by [Richard Harris](/source/Richard_Harris) and [Sophia Loren](/source/Sophia_Loren), were also called Jonathan and Jennifer. The main title theme for the series was scored by [Mark Snow](/source/Mark_Snow). Fashion and jewelry designer [Nolan Miller](/source/Nolan_Miller), who later designed the clothes for ''[Dynasty](/source/Dynasty_(1981_TV_series)),'' was the costume designer for the show. The [ranch-style house](/source/ranch-style_house) used for exteriors previously belonged to [Dick Powell](/source/Dick_Powell) and [June Allyson](/source/June_Allyson). Powell was an old friend of Wagner and Spelling. The actual estate, Amber Hills, is situated on {{convert|48|acres}} in the [Mandeville Canyon](/source/Mandeville_Canyon) section of [Brentwood, Los Angeles](/source/Brentwood%2C_Los_Angeles). In the series, the Harts' address is given as 3100 Willow Pond Road, Bel Air: the real address is 3100 Mandeville Canyon Road. One episode was shot in [San Diego](/source/San_Diego).(1983-12-01). ''Spotlight on filming in SD County''. ''[Daily Times-Advocate](/source/Daily_Times-Advocate)'', 52, 56-57. As with most of the Spelling library under the control of [Sony Pictures Television](/source/Sony_Pictures_Television), the series has been remastered from the originals for [widescreen](/source/widescreen) [high definition](/source/high-definition_television) presentation. ==Episodes== {{Main|List of Hart to Hart episodes}} {{:List of Hart to Hart episodes}} ==TV movies== In 1993, nine years 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 over the next four years; the first five for NBC, and the final three for [CTV Television Network](/source/CTV_Television_Network): {{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 the first five movies until his death from lung cancer on November 30, 1994. His last screen appearance was in ''Secrets of the Hart.'' ==Remakes== In 2002, [Alan Cumming](/source/Alan_Cumming) was attached to a series being developed for ABC 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 never went into production.{{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](/source/Playbill) |first=Andrew |last=Gans |date=November 13, 2002 |access-date=September 17, 2015}} In September 2015, ''[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood)'' reported that [NBC](/source/NBC) 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](/source/Carol_Mendelsohn) and Julie Weitz, the new series, which also did not come to pass, 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."{{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](/source/Deadline_Hollywood) |first=Nellie |last=Andreeva |date=September 15, 2015 |access-date=September 16, 2015}} ==Home media== [Sony Pictures Home Entertainment](/source/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](/source/Warner_Archive_Collection). These were Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) releases and are available exclusively through WBShop.com and Amazon.com. In 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''.{{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}} These are also manufacture-on-demand (MOD) releases, available via Amazon.com, and are part of the Sony Choice Collection. In 2014, [Shout! Factory](/source/Shout!_Factory) acquired the rights to the series for Region 1. They released Season 3 in 2014, Season 4 and 5 in 2015, and The Complete Series in 2017.{{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}}{{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}}{{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}}{{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}}{{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}} {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"|DVD Name !! rowspan="2"|Ep# !! colspan="3"|Release dates |- ! Region 1 ([USCA](/source/Anglo-America)) !! Region 2 ([DACH](/source/DACH)) !! Region 2 ([UKIE](/source/British_Isles)) |- | 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](/source/Eastern_Time_Zone)), [Adult Swim](/source/Adult_Swim) aired an edition of ''[The Greatest Event in Television History](/source/The_Greatest_Event_in_Television_History).'' Hosted by [Jeff Probst](/source/Jeff_Probst), the program went behind the scenes during the making of a [shot-for-shot](/source/shot-for-shot) remake of the ''Hart to Hart'' opening sequence, with [Adam Scott](/source/Adam_Scott) and [Amy Poehler](/source/Amy_Poehler) respectively in the roles of Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, and [Horatio Sanz](/source/Horatio_Sanz) as Max.{{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}} The remake followed a similar effort in the fall of 2012, adapting the opening credit sequence of ''[Simon & Simon](/source/Simon_%26_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] {{People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama}} {{Sidney Sheldon}} {{Portal bar|Television|United States|1980s}} {{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:English-language American 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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hart to Hart](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hart_to_Hart) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hart_to_Hart?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.