Silk Stalkings
Encyclopedia
Silk Stalkings is a TV
crime drama originally shown on CBS
in 1991
as part of the network's late-night Crimetime After Primetime
programming package, and rebroadcast on the USA Network
. After CBS ended the Crimetime experiment in 1993
, the series ran exclusively on USA until its finale in the spring of 1999. The show was created by Stephen J. Cannell
.
The series portrays the daily lives of two detectives who solved sexually-based crimes of passion ("silk stalkings") among the ultra-rich of Palm Beach, Florida
. Most episodes were shot in San Diego, California
, while others were filmed in Scottsdale, Arizona
.
-1995
, 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'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 a mob boss named Donnie "Dogs" DiBarto; John Byner
as Cotton Dunn, a cunning but likable con artist; Scott Atkins as Officer Perry, a rookie cop; Kim Morgan Greene
as Mellisa 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.1 In the very 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 was soon confirmed to be pregnant (as was Kapture in reality), and Chris and Rita were married in an early December episode titled "Till Death Do Us Part". The very 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; and also Kokotakis, along with Tyler Layton
, who was introduced in the episode as detective Holly Rawlins. Most of the episode 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 Captain Lipschitz, and leaves the force for parts unknown.
and Janet Gunn
. 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.
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 Cassie on the rocks, was a cliffhanger with no resolution.
released the first 5 seasons of Silk Stalkings on DVD in Region 1 between 2004-2006. As of 2010, these releases have been discontinued and are out of print.
On October 14, 2009, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment
had acquired the rights to several Stephen J. Cannell
series including Silk Stalkings. Season 1 was re-released on DVD on March 9, 2010.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
crime drama originally shown on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1991
1991 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1991-92 United States network television schedule.The year 1991 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1991.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
as part of the network's late-night Crimetime After Primetime
Crimetime After Primetime
Crimetime After Primetime is the umbrella title for a group of late-night crime-investigation shows that debuted at various times on CBS during 1991 and 1992, running through late summer of 1993. The series was dropped when CBS began broadcasting Late Show with David Letterman...
programming package, and rebroadcast on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
. After CBS ended the Crimetime experiment in 1993
1993 in television
The year 1993 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1993.For the American TV schedule, see: 1993-94 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
, the series ran exclusively on USA until its finale in the spring of 1999. The show was created by Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen Joseph Cannell was an American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor, and the founder of Stephen J. Cannell Productions.-Early life:...
.
The series portrays the daily lives of two detectives who solved sexually-based crimes of passion ("silk stalkings") among the ultra-rich of Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
. Most episodes were shot in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, while others were filmed in Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
.
Cast
- Rob EstesRob EstesRobert Estes is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Harry Wilson on the Teen drama 90210, as Sgt. Chris Lorenzo on the Crime drama Silk Stalkings, and as Kyle McBride on the Primetime Soap opera Melrose Place.-Career:Estes first became interested in an acting career while training...
- Sgt. Chris Lorenzo (1991–1995) - Mitzi KaptureMitzi KaptureMitzi Gaynor Donahue is an American actress, also credited and more popularly known as Mitzi Kapture.Kapture began her career in films, most of which were not huge commercial successes...
- Sgt. Rita Lee Lance (1991–1995) - William Anton - Assistant D.A. George Donovan (1991–1996)
- Charlie BrillCharlie BrillCharlie Brill is an American actor.His first motion picture was in The Beast of Budapest. He also appeared in Blackbeard's Ghost, The Amazing Dobermans and Off the Wall....
- Capt. Harry Lipschitz (1993–1999) - Nick Kokotakis - Det. Michael Price (1996)
- Tyler LaytonTyler LaytonTyler Layton is a US actress from Alabama.Layton's father was a radio announcer and a sports journalist who encouraged her from an early age...
- Det. Holly Rawlins (1996) - Chris PotterChris Potter (actor)Christopher Jay "Chris" Potter is a Canadian actor, musician and pitchman. He is primarily known for his roles on soap operas and prime-time television. Potter is known for his roles as Peter Caine, on the popular 1990s crime drama, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Dr...
- Det. Sgt. Tom Ryan (1996–1999) - Janet GunnJanet GunnJanet Gunn is an American actress who was born on November 2, 1961, in Fort Worth, Texas.-Biography:Janet Gunn graduated in 1980 from W.E. Boswell High School in Saginaw, Texas where she was active in school dramas and plays. She was also a varsity cheerleader and was elected Homecoming Queen her...
- Det. Sgt. Cassandra "Cassy" St. John (1996–1999) - Jamie RoseJamie RoseJamie Rose is an American actress possibly best known for playing Vickie Gioberti in the prime time 1980s soap opera Falcon Crest. Rose played the role from 1981 to 1983, leaving at the beginning at the show's third season...
- Jasmine / Catherine Hayworth / Patricia von Barrow / Jacqueline "Jackie" Webster - Sandra FergusonSandra FergusonSandra Dee Robinson is an American actress and founder of the media training and consulting firm Charisma On Camera. As an actress she was first credited as Sandra Reinhardt while married to her first husband, John Reinhardt. When they divorced, she changed her name back to Ferguson...
- Jennifer "Jen" McNeil (1994–1995)
Chris and Rita
From 19911991 in television
For the American TV schedule, see: 1991-92 United States network television schedule.The year 1991 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1991.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
-1995
1995 in television
The year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
, the lead characters were played by Rob Estes
Rob Estes
Robert Estes is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Harry Wilson on the Teen drama 90210, as Sgt. Chris Lorenzo on the Crime drama Silk Stalkings, and as Kyle McBride on the Primetime Soap opera Melrose Place.-Career:Estes first became interested in an acting career while training...
and Mitzi Kapture
Mitzi Kapture
Mitzi Gaynor Donahue is an American actress, also credited and more popularly known as Mitzi Kapture.Kapture began her career in films, most of which were not huge commercial successes...
, as detectives Christopher Lorenzo and Rita Lee Lance, respectively. Early in the series, Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen is an American actor, dancer, and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre shows. Vereen graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts.- Early years :...
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
Robert Gossett
Robert Gossett is an American television, theater, and film actor. Gossett landed his first professional job after he graduated from high school in a production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He went on to act in the Broadway production of Lloyd Richard's of Fences, Hal Scott's A Raisin in...
, 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
Charlie Brill
Charlie Brill is an American actor.His first motion picture was in The Beast of Budapest. He also appeared in Blackbeard's Ghost, The Amazing Dobermans and Off the Wall....
as Captain Harry Lipschitz. Brill's real-life wife Mitzi McCall
Mitzi McCall
Mitzi McCall is an American actress married to actor Charlie Brill. She performed on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Other credits include guest appearances on Life Goes On, The Twilight Zone, Silk Stalkings , and voice work on many cartoons...
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 a mob boss named Donnie "Dogs" DiBarto; John Byner
John Byner
John Byner is an American actor, comedian, and impressionist who has had a lengthy television and movie career. His voice work includes the cartoon series The Ant and the Aardvark, in which the title characters are voiced by Byner's impressions of Dean Martin and Jackie Mason,...
as Cotton Dunn, a cunning but likable con artist; Scott Atkins as Officer Perry, a rookie cop; Kim Morgan Greene
Kim Morgan Greene
Kim Morgan Greene is an American actress.She is perhaps best known for her performance as Channing Carter Colby in the Dynasty spin-off series The Colbys...
as Mellisa Cassidy, a late night radio talk show host, sex therapist
Sex therapy
Sex therapy is the treatment of sexual dysfunction, such as non-consummation, premature ejaculation , erectile dysfunction, low libido, unwanted sexual fetishes, sexual addiction, painful sex, or a lack of sexual confidence, assisting people who are recovering from sexual assault, problems commonly...
, and old flame of Chris's; Danny Gans
Danny Gans
Daniel Davies Gans was an American singer and comedian who found regional success as a vocal impressionist.-Career:...
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
Freda Foh Shen
Freda Foh Shen is an Asian American theatre, film and television actress.In 1990 she played Carmen in Jean Genet's play The Balcony at the Hudson Guild Theater in New York....
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
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
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.1 In the very 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
Crystal Chappell
Crystal Chappell is an American actress. She played Carly Manning on Days of our Lives from 1990 to 1993, Maggie Carpenter on One Life to Live from 1995 to 1997 and Olivia Spencer on Guiding Light from 1999 to 2009. On October 2, 2009, she began reprising the role of Carly Manning...
. 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
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
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 was soon confirmed to be pregnant (as was Kapture in reality), and Chris and Rita were married in an early December episode titled "Till Death Do Us Part". The very 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; and also Kokotakis, along with Tyler Layton
Tyler Layton
Tyler Layton is a US actress from Alabama.Layton's father was a radio announcer and a sports journalist who encouraged her from an early age...
, who was introduced in the episode as detective Holly Rawlins. Most of the episode 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 Captain Lipschitz, and leaves the force for parts unknown.
Tom and Cassie
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 television veterans Chris PotterChris Potter (actor)
Christopher Jay "Chris" Potter is a Canadian actor, musician and pitchman. He is primarily known for his roles on soap operas and prime-time television. Potter is known for his roles as Peter Caine, on the popular 1990s crime drama, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Dr...
and Janet Gunn
Janet Gunn
Janet Gunn is an American actress who was born on November 2, 1961, in Fort Worth, Texas.-Biography:Janet Gunn graduated in 1980 from W.E. Boswell High School in Saginaw, Texas where she was active in school dramas and plays. She was also a varsity cheerleader and was elected Homecoming Queen her...
. 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.
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
1999 in television
The year 1999 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1999.For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
. The final episode of the final season, in spring 1999, placing Tom's career and relationship with Cassie on the rocks, was a cliffhanger with no resolution.
DVD releases
Anchor Bay EntertainmentAnchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment is a U.S. based home entertainment and production company and is a division of Starz Media, which is a unit of Starz, LLC. It was previously owned by IDT Entertainment until 2006 when IDT was purchased by Starz Media. Anchor Bay markets and sells feature films, series,...
released the first 5 seasons of Silk Stalkings on DVD in Region 1 between 2004-2006. As of 2010, these releases have been discontinued and are out of print.
On October 14, 2009, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment
Mill Creek Entertainment
Mill Creek Entertainment is a home entertainment company that manufactures movie and television DVD compilation box sets at "value" prices. Nashville's Amity Entertainment is an affiliate to Mill Creek...
had acquired the rights to several Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen Joseph Cannell was an American television producer, writer, novelist and occasional actor, and the founder of Stephen J. Cannell Productions.-Early life:...
series including Silk Stalkings. Season 1 was re-released on DVD on March 9, 2010.
| DVD Name | Ep# | Release dates |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 20 | March 9, 2010 |