Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1980s Television
    1980s Television Drama Shows T 2 Mins Read

    Tenspeed & Brown Shoe

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 8 0 (USA)
    1 x 96 minute episode
    10 x 60 minute episodes

    E L ‘Tenspeed’ Turner (Ben Vereen) – was a smooth-talking con man who needed a job so he wouldn’t get thrown in jail again (he was out on parole).

    Lionel ‘Brown Shoe’ (an old term for bankers and stockbrokers) Whitney (Jeff Goldblum) was a naive, daydreaming stockbroker with a code of ethics who wanted to be just like his heroes in 1940s pulp fiction private eye novels and old Bogart movies.

    In that way, Brown Shoe represented every mystery fan who ever secretly dreamed of being Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade.

    Whitney opened the tiny Lionel Whitney Detective Agency – located two blocks off Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles – in partnership with Turner (a truly odd couple), and the duo wound up with more than their share of exciting cases.

    Tenspeed was a master of disguise with a chameleon-like skill to instantly transform himself into a priest, a psychiatrist, a chauffeur, or whatever role was necessary to elude his adversaries.

    The unlikely series only lasted for 11 episodes. The show was launched with a tremendous promotional blitz in early 1980 and attracted a large audience for its first couple of episodes. It then declined rapidly and was soon cancelled.

    The producer of this series was Stephen J. Cannell, whose name was used as “the author” of all the blood-and-guts detective novels Lionel was forever reading to hone his detective skills.

    E.L. ‘Tenspeed’ Turner 
    Ben Vereen 
    Lionel ‘Brown Shoe’ Whitney

    Jeff Goldblum

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Mike Hammer
      Mike Hammer
      1 9 8 4 - 1 9 8 6 (USA) 1 x 120 minute episode 46 x 60 minute episodes This…
    • JJ Starbuck
      JJ Starbuck
      1 9 8 7 - 1 9 8 8 (USA) 16 x 60 minute episodes JJ Starbuck (Dale Robertson) is an…
    • Eddie Capra Mysteries, The
      Eddie Capra Mysteries, The
      1 9 7 8 (USA) 13 x 60 minute episodes Eddie Capra (Vincent Baggetta) was an unorthodox attorney with the mind…
    • Harris & Company
      Harris & Company
      1 9 7 9 (USA) 4 x 60 minute episodes Following the death of his wife, black assembly-line worker Mike Harris…
    • Police Squad!
      Police Squad!
      1 9 8 2 (USA) 6 x 30 minute episodes A spoof crime drama series from ABC/Paramount featuring the cases of…
    • Switch
      Switch
      1 9 7 5 - 1 9 7 8 (USA) 1 x 90 minute pilot 70 x 60 minute episodes Former…
    • Sons and Daughters
      Sons and Daughters
      1 9 7 4 (USA) 13 x 60 minute episodes It's the 1950s, Eisenhower is in the White House, teenagers…
    • McCoy
      McCoy
      1 9 7 5 - 1 9 7 6 (USA) 5 x 90 minute episodes McCoy debuted in September 1975 as one…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleStrange Paradise
    Next Article Nichols

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small. 

    Thank you so much.
    Enjoy your trip in the time machine!

    You may also like

    • JJ Starbuck
      JJ Starbuck
      1 9 8 7 - 1 9 8 8 (USA) 16 x 60 minute episodes JJ Starbuck (Dale Robertson) is an…
    • Shoe People, The
      Shoe People, The
      1 9 8 7 (UK) 26 x 5 minute episodes 1 9 9 2 (UK) 26 x 5 minute episodes Created…
    • Father Brown
      Father Brown
      1 9 7 4 (UK) 13 x 60 minute episodes 15-years before Father Dowling began investigating, this quaint, period series featured…
    • Trying Times
      Trying Times
      1 9 8 7 (USA) 6 x 30 minute episodes 1 9 8 9 (USA) 6 x 30 minute episodes This…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.