Tropical Heat/Sweating Bullets

1 9 9 1 – 1 9 9 3 (Canada)

This Canadian-produced detective drama featured Nick Slaughter (Rob Stewart) as a former Miami-based DEA agent with a ponytail and an attitude who opted for what he thought would be a safer, more laid-back, lifestyle – as a private eye on the sunny (fictional) Caribbean island of Key Mariah.

Life on the beach meant nubile girls in bikinis and guys with open shirts, which suited irresponsible Nick just fine. When he should have been looking for clients, he spent his time hanging out with his friend Ian (John David Bland), a former Australian rock star who had given it all up to run a beachfront bar and dive shop.

Trying to keep Nick’s mind on business was Sylvie (Carolyn Dunn), his sexy, superefficient partner (would they ever get involved romantically?), a computer whiz who had given up one marginal career as a travel agent for another one working for Nick.

Also cruising the white sands were Lt. Carillo (Pedro Armendariz), head of the local police, and Ollie (Eugene Clark), a Philadelphia cop temporarily working as Carillo’s assistant.

Filmed on location in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – where bikinis and bare chests do indeed abound – production was moved to Tel Aviv and Eilat in Israel in the fall of 1991 and to Mauritius (for beach scenes) and Pretoria, South Africa a year later.

When Ian went back to rock and roll, Nick’s friend Spider Garvin (Ian Tracey), a former tennis pro, took over the beach bar. Rollie (Alon Nashman) was the nerdy medical examiner.

The series, originally known as Tropical Heat was aired on CBS in the US as Sweating Bullets. Two episodes of the show were re-edited into a feature-length film called Criss Cross.

Nick Slaughter
Rob Stewart
Sylvie Girard
Carolyn Dunn
Ian Stewart
John David Bland
Lt. Carillo
Pedro Armendariz
Ollie Porter
Eugene Clark
Spider Garvin
Ian Tracey
Sgt. Gregory
Ari Sorko-Ram
Rollie
Alon Nashman

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