Let Your Voice Be Heard... How You Can Help Miami Vice Make the Grade Again!

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Title:	Let Your Voice Be Heard... How You Can Help Miami Vice Make the Grade Again!
Creator:	Mary Platt
Date(s):	Winter 1987
Medium:	print
Fandom:	Miami Vice
Topic:
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Let Your Voice Be Heard... How You Can Help Miami Vice Make the Grade Again! is an essay by Mary Platt.

It was printed in MV #2 (1987).

The topic was the fannish promotion of Miami Vice and its re-inclusion in on the list of shows that Viewers for Quality Television (VQT) supported.

The VQT was a grassroots fannish organization that was created as a response to The Nielsen Ratings. While the Nielsens were focused on number of views, the VQT goal was to promote literary, quality shows. One of the organization's unspoken goals, of course, was to generate controversy and to encourage fans to join in order to promote and vote their favorites, which in turn increased membership, profit and visibility.

At the time of this essay, Miami Vice had been dropped from the list due to what fans considered declining quality. The editor of MV encouraged fans to join VQT so that they could specifically vote for Miami Vice.

Some Topics Discussed

• fan demographics
• Miami Vice
• letter campaign
• negative comparisons of Miami Vice to Starsky & Hutch
• advocating Miami Vice's "literate" qualities

From the Essay

You may have read the recent USA TODAY story about the Viewers for Quality Television organization (in the Dec. 30, 1986 issue). This is a grassroots organization, numbering about 1,000 members nationwide (median member: female, age 30-35, annual income $10,000-$30,000, owns two TVs and a VCR—sound familiar?), which has as its aim the encouragement of networks to broadcast "quality" programs. The list of VQT-endorsed programs includes THE COSBY SHOW, FAMILY TIES, CAGNEY AND LACEY, MOONLIGHTING, CHEERS, THE GOLDEN GIRLS, HILL STREET BLUES, ST. ELSEWHERE, L.A. LAW, KATE AND ALLIE, NEWHART, and MURDER, SHE WROTE. The group recently dropped MIAMI VICE from its list after a "season-long debate on declining quality."

I wrote to one of the founders of VQT, Dorothy Swanson, and asked her for some background on the MIAMI VICE debate. In my letter, I said that I was very surprised to hear that VICE had been "dropped" from VQT's list, especially in light of the very literate, humanistic, and well-written episodes this season. I stated that it was too bad that a series which has improved so much due DIRECTLY to viewer concerns and comments gets slammed in print (in the USA TODAY article) by being listed as "dropped" from their endorsements.

Ms. Swanson responded: "Dear Mary: We welcome your pro-MIAMI VICE views in our next newsletter. We welcome debate and controversy. We are a forum—we listen, we educate, we act. You sound like exactly the kind of viewer we are looking for. Perhaps you would like to articulate your opinion of MIAMI VICE for our 'Soapbox' section. Hope to hear from you soon. — Dorothy."

She also enclosed the group's latest newsletter, which has some pro and con comments on MIAMI VICE, among other things. Here's what Dorothy said in the opening section of the [VQT] newsletter, commenting on some network shows from the beginning of the season: "MIAMI VICE resurrected the element of humanity in its premier episode, 'When Irish Eyes Are Crying.' Gina cared for an Irish activist, and Crockett and Tubbs cared about Gina. John Lennon's 'Imagine' provided haunting background to the stark black-and-white photos of the terror in Northern Ireland. Then, through Gina, a difficult problem was presented for what it was — difficult. No sides were taken, for both sides are wrong — and both sides are right."

Comments from the VQT Newsletter

Some comments in the VQT newsletter were included in Platt's essay, and they are examples of what the Miami Vice fans were up against.

From Melissa Benefield, Montgomery, AL: "MIAMI VICE does not meet the definition of quality ("one actually has to pay attention to follow the storyline"). This does not apply to MIAMI VICE. As a matter of fact, the storylines are repeated so frequently, one can tell in the

first 10 minutes what will happen in the next 50. This drama definitely never surprises me nor does it make me think."

From Charles E. Walker, San Antonio, TX: "The fact that a show is 'different' does not make it 'quality.' MOONLIGHTING and MIAMI VICE have shallow plots, incoherent direction, undiscernable values, and artificial characters and situations..."

From Claire Tindall, Cheshire, England: "I feel...that MIAMI VICE has veered towards a STARSKY AND HUTCH-esque approach lately and has not been nationally as popular as the earlier series."

From Tom Galioto, Arlington, VA: "I voted against MIAMI VICE because they continued, intentionally, to trade off character development for mood, stopping where a quality show is just beginning. I know as much about Sonny Crockett today as I did two years ago. Also, violence is too important a theme in the shows."

From Richard J. Cuffe, Newport News, VA: "An item on directors in the Members' Corner section of the August newsletter helped me understand why I dislike MIAMI VICE. No wonder these current-day 'super cops' resembled STARSKY AND HUTCH — Starsky and Hutch have been contributing directors!"

From Lynn Venhaus, Breese, IL: "While some of the shows have suffered in quality this year—particularly MIAMI VICE and HILL STREET BLUES they broke such TV ground and are far superior to the other things on TV. I also believe they will get back on track this season."

Encouragement and a Call to Arms from Mary Platt

OK — that's what some VQT members had to say. What do YOU have to say? Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is and link up with a group that, while some of its decisions are obviously questionable, has goals that are admirable? And, at the same time, if you believe MIAMI VICE is a quality show, to help it be recognized as such?

Here's the scoop on getting MIAMI VICE back on the VQT-endorsed list. VICE didn't miss by much! The newsletter says: "MIAMI VICE received more 'no' votes than 'yes' votes. But because it was so close and because the voting was based on last season's episodes, we feel that VICE should be placed on 'marginal' status for now. We are including it again in the current VQT poll and ask that you vote on MIAMI VICE one more time based on this season's episodes."

I think, from what Dorothy sent me, that we missed that particular vote, and that that was the one which dropped VICE from the list. HOWEVER, I'm writing a pro-MIAMI VICE article for the next VQT Newsletter, which goes to press in February, Maybe this will spur some pro-VICE action on their part. We can hope so. Please join me in this endeavor!

Information on how to join VQT follows. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!