Miami Vice ran on NBC from 1984-1989, and was one of the highest-rated television programs of the decade. The show’s plot followed two Miami police detectives working undercover, Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson, in this 1984 photo by Miami Herald photographer Donna Natale Planas) and Ricardo Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas), in their attempts to fight the city’s seedy underbelly.  The original idea to set a police show in Miami belonged to Anthony Yerkovich. He saw Miami’s tropical, multicultural feel and the pervasive drug trade as a backdrop for a high-wattage police show. Many episodes were filmed in South Beach, which, at the time, was blighted by poverty and crime.  The show’s rock-video glitz and glamour dispelled the image of Miami Beach as “God’s waiting room.”  Miami Vice took the city’s Art Deco buildings, blue skies, pastels, population — and even crime — and made them something cool and chic. It catapulted Miami onto magazine covers and fashion show runways, into department stores and boutiques. The show’s economic impact was felt almost immediately, as film and photography shootings soared and South Florida became the darling of actors, models and photographers. Miami Vice’s legacy continues today. The show is credited with jumpstarting the preservation of South Beach’s Art Deco architecture, featured prominently in the series.

Want more Miami Vice? Take a look at our mini-documentary  “The Vice Effect: How a hit TV show changed Miami” 

Cover page (page 1 section letter E) of the FINAL edition of The Miami Herald issue published Wednesday, October 10, 1984 in Miami, Florida. Features WEARING IT LIKE A NATIVE. Story told as a cutline "Miami Vice's Philip Michael Thomas (Ricardo Tubbs), left, and Don Johnson (Sonny Crockett) sport their wardrobe director's idea of carefully conceived sub-tropical chic." Photo by MARICE COHN/Miami Herald Staff

Inside page (page 6 section letter E) of the FINAL edition of The Miami Herald issue published Wednesday, october 10, 1984. Features VICE LOOKS NICE with associated photograph "Philip Michael Thomas wears Cacharel jeans and a shoulder-padded Jef Hueregue shirt. Don Johnson wears a T-shirt and Madonna of Beverly Hills pants. All glasses from Alpina." By MARICE COHN/Miami Herald Staff.

6/20/1986: Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas in 'VICE'. Don Johnson (left) and Philip Michael Thomas return in sartorial splendor as detectives Crockett and Tubbs for a new season on NBC-TV's hot hit series "Miami Vice" (Friday, 9 - 10 p.m. NYT).

3/7/1986: MIAMI' cop in New York -- Detective Crockett (Don Johnson), in New York, whirls around in time to defend himself as he poses as a drug buyer to flush out a family of brutal Colombian drug traffickers, in the two-hour rebroadcast of "Prodigal Son" on NBC's hit series "Miami Vice," Sunday, March 23 (9 - 11 p.m. NYT).

5/21/1989: Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas of Miami Vice.

9/12/1986: Crockett gets an earful - Detective Crockett (Don Johnson) is distracted by a Lolita- like young woman (Maki Fane) while he waits to make an undercover arms deal that could lead to Irish Republican Army terrorists, in "When Irish Eyes Are Crying," the third - season premiere of NBC -TV's "Miami Vice" Friday, Sept. 26 (9 - 10 p.m. NYT).

3/26/1986, C.W. Griffin/Miami Herald Staff: Metro Commissioner Sherman Winn and Don Johnson at the groundbreaking for the convention center expansion.

9/14/1985, Michele DuCille/Miami Herald Staff: Don Johnson arrives at Miami Vice party held at Club 1235 in Miami Beach.

Undated: Miami Vice TV show stars, Philip Michael Thomas and Don Johnson.

5/10/1984: Don Johnson on the set of Miami Vice.

10/12/1984: Running It Down - Detective Crockett (Don Johnson, center) tries to explain to his partner, Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas, left), and his boss, Lieutenant Castillo (Edward James Olmos), how he was framed for accepting dirty money in "One - Eyed Jack," on NBC - TV's "Miami Vice" Friday, Nov. 2 (10 - 11 p.m. NYT).

2/6/1987: Philip Michael Thomas, Don Johnson go hunting -- Detectives Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas, left) and Crockett (Don Johnson) burst into a private home to rescue an electronics whiz who is the target of a drug mobster in "Lend Me An Ear," on NBC-TV's Miami Vice.

Jim Morin cartoon.

5/8/1989: Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas of Miami Vice.

3/22/1985: Boatbusters! - Detectives Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas, left), Crockett (Don Johnson, center) and Zito (John Diehl) gear up their cigarette boat to compete in a high-stakes speedboat race that they believe is a clever cover for drug smuggling in "The Great McCarthy," on NBC-TV's innovative "Miami Vice,"

5/12/1989, C.M. Guerrero/Miami Herald Staff: Actor Alfredo Alvarez Calderon re-enacts pose from Miami Vice.

1/9/1985, Murry Sill/Miami Herald Staff: A Miami Vice crew member runs past the burning hulk Magdalena, formerly Betty Davis' "Christmas Tree" after it exploded during filming at the Watson Island Marina.

8/31/1984: Runnin' On Empty - Detectives Tubbs (Philip Michael Thomas, left) and Crockett (Don Johnson ) plot a new course as they try to run down a band of Jamaican drug suppliers who have a nasty habit of slaying their business associates, in "Cool Runnin'," on NBC-TV's new police-drama "Miami Vice".

3/14/1986, Erica Berger/Miami Herald Staff: Rev. Raul Angulo Miami Vice plays a Catholic priest in a Miami Vice episode titled "Buddies", which will include a baptism scene at St. Mary's Cathedral, 7520 NW Second Ave., according to show publicist Carole Myers.

6/21/1985: Stop that Ship! - Detectives Zito (John Diehl, left) and Switek (Michael Talbott) hope their ship hasn't sailed when they try to prevent a murderous dealer of stolen merchandise from slipping away on his yacht, in "Made for Each Other," on NBC-TV's critical hit " Miami Vice".

7/17/1987, Bruce Gilbert/Miami Herald Staff: "Elvis," the star alligator of Miami Vice TV show.

3/6/1985, Pete Cross/Miami Herald Staff: Stunt man Artie Malesci drives a pickup truck off the MacArthur Causeway while filming for a Miami Vice episode called "Nobody Lives Forever".

Undated: Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas on the set of Miami Vice.

1984, Donna Natale Planas, Miami Herald Staff: Don Johnson filming a scene for Miami Vice in front of the Carlyle Hotel.

Undated: Miami Vice set in front of the Miami-Dade Public Library's main branch.

Undated: Philip Michael Thomas, who played Detective Ricardo Tubbs, poses for the camera.

Undated: Phil Collins on the set of Miami Vice. His song, In the Air Tonight, was featured in the most famous scene of the show. In the scene, Sonny Crockett is shown driving a Ferrari down the Miami causeway at night, heading for a dangerous nighttime rendezvous.

1985: Miami Police Chief Clarence Dickson poses with Miami Vice duo Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas.

Undated: Miami Vice stars Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas.