August 25, 1979: “Hart to Hart” Premieres

Left to right: Lionel Stander, Stefanie Powers (holding Freeway), Robert Wagner.

August 25, 1979: Hart to Hart premieres on ABC, created by novelist Sidney Sheldon, who had previously created the sitcoms The Patty Duke Show and I Dream of Jeannie. It was produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg both of whom created several TV shows themselves.

The role of Jonathan Hart was originally offered to Cary Grant, but he was 75 years old, and was determined to remain retired. George Hamilton was suggested, but Spelling said, "The audience will resent him as Hart for being that rich. But no one will begrudge R.J. a nickel."

"R.J." was Robert John Wagner Jr., who had previously starred in the TV shows It Takes a Thief and Switch, each time playing a reformed criminal putting his skills to work for the law. This time, he was cast as Jonathan Hart.

Robert Wagner's real-life wife at the time, Natalie Wood, was given a cameo in the pilot, but Wagner didn't think casting her as Jonathan's wife Jennifer was a good idea. Former Bob Newhart Show co-star Suzanne Pleshette, former Charlie's Angel Kate Jackson and former Bionic Woman Lindsay Wagner were suggested, but Wagner remembered Stefanie Powers, formerly The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., from an episode of It Takes a Thief, and recommended her.

Lionel Stander played Max, who ran their estate, and helped them solve crimes. He narrated the opening sequence. It began with their Grumman Gulfstream II private jet taking off, and showing both of the Harts on board. Then it showed them driving sports cars side-by side. In Season 1, Max said:

This is my boss, Jonathan Hart, a self-made millionaire. He's quite a guy. This is Mrs. H. She's gorgeous. What a terrific lady.

By the way, my name is Max. I take care of them. Which ain't easy. Because their hobby is... murder.

Which makes it sound like their hobby is committing murders, especially since Stander's Bronx accent makes it sound like "moiduh." From Season 2 onward, the opening was altered:

This is my boss, Jonathan Hart, a self-made millionaire. He's quite a guy. This is Mrs. H. She's gorgeous. She's one lady who knows how to take care of herself.

By the way, my name is Max. I take care of both of them. Which ain't easy. 'Cause when they met, it was... murder.

Jonathan is the CEO of Hart Industries, a global conglomerate based in Los Angeles. His wife Jennifer is a freelance journalist. They live in Bel Air, with a dog, a Löwchen they named Freeway, because they found him wandering on one.

Because Jonathan and Jennifer Hart were a wealthy crime-solving couple with a dog, but no children, they were compared to Nick and Nora Charles of the Thin Man movies of the 1930s and '40s.

The show ran for 5 seasons, and there were 8 "reunion" movies, the last in 1996. Wagner and Powers showed that, if Bruce Wayne didn't have the trauma of seeing his parents killed in front of him, he and Selina Kyle, without their Batman and Catwoman costumes, could have been better mystery-solvers than Batman and Robin. Certainly, more stylish.

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August 25, 1979 was a Saturday. These Major League Baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Minnesota Twins, 4-1 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Jerry Koosman outpitched Luis Tiant. Reggie Jackson went 1-for-3 with a walk.

* The New York Mets lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 8-4 at Shea Stadium. The Reds scored 5 runs, including a home run by George Foster, in the top of the 9th inning to win. Johnny Bench also hit a home run. Joel Youngblood hit one for the Mets. The Mets signed Foster as a free agent in 1982, but it didn't work out for them.

* The Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-1 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. Mike Schmidt went 0-for-2 with 2 walks. Pete Rose went 1-for-4.

* The California Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 24-2 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. The Angels scored 8 runs in the top of the 1st inning and coasted the rest of the way. Rod Carew went 2-for-5 with 2 walks and an RBI. The Halos got 2 home runs from Don Baylor, and 1 each from Bobby Grich, Dan Ford and Bobby Clark.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Oakland Athletics, 5-3 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Rookie Rickey Henderson went 1-for-3 with a walk.

* The Seattle Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers, 8-4 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit.

* The Kansas City Royals beat the Boston Red Sox, 1-0 at Royals Stadium (later Kauffman Stadium) in Kansas City. Dennis Leonard pitched a 4-hit shutout, outpitching Mike Torrez. The only run came in the bottom of the 1st inning, on an inside-the-park home run by Willie Wilson. George Brett went 1-for-4. Carl Yastrzemski went 1-for-3.

* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Texas Rangers, 5-2 at Arlington Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. Robin Yount went 0-for-4, and Paul Molitor went 3-for-5 with an RBI.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Diego Padres, 4-3 at San Diego Stadium (later Jack Murphy Stadium and Qualcomm Stadium). This game went to the 19th inning, when Tim Foli singled Bill Robinson home. Willie Stargell went 2-for-7 with a walk. Dave Winfield entered the game as a pinch-hitter, and stayed in the game as the Padres' right fielder, going 0-for-2 with 3 walks.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Lou Brock, in his last season, goes 2-for-5.

* The San Francisco Giants beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-2 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

* The Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox were rained out at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Because the Orioles ended up willing the American League Eastern Division title, and the White Sox are far back in the AL Western Division, the game is never made up.

* And the Atlanta Braves and the Montreal Expos were rained out at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. Because the Expos finished 2 games behind the Pirates in the National League Eastern Division, the game is never made up.

And in English soccer, Arsenal and Manchester United played to a draw, 0-0 at the Arsenal Stadium, a.k.a. Highbury, in North London.