With several other old TV shows being remade as feature films (most recently, the announcement that 1970s comedy series Good Times, will be getting the big screen treatment), why not this one? 

My Mario Van Peebles Solo flashback post earlier this week reminded me of another short-lived, late 1980s detective TV series, Sonny Spoon, which starred Mario as Sonny, described as “a hip, black private investigator who used his street smarts and ‘cool’ persona to solve crimes.” 

He was also a master of disguises, and Mario’s father, Melvin Van Peebles, had a part in the series as well. 

You folks remember this? 

I barely do actually; I was too young at the time to even notice it, and I vaguely remember bits and pieces of it, so I’ll need to dig it up on DVD… 

But, wait a minute, it’s not on DVD, so I can’t! It’s certainly not on Blu-ray. I couldn’t even find it on VHS.

So what’s a brotha to do? Try YouTube, I guess. Not much there either.

NBC was its home at the short time it was on the air, but IMDBPro lists Stephen J. Cannell Productions as the production company, so they’ll probably be the first place I’d think to make an initial inquiry. 

But I’m sure some of you folks remember this, and maybe even watched the entire season it was on the air, in 1988. It’s not like there were a whole bunch of hour-long crime dramas on network television with solo black leads. 

Sonny Spoon began its run as a mid-season replacement in February 1988, and was picked up for NBC’s fall season lineup, but ratings apparently weren’t strong enough, and it was canceled a few months later, in December 1988.

I assume no one is really asking for it, otherwise I’m sure a proper DVD release would’ve happened by now.

Or how about a new Sonny Spoon-esque series updated to reflect current times? Although, there is the upcoming Beverly Hills Cops TV series which would probably fill that slot.

Or how about a big screen adaptation, but also updated to reflect the spirit of the times? Less corny (as I recall it was), and a bit darker.  

Or maybe you say forget it, and bury it forever.

I couldn’t even find much media on it – specifically video, which I suppose does make sense, since it’s not available on any home video format I’m aware of. 

Here’s the best I could dig up: