Moonlighting With DavidAndMaddie.com
David Addison, Moonlighting, hitting the bars




Check out this inventive drink creation by a fan as homage to Addison.
Dirty Dave
by Vicki Briasco
In a blender mix:
Two scoops of Chocolate Ice Cream
Equal parts Chocolate Milk and Kahlua
A splash of Kentucky's Finest
Pour into a tall, frosty glass and top with two mounds of whipped cream.
Garnish with a pair of cherries.
Serve with a crazy straw and a yellow napkin.
 
Bar Break

Hi, this is the site webmaster again. While David Addison is off visiting his favorite local bar, this is a good opportunity to discuss his tendency to do just that. While Maddie when troubled, confused, or depressed goes off by herself to just think or even goes to counseling, David hits the bars as his therapy. Just what does this tell us about his psyche? And why do we see so much alcohol consumed on "Moonlighting"?

Agnes downs mutiple kamikases in I am Curious Maddie To address the last question first, it helps to remember that during the 1980's, pop culture was replete with all things Yuppie. Yuppies frequented bars and nightclubs while lunching with business associates; having cocktails with clients; enjoying happy hours with colleagues after work; and hitting the bars and nightclubs to "see and be seen." All of these were considered typical social activities of the successful Yuppie. Lunches meant a cocktail or two, happy hours meant a round of drinks between friends, and late night escapades generally meant liquor was consumed in great quantities, music was loud, the fashion was trendy, and finding someone to go home with was standard fare. As "Moonlighting" was very much a contemporary show about the 80's lifestyle and relationships, it should come as no surprise that drinking and bars were a standard motif. Just as Maddie Hayes drove the Yuppie icon, a Beemer, characters drink white wine spritzers, margaritas, kamikazes, imported beer and other very 1980's trendy drinks. And any time we see celebrating going on, champagne is front and center as this is almost always a status symbol for success.

Furthermore, "Moonlighting" is a modern screwball comedy, and as with most screwball comedies, drinking and drunkenness is a common activity, many times generating some of the laughs and much of the attitude. Since many screwball comedies take place in high society circles or at high society locations, the decadent lifestyle of which drinking is a prime activity--it plays a prominent role in nearly all social functions and in most courtship behavior. So in reality having a central character or two as heavy drinkers follows the conventions of screwball; so does having frequent cocktail parties and a constant drink in the hand.

David hammered in The Next Murder You HearWarning!! Warning!! Social editorial commentary follows. Bail out now if you aren't into reading this. No matter how "un-pc" and socially irresponsible you think it is for a popular lead tv character to act in a manner not befitting a "role model," it is precisely this outrageousness that made David Addison & this show so unique. David Addison was a complete breath of fresh air on prime time tv, a character that talked and acted like a real person, warts and all. Yes, Addison hit the bars and the liquor pretty hard. Yes, we admit he could act like a jerk. But he was generally a funny, likeable drunk, and the life of the party. Is this irresponsible behavior? Of course it is, but then this behavior is an important part of the complex personality that makes up Addison. His drinking and partying is an outward show, as is his satirical tongue and quick-witted quips. Watching Addison live his life to the excess allows us to recognize the show he puts on and to discover what lies beneath the troubled facade.

David Addison hung over to the max in Witness for the ExecutionSo is this irresponsible television to have such a popular and likeable tv character frequently act so out of control, immature and irresponsible? I don't think so at all. This is surprising for me to say this because I have zero tolerance for bars and drunks and do not find drinking a funny and charming activity at all. And I certainly don't recommend that someone go out and pattern their lifestyle on the whacked-out but loveable Addison. But in the case of "Moonlighting," I think Addison's binge drinking and wild behavior adds subtext to the character. In addition, we see him constantly struggle with the aftermaths of his behavior on a regular basis. Any sensible person watching Addison recognizes his drinking as an excess and a symptom, not a solution. I also noticed that as the show progresses, Addison is less prone to binge drinking in the later episodes which indicates even he too may have wearied of this behavior, but more than likely, I chalk this up to the change we see him undergo due to his relationship with Maddie. In this aspect, I think we can see that Maddie's influence "tames" the self-destructive tendencies of his wild side. In this regard, I consider the drinking motif to have been used progressively to make a long term statement about a dynamic character in evolution.

Here are the episodes that contain a scene set in a bar, a scene where characters talk about a night before in a bar or a scene that shows drinking or the aftereffects of drinking.

Richie & David drinking and talking in Brother Can You Spare a Blonde?
Celebrating Maddie's upcoming baby in A Womb with a View

Season One:
Episode
What happens
What are they drinking
the pilotMaddie Hayes is given drinks twice by David Addison, mostly to calm her down.In her kitchen, he has her drink a shot of bourbon which he tries to pour between her lips while she is still tied up. Then at a bar they have rushed into to use a pay phone, he orders her two kamikases "to take the edge off."
Gunfight at the So-So CorralMaddie & David go into a seedy bar looking for a person they have been hired to find.When David & Maddie go into the bar looking for their client's son, David asks for "6-7 tequilas, make that a baker's dozen" but we know he is just faking it in an attempt to get information. What is amusing about this is that a few episodes later he does indeed have more than likely 6-7 or even a baker's dozen of tequila drinks.
The Next Murder You HearDavid gets trashed in a bar after Maddie seems to be infatuated with another man.Tequila. As David tells the barmaid after he is well on his way to being hammered to bring him "two of anything in the tequila family." David sits at the bar and rambles on and on to the bartender or whoever will listen about Maddie not being home and being hung up on this other guy. Only when this loaded is he able to reveal his hurt and vulnerability and talk about his feelings about Maddie. He is so drunk he falls off the bar stool. The next day a very hung-over David has a very, very funny scene in Maddie's office as he makes her an interesting proposition.
The Murder's in the MailNo alcohol mentioned...but along the same line...David Addison makes a couple of drug references.Twice in this episode when asked "What are you doing?" David responds both times, "Nothing. I've been clean for years." And the second time when asked that question, he adds, " Why does everyone keep asking me that?" So knowing David Addison and his live life to the fullest, life it one big party philosphy, I think it is a safe bet that even though his response to the question is a joke, there is a grain of truth in it--that more than likely he was into more than just alcohol as a recreational drug. This really wouldn't surprise me in the least about David.
Season Two:
Episode
What happens
What are they drinking
Brother Can you Spare a Blonde?Richie Addison takes Maddie & David out for dinner, drinks and dancing.We see the trio out and one scene shows the two brothers over drinks discussing Maddie. It looks like a fine time is had by all...well David doesn't look to happy late in the evening as he watches Maddie and Richie dance and flirt with each other.
Money Talks...Maddie WalksMaddie and David drink while at the casino in Buenos Aires.Maddie has ordered a bottle of the finest champagne available. And David makes his entry by catching the flying champagne cork. Seems very appropriate.
The Dream Sequence Always Rings TwiceRita/Maddie is drinking in David's dreamed version. Also Zach/David hangs out in a bar following the murder.In David's dream Rita is a vixen in every sense of the word, she dresses or undresses provacatively as the case may be; she seduces; she plots; she drinks. There is a cute scene but loaded with subtle sexual overtones where Zack & Rita chase an ice cube across the kitchen floor. I always felt this is making some statement about how this version of Maddie (David's dreamed Rita) is not the ice queen that the original is--the scene takes place during a hot, hot day; the action in it is hot, hot; and the woman drops her ice which she is using to rub on her body to try to cool down, and this is ice used for her drink, a drink that is clearly not white wine but something much harder.

After the murder, Zack/David wanders the streets and ends up in a bar where he orders scotch. Here we see a bartender as the voice of reason and reality, as he tells Zack he thinks he was set up to commit the murder. Bartenders in "Moonlighting" by and large are usually good listeners and offer great advice. A whole study could be done on this aspect of the show alone.
Portrait of MaddieMaddie spends an evening at home alone in front of a fire with just a portrait and a few drinks.Maddie appears to be drinking wine all alone, obsessing over a portrait done of her by an artist who has committed suicide.
Atlas BelchedDavid goes to have breakfast in a nearby bar after a fight with Maddie. There he meets Phil West who has career problems and has drunk himself sick.Phil West is already drunk by the time we get to the bar with David. While there David orders a bloody mary ("Short on the bloody, heavy on the Mary")
The Bride of TuppermanDavid visits a bar trying to locate the perfect woman per client Tupperman's request.Of course David goes to a bar to look for a woman for the client....this is where he usually finds his women...or at least has in the past (before Maddie).
Every Daughter's Father is a VirginWhen Maddie's parents arrive at the office, the first thing her father does is want to have a drink with David. Then at dinner the next night, David & Maddie have drinks with Maddie's parents.Scotch is what Mr. Hayes asks for, but we never see the two guys drink as the scene stays in Maddie's offfice with her and her mom.

At dinner, the two couples toast with champagne because Mr. Hayes says they are celebrating. Maddie's mom in particular gets tipsy. Lesson learned from this episode--Men supposedly bond over alchol and women in the powder room. We see both of these conventions played out here.
Witness for the ExecutionDavid shows up for work hung over and a total wreck following a wild drunken weekend in Las Vegas.More than likely all sorts of things. He tells an outrageus tale of his wild weekend in Vegas that clearly indicates how out of control he was.
Sleep Talkin' GuyDavid and Maddie celebrate their one year anniversary as business partners.David has brought in a bottle of champagne, and he pours them each a glass. I don't believe much is consumed though before the big fight over his salary breaks out and he storms out and leaves.
Season Three:
Episode
What happens
What are they drinking
The Son Also RisesDavid misses work for a day while on a drunken binge due to the upsetting meeting he has had with his future step-mom. Maddie finds him trashed and sick in the back seat of her car.As David explains it, he left and went out and that it was possible that he was "overserved." Gotta to be amused by his ability to defer responsibility here for his actions. From all the cans that roll out of Maddie's car when David gets out, we can assume that at least for part of the day, David consumed great quantities of beer. Maddie actually really comes through in this scene and demands that he get his crap together and knock off his immature behavior concerning his future step-mom (a woman he once had an overnighter with). The next day David arrives at Maddie's house, sober and with his act in gear, ready to attend his dad's wedding, and I am firmly convinced it was because of Maddie putting her foot down with him that he was able to do it.
The Man Who Cried WifeDavid and Maddie celebrate McGillicuddy's wedding with the office staff.Champagne flows.
Symphony in Knocked FlatDavid and Maddie share a drink in the back of a limo rented by David as he attempts to show her a "fine" evening out.Champagne, of course on the "fine" evening out.
Big Man on Mulberry Street1) David is very, very late for an important client meeting and Maddie accuses him of being out all night drinking. 2) Maddie's dance dream sequence takes place in a bar where in the dream David is working. 3) Later in the episode, David skips out on a family funeral and proceeds to drink the afternoon away.1) After David tries to tell Maddie he was late because of an accident on the freeway, she counters with, "What? Did a gin truck overturn?" He reveals something about waking up on a bar room floor and offers her a piece of advice: don't order a drink called a "Vicious Virgin" or at least not 5 of them in a row. 2) Then during the dream, we don't see any drinks being consumed at the bar where David is working, but plenty of indication that there is drinking. 3) While sitting in a cab after playing hooky from his former brother-in-law's funeral, David is drinking right out of a bottle, but we aren't sure what it is.
Atomic ShakespeareKate (Maddie) and Petruchio (David) drink during their evening meal and then toast to an agreement they reach.More than likely some kind of ale but it might be wine.
It's A Wonderful JobA depressed and stressed out Maddie seeks solace in a bar.Maddie has been drinking a double by what the bartender tells us. She even appears to have passed out in the bar and this is when she has her Frank Capra-like fantasy.
Blonde on BlondeA long scene takes place in the Metropolis Night Club where David has followed Maddie hoping to keep her out of trouble.Lots of people are drinking in the bar. Maddie first orders club soda, switches to white wine spritzer, and then says "Make it a boilermaker." Surprisingly David does not order a drink, instead concentrating on watching Maddie at a distance.
Sam & DaveA jealous David crashes Maddie and Sam's dinner date and then over-imbibes at dinner. He ends up wasted and having to be driven home and put to bed by Sam.David consumes red wine, and lots of it. This episode is notable for the scenes with the inebriated David as it is the longest time we watch him in such a condition. He is hilarious but also very sad.
Maddie's Turn to CryOne of the signs that indicates that David & Maddie's client is up to no good, is a drink that Maddie spots which tells her that the woman was entertaining. We don't know what the drink is, but it certainly provides evidence of the woman's guilt, especially once they find her married widower lover hiding in the closet.
I Am Curious...MaddieAgnes and Maddie go to a bar for drinks after work one evening. Later back at Maddie's during a huge fight with David, Maddie uses an alcohol reference to define one of her complaints about David.A delightful scene between the two ladies as Agnes invites Maddie to go get "wrecked... bombed... pickeled... polluted. All the boy detective's do it" she tells her boss. What a great commentary on male and female behavior and on how contemporary couples deal with their difficulites. At the bar, we learn that Agnes is a virtual pro at the bar scene: she knows the best place to sit, the way to handle ordering drinks, and she prefers the hard-core stuff to the white wine that Maddie orders. Agnes shocks us all by throwing back a couple of kamikases, offering some subtle advice about Addison to Maddie and then passing out at the bar.

Back at her house, during the huge fight that leads to Maddie and David making love, Maddie tells him that she is sick of putting up with him as someone "who thinks that culture is dark beer." This is interesting in that we see Maddie is a snob toward David's working class background and uses beer as a defining symbol between her high society values and his more earthy ones.
To Heiress HumanDavid goes to a bar to interrogate the bartender there for a case they are investigating.David has a beer. While conversing with the bartender to learn more about him for the case, David poses as a regular at the last bar the man worked at and refers mentions the type of drink he usually orders, "...Irish neat...Water back." An alchol reference used to identify a person--well, this makes sense when you are talking about David Addison! Another great example of a nice, personable bartender and a complimentary comment about bartenders in general saying that they make great listeners.
Season Four:
Episode
What happens
What are they drinking
A Trip to the MoonDavid discusses the items he would like to bring over to Maddie's house and they become in a way symbols of their relationship. Later that night when on a date, David asks Maddie where she wants to go and a bar is one of the choices mentioned.One of the things David rattles off to Maddie explaining "where the relationship is going" is to say that soon he will put a six-pack of beer in her refrigerator. It is really revealing that when we think of that image--a six pack of beer--in Maddie's stylish, elegant environment, we realize how disparate the two worlds are. Once again we see a reference to beer defining the cultural, social discrepancy between David's world and Maddie's. In the later scene, Maddie makes it very clear that she does not want to go to a bar with David Addison. The way she says it makes it obvious she does not want to deal with his behavior or his social circle when out drinking. We know that David enjoys the bar scene and hanging out there...again we see how these two exist in two such different circles.
A Tale in Two CitiesThere is a lot of social drinking going on in this episode. 1) Agnes meets McGillicuddy after work for a few cocktails. 2) Maddie's parents throw a party where there is social drinking and 3) meanwhile in LA David & Bert got out to a bar to "blow off some steam."1) Agnes & McGillicuddy have cocktails of some kind, but we are not told what. Drinking is a social activity here and one that is used to provide some level of comfort to McGillicuddy's broken heart. 2) During the party, Mr. Hayes comments to his wife that they have a lot of "white wine drinkers" among the guests, but he is clearly drinking something stronger, a bourbon drink of some kind it appears. 3) Bert looks like he is drinking a beer; David something in the whisky family. They send drinks to the two ladies at the end of the bar who are drinking margaritas. Then all four (David, Bert and the two ladies) make margaritas at the condo where they end up for the evening. Alcohol is used in these three scenes as a social activity...one as drinks between friends and to provide counsel and consultation; one as a party refreshment and activity and the other as a way to find companionship with the opposite sex and a sex partner.
Cool Hand Dave Part IWhile waiting to catch a flight to Chicago, David goes to the airport bar.A serious hard core drink for David here, whisky, a double I believe. This scene is very notable in that David comments on his self-destructive behavior to a man sitting in the bar next to him. He tells him why he is in the bar (Maddie and the fact he has just found out she is pregnant) and that he may sit there and run his credit card up to the limit, stagger out and fall into a trash pile for the next 20 years "because it is easier." At this point we know that David Addison understands his self-destructive behavior a lot better than we thought, and it also gives us hope that David chooses not to go that route as we see him tear out of the bar intending to do the right thing.
Cool Hand Dave Part IIScott Hundley entertains Agnes & Bert. While in prison through a case of mistaken identity, David discusses the comforts of like outside with a fellow inmate and a mention is made to an alcoholic drink. Hundley tells Agnes & Bert that all he found in David's kitchen was "a bottle of vodka, a jar of olives and peanut butter." When David is talking to his cellmate he lists some of the wonderful things that persons in jail take for granted and a cold Mexican beer is one of them. This list is interesting in that it is very sensual (mentions taste, scent, sight) and builds from least significant to most significant (drinking, sex, and the woman he loves) and ends with a definitive statement from David that he now realizes what things are pleasurable, fun and nice in life and what things are really essential; as he tells Arnie "...and that woman (meaning Maddie) is essential."
Father Knows LastWith Mr. Hayes dropping in to talk to David about Maddie's condition, David knocks a few down to calm his nerves both at the office, at lunch and on the plane. Mr. Hayes also drinks.David drinks scotch in the office, orders a bloody mary at lunch, and then drinks again what Mr. Hayes offers him on the plane. David is clealy not drunk here, but in need of buoying up. He is still reeling from the separation from the woman he loves; he has only recently received the news that she is pregnant and he is worried that the baby might not be his; he has just been released from a miserable week or so in prison, wrongfully incarcerated; he returns to a mutinied staff and a financially dire business that he is in charge of; Mr. Hayes shows up breathing down his neck about his role in Maddie's pregnancy (Mr. Hayes might as well be toting a shot-gun!); and then his long-time ally and supporter, Agnes, reads him the riot act too (not that he didn't need her to do this about then...) But hey, I am going to cut him plenty of slack and say that it's not his drinking that is the problem for him here. If he ever had a justifiable reason to drink, here in "Father Knows Last" would be it. He has really been through a lot, and it all cascades out of control in this episode before he reigns it in, gets a hold of himself, and finally rises to the occasion after a nudge or two from Agnes and most especially Mr. Hayes. I find it wonderfully ironic that Mr. Positive, Master of the Pep Talk David Addison, himself when at the lowest position in his life responds best when backed into a corner. Instead he has to be forced to look at things honestly and truthfully, accept his responsibility in the situation, know where he heart lies, make plans for definitive action and then pull it out of himself to turn it all around. Yes, it helps that Alexander Hayes is there to steer him in the right direction at the end and even offer financial support, but that is only after David has convinced Mr. Hayes of his love for the man's daughter and shown himself to be willing and capable of acting responsibly and correctly. This is a turning point I believe for the character and his behavior throughout the next period (during Maddie's pregnancy), reflects his sense of responsibilty and desire to be there for her and the baby. Other than in acceptable social situations (celebrations with friends) David hardly drinks again until after the resolution of the baby/fatherhood situation.
Maddie Hayes Got MarriedThe male members of the Blue Moon Staff throw Walter Bishop a bachelor party and there is much drinking by all. The next morning David is still pickled and so hung over, he has to have a friend drive him to the wedding.This is one of those expected, celebratory situations. However, I admit David and Richie are pretty lit by the time they get to the party. Ok, so he falls off the wagon here...but holy cow, he is in real emotional pain here over Maddie's marriage. I couldn't tell you what the guys are drinking but whatever it is that have lots and lots of it, especially David and Richie who seem the most trashed the next morning.
Season Five:
Episode
What happens
What are they drinking
Womb with a ViewAt the baby shower for Maddie thrown by the Blue Moon Staff, drinks are served.Champagne. A very pregnant and sensible Maddie refuses the champagne being served as she turns her glass over when the waiter is pouring, but the others imbibe.
The Color of MaddieDavid shows up at work late and very hung over. Also in the final scene while playing pool, we see Maddie and David with drinks.Maddie tells David she fully expected this behavior from him, that she saw that wild party look in his eye and knew what it meant. And David certainly lived up to her expectations here. I suppose that after everything he had been through over the past year since that time, he was due this foray. But in a way it does seem like a step back for his character, an indication that being reckless and wildly out of control still has an appeal to him. I suspect if he was involved in a serious relationship with Maddie at this point like he so much wants, we would not have seen this type of behavior from him. I think perhaps she knows this, too.
I See England, I See France, I See Maddie's NetherworldNo bars, no drinks but an interesting comment about drinking.When David convinces Maddie to temporarily store a dead body in her freezer her comment is that now every time she has to get ice for the margaritas she will be reminded of her own mortality. This struck me as funny, but creepy in a way. Maddie has just fussed at Addison commenting that she can't imagine how he can think of eating at a time like this, but I guess drinking is ok.
Those Lips, Those LiesThe Addison boys hit it pretty hard the night Richie's fiance is exposed for her true colors.We are never shown the two actually drinking but can assume that they had quite a bit, as indicated by the empty beer cans we see around and also by their behavior.
When Girls CollideMaddie and her cousin Annie discuss the correct time of day to begin drinking. That evening David takes Maddie and her cousin out and there is drinking.Maddie and Annie order margaritas at lunch. TBA the evening
Lunar EclipseDavid meets Annie's husband in a barDavid drinks beer, and Mark has a martini.

Back to The Good Stuff | DavidandMaddie.com Home Page


E-Mail: webmaster@DavidandMaddie.com

This is not meant to violate or infringe on any copyrights.
It is just a labor of love and is for entertainment purposes only.
© 2002-2004. All rights reserved. CYber SYtes, Inc.