Scarecrow and Mrs. King: The Complete First Season

This lighthearted spy series plays like a Hitchcock lark about an American innocent caught up in Cold War shenanigans, albeit transported to the 1980s-era suburbia of network TV. On the run from deadly foreign operatives, dashing American agent Lee Stetson (Bruce Boxleitner), aka Scarecrow, drops a package in the hands of Amanda King (Kate Jackson). Suddenly, this divorced mother of two and busy soccer mom in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., is thrust into the world of international espionage, as Stetson's mission becomes hopelessly tangled with King's everyday life. He's a slick playboy, she's the mom next door; he's charming and worldly, she's chatty and practical. And while there are hints at the stirrings of romantic attraction, King is mostly a stabilizing influence on this risk-taking solo operator once she's drafted into doing a little freelance work for the unnamed intelligence agency. “I think of my entire graduating class, I'm the only one who became a spy,” King cheerfully observes. Stetson responds by rolling his eyes, but he comes to respect her savvy in matters alien to him (“What do I know about real life?” he exclaims as they go undercover in the burbs). Although it deals with assassination attempts and foreign terrorists, Scarecrow and Mrs. King ultimately is more nostalgic than realistic, but the breezy attitude and appealing stars make it reasonably enjoyable fare. Compiling all 21 episodes from the 1983–84 first season, this is a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)