Jeff Goldblum Starred In An ’80s Series That Nobody Talks About Today

Jeff Goldblum may be best known as a movie star, but he still has a few TV gigs on his resume — including a leading role in a quirky detective comedy that people rarely talk about today.

In 1980, ABC premiered “Tenspeed and Brown Shoe,” a show from Stephen J. Cannell, creator of “The A-Team” and the original version of “The Rockford Files.” The series followed a mismatched pair of Los Angeles private eyes: Goldblum played Lionel “Brownshoe” Whitney, a straitlaced stockbroker who dreams of living out the stories found in 1940s crime novels, while his unlikely partner is E.L. “Tenspeed” Turner (Ben Vereen), a street hustler who takes the detective gig to meet his parole requirements and avoid a prison sentence. Together, the duo tackle L.A. cases combining an odd mix of talents — E.L.’s street smarts and Lionel’s legit karate skills.

“Tenspeed and Brown Shoe” attracted a large audience for its first couple of episodes, standing out as the 29th most-watched show of the season. However, ratings dwindled as the weeks went by, and ABC canceled the series after just 14 episodes, wrapping up its run in June 1980. When The New York Times reviewed the show that year, the publication complained that it relied too heavily on its oil-and-water buddy pairing to breathe new life into the predictable detective formula. “The theory seems to be that anything goes as long as it is accompanied by a merry wink,” the review read, “thereby assuring the audience that none of this is to be taken seriously.”

In a retrospective review timed to the show’s 2010 DVD release, Crimespree Magazine said that “Tenspeed and Brown Shoe” felt like a product of its time — complete with dated musical scores and wildly improbable storylines. But they also praised the unexpected chemistry between Goldblum and Vereen, noting that their engaging presence makes the show a fun and worthwhile watch.

Around the time of its DVD release, Goldblum spoke fondly of the show during an interview with Pop Entertainment. “Steve Cannell was great,” he said. “He’s proud of what we did there and Ben Vereen was fantastic. I remember having a good time with it. I liked it.” Goldblum also pointed out that a certain former president was a big fan of the show, too. “I remember Bill Clinton. I met him a couple of times,” he shared. “He came up and said, ‘You know you’ve done a lot of things, Jeff, but my favorite thing was ‘Tenspeed and Brown Shoe.’ I never missed an episode.”

Not long after “Tenspeed and Brown Shoe” was cancelled, Goldblum made a 1982 guest appearance on “Laverne & Shirley,” followed by a return to the big screen with standout performances in “The Big Chill,” “The Right Stuff,” and “The Fly.” Of course, he never gave up on TV, either: In recent years, Goldblum joined the final season of “Search Party” and even played Zeus in Netflix’s “KAOS.”