User Reviews

I remember watching this show on CBS Monday nights before Kate and Allie and Newhart. I thought the show was great with Charlie's Angel, Kate Jackson, playing single mother, Amanda King, in the Washington D.C. area. Somehow, she manages to mingle with Bruce Boxleitner's character. He plays a Washington spy/agent for the FBI or was it CIA. I don't remember. I remember Beverly Garland playing Amanda's mom on the series. I thought this series had humor, great acting, and intelligence. The Scarecrow and Mrs. King should be out on DVD eventually. I think Kate proved that she was no more Charlie's Angel and this series displayed her acting abilities as well. I miss shows like this and it was set somewhere other than Los Angeles or New York. Maybe they never actually filmed in D.C. except for the regular shots, this show was always entertaining to watch for family hour.

Recently divorced thirty-something mother of two Amanda King, resident of Arlington, Virginia is looking for work. An acidental run-in with Agent Lee Stetson leads to her working for a covert government organization known only as "the Agency." Though some agents, like Francine Desmond, look down on her for choices she's made in life, Amanda outfoxes them every time with clear common sense.

Stars Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner had bopped around Prime Time for years (unlike Pierce Brosnan and Bruce Willis, who were little known before their shows but who used their shows as springboards to megastardom).

Though best known as one of Charlie's Angels Jackson's polite, respectful, normal character of Amanda is arguably her best work. She's always a delight. And for a change she loves her country, she goes to church and she'll do anything for her family, who are more important to her than anything.

Also in the mix is old hand Beverly Garland as Amanda's mother (the same role she essayed in "Remington Steel"), Mel Stewart as the Agency boss (firm but kind-hearted, who sees more to Amanda than most of them) and lovely 1970s Playboy gatefold Martha Smith as a fancy Agent who treats Amanda poorly and is always chagrined when Amanda beats the Agents at their own game.

It's a fine little team and the episodes are nearly all watchable until it begins deconstructing in the fourth season. Four seasons is about all these romantic/comedy/adventure shows can withstand. "Remington Steel" was dragged back to a moribund fifth season and the fan-driven fifth season of "Moonlighting" was a disaster. Thanks to changes in format and a new, unfriendly time slot, "Scarecrow" never got a chance at a fifth. It was probably lucky.

As with any other programs, some episodes are better than others but "Scarecrow" binges well. Kate and Bruce play well together and they definitely have that necessary "spark."

I do love this show, for its sheer entertainment value. It's a little idealistic and perhaps stretches credibility at points, but so what? I don't always want to be educated when I watch TV, nor do I particularly like being grossed out verbally or visually, as the newer shows push the envelope ever farther in search of ratings... Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner might not consider SMK their best work, but I think they discount their fan base. I loved Bruce in this, and in Babylon 5, a lot better than any of the drippy made for TV movies he made with his wife (sorry Melissa!) I wish Scarecrow and Mrs King would come out on DVD so I'd have a chance to watch it again. Maybe this time I'll hate it! But I doubt it. April 2005

The chemistry between Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson was spot-on, and more of a G rated wholesome version of the chemistry that was in Moonlighting. The first two seasons were entertaining, but then it kind of dragged on and got more contrived I guess. Maybe the writers ran out of ideas and the producers were desperate to reach 100 episodes for syndication.

This series needs a reboot. I suggest acclaimed British actor Danny Dyer and Pen15's Maya Ersike play the lead roles.

One of the best "fish-out-of-water" series ever filmed. Amanda King is an ordinary Arlington, Virginia housewife. Divorced for a year, dating a weatherman, living in her house with her boys and mother, she seems to be ...normal. However, while at train station, a mysterious man gives her a package and tells her to hand it "to the man in the red hat." Moments later he is chased down by some unsavory characters. It isn't long before Amanda King finds the man she trusted is Lee Stetson, spy. Soon, she finds her self drawn into his work, and darn if she isn't a natural! Only she has a problem; her family cannot know what she does for a living.

So "normal" Amanda King becomes a secret spy, and is partnered with dashing lady's man, Lee Stetson. Along the way Lee and Amanda become quite a team...and mix in a little romance.

This series is to me one of the best, and most satisfying, romantic series to ever be on TV. Unlike other 80s...(and shows today) the characters avoided the "back and forth" romance where the writers would make you frustrated by plots intentionally keeping the leads apart. Instead on Scarecrow and Mrs. King, the relationship between Lee and Amanda, "naturally" evolved from reluctant co-workers, to friends, partners, lovers, and married couple. It is a shame this series did not get a proper ending. Over 23 years later Scarecrow and Mrs.King is still my favorite show.

As I read so many of the user comments, I thought it amusing and funny that it sounds this show reached an unexpected audience. I was really young when my mom would record the show while she was at work, come home really late, and play the tape for us. While other little kids were playing Transformers and Barbies, I was playing as if I were a divorced housewife with two kids who suddenly becomes a spy.

The show has at its core the concept that made shows like "Buffy" popular. They take ordinary average everyday girls, the girls and women who get overlooked, and they made them superheroes with "falable knights on white horses" or as in the case of "Scarecrow and Mrs.King" a really neat silver car.

Yeah, so it is a little cheesy and predictable but I think today, when everything is so not cheesy and predictable it's nice to pop in an old tape of "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" episodes and watch and be reminded that sometimes happy ever after does exist.

By today standards "Scarecrow & Mrs King" might look overly simplistic, far fetched at times, even corny, but for me it will always be one of the best shows ever to grace TV screens everywhere. The premise was simple and interesting. Lee "Scarecrow" Stetson, a capable operative of a government outfit known as "The Agency" is running for his life carrying a package he must rely to another agent at a train station. Being chased by foes and out of options, he grabs a woman passing by, Amanda King, and pleads with her to help him in what he calls a matter of life and death. Reluctant at first, Amanda accepts the package Lee is carrying and agrees to board a train and "give it to the man in the red hat", only things get complicated by the fact that there is a cart full of men in red hats. Unable to deliver the package Amanda takes it home what brings unexpected situations. From that chance encounter Lee and Amanda develop a casual work relationship that eventually turns into a full partnership, not only in, but also out of the field. Danger, action, PTA meetings, international intrigue, a nosy mother, lavish parties, laundry and grocery shopping, funny stakeouts, two children, and a lot more made this show a delight to watch, though I was especially invested in Lee and Amanda's romantic potential, and I enjoyed watching how the sweet housewife from Arlington slowly won the heart of the suave Scarecrow and how together they made one of the most entertaining couples of the 80's TV scene. I recently bought the box set and I'm watching it again as if it were the first time and somehow, no so unexpectedly, I fell in love with "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" all over again. If you watch it, Im sure you will, too.

Tubi just put a tonnnn of 70s and 80s shows on streaming so I've been watching a few of them. I really want to like Scarecrow and Kang but it's just so dull ... nothing ever really happens. And when something does happen it's the last minute of the episode.

There just isn't enough in this series to like for it to be do-able. It's so dreadfully dull, I'm amazed it lasted more than one season. For example, there's a guy and a young lady as the main characters so there's an obvious opportunity for romance -- but they don't do anything with it. There's a bit of sexual tension, sure, but that's it. It never goes anywhere.

Final thing about this show ... the decision to cast gorgeous Kate Jackson as a frumpy mom is baffling. Just a few years previous she was one of the hottest young ladies on TV in Charlie's Angels. She could have had a similar role but instead they give her baggy clothes to wear and put her hair up in fuzzball. Makes no sense for someone so attractive.

5/10 tops, only good for an afternoon watch / nap.

I watched this series all the time when I was little. Bruce Boxleitner is a great actor and really shines as the star, Scarecrow. As I watch it nowadays I feel that he must have enjoyed this series a lot, as he seems so natural and comfortable in his role. This is a cute, endearing show based on a simple premise. The first few seasons are especially great to watch, as the contrast between Lee and Amanda is most striking before their romantic relationship develops. (The fourth and fifth seasons are not quite as interesting, but they're inevitable) It's kind of a Lady and the Tramp story set in Washington, DC, with Lee being a charismatic government spy/ladies man, and Amanda a sweet, suburban single mother. What makes this duo so charming is the culture clash between their two worlds. He is forever "burdened" by her ineptness when it comes to government work, and she is always critiquing his lifestyle and trying to get him to live more like a normal, "real person".. Their unlikely partnership leads to plenty of fun and adventure for the audience, and eventual romance that is (fortunately) postponed for as long as possible. The writers and producers seem to know exactly what the viewers want, the guy and girl who like eachother but can't say it or deal with it, and end up tiptoeing around the issue for three seasons... except for the occasional hint or inuendo, executed with perfect style. "Charlie's Angels" fans will have fun seeing Kate Jackson in this different, motherly role, and I think most females will find it very hard to resist the boyish and talented Boxleitner. His skill with dialogue delivery is beyond compare. This series is a classic, great for anyone who likes a little action, humor and romance. It's best seen from the beginning, so you can really appreciate the relationship between these two TV greats.

All the stories told in the series have been done before. In fact, there isn't much of the show that is unique to it, right down to the concept, which is a rehash of so many others told before.

However, the lead couple work very well together and that made it a pleasure to watch, even if it was yet another spy/detective/cop comedy/action show on prime time television.

They were a pleasure to watch together and that made for a very addicting chemistry, despite the fact it was a rehash.

If you miss the greatness of the America that once was, this is the show for you. It's lighthearted nature was a lot of fun, and both King and Boxleitner had fantastic chemistry. The show doesn't worry about anything but having a good time. A fun spy series with admittedly improbable plotlines that a family could generally watch with few content concerns. The concept is strained -- a housewife stumbles into spying -- but Kate Jackson's and Bruce Boxleitner's sprightly charm make for a diverting series. The consistent way with the series: the house-wife demonstrating a mental agility that leaves the agent playing catch-up. It, combined with a vague sexual tension, propels the show. As I say, America when it was pure.

I loved it when it originally aired, was super disappointed when it didn't get picked up for a Season 5. The dynamic between Lee & Amanda was fun and I was really looking forward to more of their partnership.

Hubby bought me the dvd set and we just finished the last episode. I really wish there was more of it. I think it would be cool if IMDBTV (or any other platform like Netflix or Amazon) would do a reunion show (like Mad About You and Will & Grace) with Bruce Boxleitner and Kate Jackson back as Lee & Amanda. Maybe they are being honored for their service and getting to solve one last case, something along those lines.

I didn't get into this show until a few seasons went by. But once I did get into the show, I found that I really liked the characters portray by Bruce Boxleitner (Lee Stetson aka Scarecrown) and Kate Jackson (Mrs. King). Scarecrow was a suave American spy -- an American James Bond and Mrs. King, a divorced housewife who ended up becoming his partner with the perfect cover....a suburban divorced mom.

Mrs. King wasn't your gorgeous Bond girl....she was more of a pretty all-American girl next door/mom. There was something about her sly intelligence mixed with the slightly husky voice that I always found very appealing. With these two very attractive early 30 something actors playing off of each other, I always thought there was a sexual/romantic tension that radiated off the screen. I was very happy when the two characters got married and became a husband and wife team.

The plot lines were a bit beyond belief, but the way the two leads played off of each other made it fun to tune in.

I discovered Scarecrow and Mrs King showing on PAX TV this past fall (2001). I really fell in love with it - the characters - the co-stars - the cast. Everybody does a great job. A show for the whole family to enjoy. UPDATE for 2010. They finally released the show on DVD -at least Season One. The video quality if great. I do have to turn the audio up quite a bit, but that may be my VCR/DVD combo player, rather than the DVD itself. It's so nice to have the original CBS versions - not cut to fit in those extra 4+ minutes of commercials! Although Best Buy and Target have not seen fit to advertise the DVDs, I have read from others that both stores carry it. And it is available through Warner Bros, Amazon and Walmart - I got it from their WebSite. It's faster if they have it in your local store. The prices vary, but it's well worth whatever your nearest store is charging. They way this Site formats all submissions - you have to keep writing in order to get the ten line minimum for them to actually DISPLAY the review. ENJOY!

This is one of my favorite shows of all time. When is it going to come to DVD?!?!?

I have such fond memories of watching this show during high school. My friends and I couldn't wait to discuss the episode each morning after it had aired.

When my brother and I were both in college, we would watch reruns late at night during the summer after returning from our summer jobs. It was the same every night: Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Remington Steele, and the Paper Chase. A perfect evening's entertainment!

It seems like this kind of show has disappeared. Sad. I'd love to see less reality TV and more of this kind of scripted show.

The cable network TVLand recently had a promotion weekend that Scarecrow and Mrs. King was part of. I was so excited to see a few episodes, but it made me wish that the series was on DVD even more!

Scarecrow and Mrs. King was a great series about an unsuspecting housewife who gets pulled into undercover spy work with a reluctant and then fully accepting spy. It's a little hokey, but great overall. Kate Jackson plays single mom, Amanda King and Bruce Boxleitner plays spy, Lee Stetson. The show was really all-inclusive, action, romance and comedy all in one.

The sexual tension in the 1st two seasons is a little like the dynamic between Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepard in Moonlighting.

Before "Castle", "Chuck", and the movie "True Lies" there was this show, this wasn't overlooked as back in the 80's it was a hit, it was another one of those romance thrillers shows which were big in the 80's with shows like "Moonlighting", "Remington Steele", etc. Unfortunately, as time went on, this show has become forgotten, making it another in my series of under the radar gems.

The format of the show really isn't anything too special and new, though same came be said with a lot of other suspense and espionage thrillers, it's really in its execution that makes it stand out. The show in a way is sort of that wishful fulfillment fantasy or the common trope you'd always see in suspense thrillers, on the ordinary person thrust into extraordinary/dangerous circumstances and having no choice but to take action to survive. Though also just that common feeling with all of us just wanting to break away from the mundane and either can do something extraordinary with our lives or just simply going on a little adventure.

The theme song is good it's not on my favorites list but a good listen as it's sort of a fast upbeat tune which kind of fits this show. Action is good or decent, for any actioneers who seek wall to wall action you'll be disappointed as this show isn't one of them, but it makes sense as this show is more of a suspense thriller, so the action serves its purpose. However, were all in this show for the duo dynamic which is what makes these shows in the first place. Sure, the episodes have plotlines that do have a little intrigue and develop, but this show is one that isn't all concerned about it but really about what the duo do under pressure and the chemistry conducted.

Lee Scarecrow and Amanda King are an honorable mention if favorite fictional couples in my book, both solid really like their back and forth as there is a slight clash on perspectives and common sense. I really felt like both had a friendship that became more. I personally always like those kinds of romances because it's your build up to pay off, you already know both characters are right for one another it's a matter of when they'll come together, and when it does it feels right because both characters interacted with one another and built things up together which gives the payoff weight which makes it even more satisfying.

Kate Jackson whom I think is an underrated actress, yes, I've seen "Charlie's Angels" though I personally remember her more in "Dark Shadows". For "Charlie's Angels" fans if you want, you can always imagine this show being a spin off show from that universe, where Sabrina as she left the Angels, settled down at some point though that didn't work out and now she's back to work for another agency. But will all that aside we'll get back to the subject. The character Amanda King is kind of the housewife archetype where she's not the person that is really looking for trouble but of course trouble was looking for her.

It's true that maybe the only inconsistence and it was the same with the show "Chuck" is the fact that she has no training in the spy business which I'll admit is weird because in a dangerous profession wouldn't you want an untrained recruit to have the defensive skills to survive. But oh well it's a show you roll with it; probably wouldn't been as funny if she was as it would take away the fish out of water element but also the jeopardy element if she became too powerful.

Her character is one you can easily emphasize with as how she reacts to things feels like how any of us whom had no experience with the spy world would react. She's a person that is trying to simply make sense out of what is going on. But also, the fact that she is no action heroine as she's simply an ordinary woman with ordinary powers as she has no choice but to use what she must survive but also for the safety of her country. In a way this reflects what she must deal with as she's a divorcee who now has to readjust to being single again but most of all having a life of her own.

Bruce Boxleitner another underrated actor whom of course sci-fi fans best remember from the film "Tron" and TV show "Babylon 5". He's pretty much the spy archetype, the kind that would be derived from any pulp novel or movie. He's a guy that is deeply into the spy world and role that life outside of it is unthinkable. This also makes him somewhat of a fish out of water as he's a person that is so deep into his lifestyle that he literally has no life of his own, heck the guy doesn't even have an apartment to go home to or at least one I know of, sidenote I don't even know if James Bond has one either. It's funny how he reacts toward some of Amanda's normal suburban existence as it sort of alien to him, which makes sense to someone whom is a workaholic and that's traveled to another country probably each week on a mission.

I really like the parallel dynamic between the two you really feel both fill in that empty space that needs to be filled. Despite both being on different sides of the fence, both do have one thing in common as both have somewhat of an empty space in their lives. This empty space is mainly because both are so devoted to their roles, they never left room for anything else nor felt they needed it, to them their devotion to their roles was safe.

However, they weren't safe because both aren't really living their lives to the fullest. From Amanda who use to have love in her life and was married, but now doesn't have it anymore. Also, you have a feeling that Amanda deep down isn't content with her housewife role, in the past she was probably never that way and in a strange way what she was thrust into was exactly what she was looking for whether she knows it or not which is to be more than what she is. For Lee despite protecting the country he never had enough time to really smell the air in it. Also, yes, he's had romance in his life but much like James Bond each of them never stuck, yeah, it's non commitment relationships can be fun but get old after a while because they lead to the same destination nowhere. Whether he knows it or not Amanda is what he was looking for to, someone that he could have a relationship with and possibly a future with.

Sometimes extraordinary things can happen in the most ordinary places; and extraordinary people by their nature really are ordinary people.

Rating: 3 and a half stars.

It is a little more than a week before the first season DVD set is set to be released--and I can't wait! Years ago, I got the VHS tapes from Columbia House, but I'm eager to get the DVD set.

I was in junior high school when this show began--I was 13 in 1983--and I don't think I ever missed an episode. I already was a fan of Bruce Boxleitner from the short-lived "Bring 'Em Back Alive" series, and I remembered Kate Jackson from "Charlie's Angels." While I suppose a show featuring a divorced mother of two as the lead might not be imagined as aimed at junior-high boys, this did air at 8:00 PM (not 10:00, which was "Cagney and Lacey"'s time slot on Monday night), and there was plenty of James Bond-type action for excitement. The brilliance of the show was taking Amanda King, the civilian who never even thought of being spy, and thrusting her into the world of Cold War espionage in Washington, DC. Every viewer, junior-high boys included, could therefore imagine himself in her place--what it would be like to have a stranger thrust a package into your hands and tell you to give it to the man in the red hat.

The premise was similar to so many Eric Ambler novels or Alfred Hitchcock movies, where the unassuming, ordinary citizen gets caught up in intrigue. The added element here was Amanda King's ending up as the protégée and then real partner of Lee Stetson. As the show went on, scripts filled in why Lee operated without a partner until Amanda came along, who his mentor had been, even information about his parents as agents decades before.

I also vividly remember when in Season 2 or Season 3 there was a series of episodes filmed in various European countries. So much fun!

One of our favorite cast members of Charlie's Angels returns as a peppy suburban Mom with a knack for sleuthing. Everyone reports to Mr. Melrose at a lead federal agency (no spoilers). We love Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner as well as the rest of the amazing leading cast; the impressive array of cameo/guest stars are also all classic actors from the 70s and 80s.

This series is one of our family's favorites and we all have find memories of watching the latest episodes every Monday after dinner. The romantic plot line (no spoilers) is really wholesome and shows that these things happen over time and not just within a 1-hour time frame as many shows today seem to indicate. The international intrigue plot line (no spoilers) was always very captivating from start to finish. The costumes, cars and old tech on all the sets has the multi-generation viewership at our place commenting non-stop (and usually rewinding to actually watch the show properly, lol). All in all a very moving series suitable for everyone in the house.

We just got the full set of DVDs from Barnes & Noble to watch with relatives over the Thanksgiving holidays. Wish there were more programs like this one today.

This show was not only great because of the chemistry between the main characters but also for the freedom the director gave them. Bruce Boxleitner once said that Kate Jackson had a gift for improvising. He would play off what she said and it made the show that much better. Compared to today's shows, Scarecrow and Mrs. King is a pleasant and enjoyable show.

I enjoyed watching her balance her relationship with her mother and boys with her secret life as a spy. Bruce Boxleitner plays the professional very well. In one episode he talks about being so relaxed in the jacuzzi he forgets the time. She tells him she has no clue what he's talking about.

This show is on DVD and VHS sold as two shows at a time through Columbia House club. I would like to see it in stores. Not a big fan of clubs and I would like to buy it as a whole season.

While we enjoyed this show as it aired, I'll have to admit we didn't follow it relentlessly for all four seasons, but it's obvious some fans did ... otherwise a series doesn't survive for four seasons.

Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner were good actors and very popular in the era, Kate Jackson having recently come out of a successful run for the entire run of Charlie's Angels. And I'll have to say she was a more versatile actress than Bruce Boxleitner was an actor. His character didn't come off much different than his most recent Bring 'Em Back Alive ... one of the two Indiana Jones derivatives of the day ... the other being Tales of the Gold Monkey.

Good shows, and well worth watching if you get the opportunity ... whether for the first time or to relive it out of nostalgia.