Miami, Florida has had a strong placement in this nation’s popular culture for many years. It is symbolic to many people and represents the beauty of warm bay waters and glorious days in the sun. There have also been more sensational representations of the local culture that are associated with a dynamic nightlife and somewhat controversial crime scene. This became an obvious association with the release of the film Scarface in 1983 and the hit television series Miami Vice, which debuted the following year in 1984. These two productions become instantly imbedded in the national consciousness and Miami developed a sensational notoriety that contributed to the fascination many people have for this unique city. Tourism actually increased during this time rather than scaring people away, which is a common occurrence with controversial associations. Many people are drawn to exploring these taboo lifestyles from the safety and stability of their own living rooms and it does nothing to deter the pleasure seeking Miami Beach tourists from their days in the sand.
Miami Vice was a popular 1980s program and starred Don Johnson and Phillip Michael Thomas, who became enormous pop culture icons. They played the Miami-Dade police officers who went undercover on the Miami streets. In addition to creating a lot of attention to the city of Miami, the television show also changed the way a lot of series were shot. It departed from the standard crime investigation format and focused on the cultural trends of the time. It was typically recognized as being the first to fully integrate music and visual effects into the story. It drew much of its structural format on the New Wave music and cultural that was consistent with the times. Of course the mainstream pop cultural film and television aspects of Miami did not disappear with the 80s, CSI Miami is the contemporary replacement and is just as popular.