Black Tie Affair (TV series)

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox television

| image =

| caption =

| creator = Jay Tarses

| producer =

| camera =

| starring = Kate Capshaw
Bradley Whitford

| narrated =

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 1

| num_episodes = 13 (8 unaired)

| runtime =

| company = Brillstein-Grey Entertainment
Columbia Pictures Television

| network = NBC

| first_aired = {{start date|1993|5|29}}

| last_aired = {{end date|1993|6|19}}

}}

Black Tie Affair is an American crime drama spoof from Jay Tarses that aired on NBC from May 29 until June 19, 1993. During production, the series was known as Smoldering Lust.{{cite web |author=Ted Johnson |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-30-tv-41386-story.html |title=Jay Tarses: The Black Tie Affair |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 30, 1993 |access-date=2020-04-04}}

Premise

Set in the 1940s, a private eye, who is also a record store owner, investigates a philandering tycoon in San Francisco.

Cast

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#3399FF |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=

{{Episode list

|Title=One

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|5|29}}

|EpisodeNumber=1

|DirectedBy= Jay Tarses

|WrittenBy= Jay Tarses

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Two

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|5|29}}

|EpisodeNumber=2

|DirectedBy= Jay Tarses

|WrittenBy= Jay Tarses

|ShortSummary= Christopher forgets his glasses at a crime scene.

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Three

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|6|5}}

|EpisodeNumber=3

|DirectedBy= Jay Tarses

|WrittenBy= Richard Dresser

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Four

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|6|12}}

|EpisodeNumber=4

|DirectedBy= Lesli Linka Glatter

|WrittenBy= Russ Woody

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Five

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1993|6|19}}

|EpisodeNumber=5

|DirectedBy=

|WrittenBy=

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Six

|OriginalAirDate=Unaired

|EpisodeNumber=6

|DirectedBy=

|WrittenBy=

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Seven

|OriginalAirDate=Unaired

|EpisodeNumber=7

|DirectedBy=

|WrittenBy=

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Eight

|OriginalAirDate=Unaired

|EpisodeNumber=8

|DirectedBy=

|WrittenBy=

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Nine

|OriginalAirDate=Unaired

|EpisodeNumber=9

|DirectedBy=

|WrittenBy=

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Ten

|OriginalAirDate=Unaired

|EpisodeNumber=10

|DirectedBy=

|WrittenBy=

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Eleven

|OriginalAirDate=Unaired

|EpisodeNumber=11

|DirectedBy=

|WrittenBy=

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Twelve

|OriginalAirDate=Unaired

|EpisodeNumber=12

|DirectedBy=

|WrittenBy=

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Thirteen

|OriginalAirDate=Unaired

|EpisodeNumber=13

|DirectedBy=

|WrittenBy=

|ShortSummary=

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

}}

Reception

Julio Martinez of Variety praised the series for having "a top-notch ensemble", but criticized it for not having "enough character substance and plot development to sustain one's interest in what's to follow".{{cite web |author=Julio Martinez |url=https://variety.com/1993/tv/reviews/black-tie-affair-1200432143/ |title=Black Tie Affair |work=Variety |date=May 28, 1993 |access-date=2020-04-04}} Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly was more negative on the series, criticizing "the show's lack of smolder, lack of lustiness, and lack of ability to carry off the affectionate parody of the pulp-novel genre".{{cite magazine |author=Lisa Schwarzbaum |url=https://ew.com/article/1993/05/28/black-tie-affair/ |title=Black Tie Affair |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=May 28, 1993 |access-date=2020-04-04}}

In 1994, a book authored by Vance Muse titled We Bombed in Burbank: A Joyride to Prime Time was published detailing the failure of Black Tie Affair.{{cite magazine |author=Bruce Fretts |url=https://ew.com/article/1994/12/23/we-bombed-burbank-joyride-prime-time/ |title=We Bombed in Burbank: A Joyride to Prime Time |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=December 23, 1994 |access-date=2020-04-04}}

References

{{reflist}}