Tropical Heat (1991–1993) User Reviews (20)

Still a great TV series after 24 years !

[arno_54 · 8/10 · 4 July 2014]

"Tropical Heat" aired in France on July 11, 1992 for the first time on national channel Antenne 2 (now France-2). Sadly it aired Saturdays nights at 23h30 to 0h30 when nobody was watching ! (But was re-run short after on Saturdays afternoons around 5:30 PM). It was a huge success then (and aired on 6 different channels until now : A2/France 2, RTL9, TMC, Canal Jimmy, Action & SyFy). I simply love the show : it's entertaining, full of fun & action, with a good cast (Rob Stewart/Carolyn Dunn & Ian Tracey) that really can act. All episodes are not constructed with the same aspect and some are really poor to watch. But there are only a few of them : the rest of the TV-series is really great. I bought the 3 seasons on DVD (TANGO Editions) and I love to watch them from time to time. I deplore too the fact that there never was a Final episode which got produced. I hoped that a TV-movie would be aired short after the end of the series, but it never came on screen... Too bad ! Thanx to the DVD(s) to make this show live again ! And if one day it'd start again, I'd be in front of my TV-screen...

Tropical Heat had 3 Seasons of 22 episodes each : First was shot in Mexico (Bucerias & Nuevo Vallarta, NAYARIT & Puerto Vallarta, JALISCO) aired in USA on CBS from April 8, 1991 to February 24, 1992. -according to Sam Egan, the creator of the series, the first episode ever shot was "This Year's Model", which would be considered as the real "Pilot" episode-. Second Season was shot in Eilat (Gulf of Aqaba near the Red Sea), Israel and aired on CBS from April 13, 1992 to March 1st, 1993. Last Season, the Third, was shot in Pretoria & Johannesburg, South Africa (+ beach scenes in Mauritius, at the Maritim Hotel). It aired from May 3 to October 18, 1993. CBS canceled the series because David Letterman came over to CBS and took the 11:30 pm slot for his "Late Show" - according to Rob Stewart for 4motion. Tropical Heat stopped after only 66 episodes... It was the end of a terrific TV-series...

A TV-movie was made from 2 episodes (#10&11) out of Season 2 : "CRISS CROSS : From The Files Of Tropical Heat" (released on DVD in 2008).

Check out the "Slaughter Nick For President" DVD : it's a 73 minutes-long documentary about the success of the TVseries in Eastern Countries as Serbia, released in 2012. On 4motion, Stewart said about a possible revival of the show "Is it probable ? No"... Well... We"ll wait... And see !. (More details below in the section 'discuss SWEATING BULLETS on IMDb Board').

The perfect post pub entertainment when I was at university

[Joxerlives · 8/10 · 24 February 2020]

Everyone would stagger in to our halls' common room still half cut and we'd watch late night music shows, Cinemattractions, weak sitcoms like Herman's Head/Flying Blind and the macabre sci-fi War of the Worlds. But Tropical Heat was by far our favourite, not least because of the array of gorgeous women who would weekly flock around our beloved beachcomber/private eye hero Nick Slaughter (Who is the bikini girl in the opening titles,? Her body is just FABULOUS!). That said I always had a thing for Carolyn Dunn too although I liked her better with straight hair (sadly she seems to have given up acting as of 2009 to become a businesswoman in alternative medicine whilst Rob Stewart and Ian Tracey never seem to have been off TV in the last decade). Never could figure out how Nick was in both the DEA and the Mounties, did he have dual nationality through his parents or something? Also hilarious how the show was supposedly set in the Florida Keys yet was clearly filmed in Mexico/Israel/South Africa, hence why Nick always flew El Al and there were mountains in the background which are sorely lacking on the Gold Coast? Watching the documentary 'Nick Slaughter for President' made me revisit the series, that this lightweight TV show could inspire resistance to the dictatorship in war torn Serbia is just too hilarious for words (a similar occurrence to Kojak being hugely popular in communist Poland because even the gritty crime ridden New York it depicted seemed aspirational to those trapped behind the Iron Curtain). Interesting to see Traci Lords on this show in what must have been her first post-porn role. Also The Avengers' Linda Thorson and The Magnificent 7's/Dirty Dozen's Clint Walker appearing in one ep as does Kenny Everett's buxom comedy foil Cleo Rocos. For my money I far preferred Spider in seasons 2-3 than Ian from season 1, equally Gregory was by far my favourite Key Maria cop. Adding recurring comedy relief such as the over-eager rookie officer and quirky coroner was welcome but the show had largely run its' course by season 3 and probably ended at the right time. Plus of course the theme music was infectiously brilliant! What happened to Nick and Sylvie? I think she eventually got married to Rollie the coroner, bought Nick out and expanded the business, he used the money to buy a half share in the bar and spent his autumn years seducing daddy's girls and playing beloved godparent/Uncle Nick to her kids. Because it would have ruined the legend if Nick Slaughter ever had to grow up. So if you want an undemanding combination of Miami Vice and Magnum PI this show is for you.

Any Way The Wind Blows

[refinedsugar · 7/10 · 9 June 2023]

The early 90's were a different time. 'Sweating Bullets' was kind to remind you that all one really needed to be happy was a cold beverage, nice scenery and some beautiful women. A little mystery and a catchy theme song didn't hurt neither.

The tropical style of the fictional Key Mariah, Florida where the show is situated and the lead duos chemistry are largely responsible for the show's charm. Private investigator Nick Slaughter (Rob Stewart) is a likable guy. He wears his shirt open to the heat, spots a ponytail and usually has a one liner ready to go given the right circumstances. While fierce redhead Sylvie Girard (Carolyn Dunn) served as his assistant. The management, the brains of the operation and just simmering with sexual tension between the two.

The plot from episode to episode was a pretty straightforward. Bad guys were typically pretty obvious and the crimes always fell under the umbrella of what a PI would be hired to do. Find someone, investigate a disappearance, murder, help a friend or the local PD. Aside from the odd betrayal stories were somewhat predictable, but enjoyable. The occasional explosion, gunfight or fistacuffs mixed in with sometimes cheesy drama.

You can catch quite a few actors (predominately Canadian) doing guest spots on this show. Harking back to the show's roots - there's some tacked on silliness about Nick being ex-DEA / ex-RCMP, but don't give it much thought. Initially shot in Mexico featuring supporting faces such as John David Bland, Pedro Armendáriz Jr and Eugene Clark was the show at its peak IMO. A relic of a day gone by, 'Sweating Bullets' is forever engrained in my childhood memories.

Tough PI solves a lot of teenage angst in war-torn country

[svebor-2 · 12 December 2005]

In my country this TV show was a big hit. Since it was aired during nineties when Yugoslavia was wrecked with economic problems and ethnic strife you can imagine that tropical scenery and well-endowed women meant a lot to a teenage fan. There were also graffiti all over the city proclaiming 'Sloter Nice, Zarkovo ti kl ice!!' (Nick Slaughter, Suburbia of Zarkovo is cheering for you). Although this TV show had only two seasons we had a dubious privilege to see it almost twice a day for almost four years. There were people who knew script by heart and could tell you everything about Nick's reluctant partner ex-tennis champ Spider. In a word, I love this show!!!!

may divorce be with you.

[steve-4248 · 10/10 · 19 July 2008]

i used to watch tropical heat when i lived in south Africa. loved it! i was actually looking to buy the 3 series because i was lucky enough to be in an episode. its the episode mentioned by another user with the main man jumping ablaze from a roof into a swimming pool where a woman was swimming, (me, Tina). that was filmed in Johannesburg s.a. around Sept/Oct 92.i don't know if they filmed the whole series there, but i know they were in S.A. for a while.seems like a lifetime ago for me. Rob was really nice. very professional & helpful as i was extremely nervous, but i loved every minute of it. it was the episode "may divorce be with you"

Awesome!

[nyjj99 · 10/10 · 16 February 2007]

This show was extremely entertaining. I would highly recommend it. I remember in the early 90's watching this show on CBS crime time after prime time at 11:35pm. Right after the CBS news. The scenery and the music puts you in the mood and makes you feel like you're there. I never understood why they stopped filming this show. I wanted to visit Key Mariah myself and have a drink at the Tropical Heat bar. I bought season 1 on DVD. I only hope Tango entertainment puts the rest of the episodes on DVD. Even better.. wouldn't it be great if they brought back the show today? I hope you read this Sam Egan(creator),Rob Stewart(Nick Slaughter)!! Thumbs up!!

Gateway Show

[boriskuzmanovic · 10/10 · 23 July 2022]

This show was extremely popular in Serbia during the wars in Former Yugoslavia. It was a pipe dream getaway for all of us being surrounded by the horrors of war. A few years ago the lead actor came to Belgrade, Serbia for a round of interviews and press conferences. I believe there was even a documentary in making about this show popularity and a cult status in Serbia phenomenon. A hidden gem and a must-see entertainment.

Sweating Bullets aka Topical Heat on DVD

[marsnook2007 · 10/10 · 5 March 2008]

I watched the show when it was on after prime time and thought it was a great show.

I was disappointed when it was canceled it still had a long way to go for more seasons.

Rob Stewart is a great actor and this was really his true calling.

The characters of Nick and Sylvie had a chemistry and if the show went longer we might have seen it.

Recently a journalist had a interview with Rob and asked about a movie or maybe a comeback of the series today.

It could be possible hopefully it would be great to see it again.

I have all three seasons on DVD and love to watch them.

Rob is now doing a mini series The Summit being released 3/12/2008.

It says only Canada now but I emailed a few people to see if it would also be released in the USA.

I have see a number of TV shows and movies Rob has done and he was great in all of them.

Some were against his normal character like Nick but he still did great.

His character on Sweating Bullets he said was made for him.

Thr producers wife saw his audition and told her husband to hire him.

It was a good thing he fit the part great.

Hopefully we will see more of Rob Stewart in a lead role again on a TV series.

Or he can actually replace a lead character on a show looking for a new lead that is already popular.

He should have been offered the part on Criminal Minds he would have got more people to watch.

He is a great looking actor that needs more lead roles.

He now lives in Toronto Ontario Canada for the acting roles that his agent gets for him.

It is up to him if he wants the part or not.

Some of his choices are not the main lead in which he should accept.

Sandy

[algomeysa2 · 6/10 · 6 October 2006]

I remember watching this late night in college, along with that vampire-cop show, FOREVER KNIGHT.

But there was something odd about SWEATING BULLETS that I could never quite put my finger on. The show was set in Florida, but it didn't look like Florida. It was much... sandier. There seemed to be a whole lot of beach, but not much ocean. And the foliage also seemed strange for Florida.

Later I found out that apparently the show started out being filmed in Mexico, but later seasons were filmed in Israel!

Mystery solved!

Ah. Nostalgia - Great Show.

[vochieng83 · 10/10 · 27 February 2021]

This was one of my favourites TV shows growing up. I never missed an episode when it aired. The excitement, staying up late just to catch an episode. I loved it. "Anywhere the Wind blows..."

Sexist

[valstone52 · 6/10 · 3 September 2020]

Just started watching this again, and I wonder why it interested me in the first place. If nick had been a woman there was an name for him. Casual sex with women he just meets. It really seemed like the series was more about who he could get into bed, than solving crimes. And it was mostly unsafe sex, one episode he meets a lady he doesn't know in the steam room. They have sex, and since they were both naked, I'm sure there was no protection. I liked his partner and the bar owners better. Silk stalkings definitely had more class and substance.

Mix a little of Magnum PI with Miami Vice & Baywatch = The Perfect Action Crime recipe.

[shaaazbat57 · 10/10 · 11 May 2016]

Sweating Bullets or Tropical Heat as I knew it in the UK hasn't had as much good press from reviewers as it deserves. People focus on the fact that it was filmed in Mexico, Israel and finally South Africa with beach scenes in Mauritius. Who cares I say, they look just as exciting and colourful as south Florida Keys where it is set. Then people attack the alleged bad acting, plots and scripts, yeah yeah I say, you have the same scenario on any TV show, even Magnum PI, Miami Vice and Silk Stalkings had similar negative issues. What Tropical Heat had loads of, was, charm, plenty of action and humour, and all achieved on a fraction of the budget of similar productions in Hollywood. Rob Stewart, the star and protagonist of Tropical Heat was about twenty-nine years of age when they began filming in 1990(ish) and had only done a few minor roles before this, yet, he held the show up high with his heartfelt, charm-filled boyish performance. Drama, pathos, tragedy and comedy were all thrown into the many types of plot-lines covered within this action show, with Rob weaving his acting skill with the gravitas of a young Pacino or De Niro. The genius even wrote and directed a few episodes. On a smaller than Hollywood budget like this had, many of the crew did other tasks. Harel Goldstein who was Executive Producer also directed, wrote and was even Second Unit Director on some episodes. Another of the writers, R. Scott Gemmill, went on to be a 'main man' on ER. JAG and NCIS LA. Many character traits that our protagonist Nick Slaughter has, appear to have been included in recent fictional characters, eg., Rick Castle in 'Castle' and Tony DiNozzo in NCIS. All these characters share a love of movies, flirt with the ladies, are incredibly mischievous and juvenile and are to quote Nick, probably "The World's Greatest Detective." Mention must go to composer Jeff Danna who scored the show from middle of season 1 and through to end of season 2 for adding a touch of musical class to the show when similar shows were using 'cheesy' jazzy music (like what Tropical early season 1 and ALL of season 3 also had). Mr Danna had what I would describe as 'ground-breaking' music for action crime. The BBC currently have a crime drama that share many of Tropical Heat's attributes, Hawaiian shirts, beach scenes and witty/smart one-liners. Yes, 'Death in Paradise, so I guess the Heat crew were way ahead of their time over twenty years ago. Someone please bring this amazing show back for a new batch of Tropical Heat stories (I have a potential feature-length episode all ready to go). Who knows, maybe Rob is still available..?

Fortunately It Got Better After the First Season

[aimless-46 · 5/10 · 18 December 2007]

First off, if you hated season one of "Tropical Heat" a/k/a Sweating Bullets" don't completely write off the show. It was one of those rare times a show actually got better in its second and third seasons. Yet even the lame first season included the catchy reggae theme song "Anyway the Wind Blows" and the two stars (Rob Stewart and Carolyn Dunn) playing off each others as only total opposites can. Steward plays maverick ex-DEA agent Nick Slaughter who moves to one of the Florida Keys and starts a detective agency. Dunn plays his buttoned- down travel agent business partner Sylvie Gerard.

It is an uneasy partnership. Swarthy Nick is laid back, likes to party, and is not particularly keen on working. Sylvie is a burn-don't tan redhead, a brittle uptight computer nerd who disapproves of Nick's lifestyle. When Nick is busy chasing anything in skirts, Sylvie keeps her focus on agency cash flow. Of course Dunn is far hotter than any of the women Nick is constantly dogging so there is an undercurrent of frustrated attraction between the two; hidden beneath their constant put-downs.

The discerning viewer will quickly spot certain production design issues. The series was filmed in Israel, Mexico, and South Africa; not on location in the Florida Keys and they just didn't have enough of a budget to effectively disguise a vaguely foreign feeling. But once you know this it is possible to suspend disbelief and just concentrate on the characters.

Even stranger than the vaguely off-kilter setting are Season One's choice of guest actresses. Both "Tropical Heat" and its counterpart "Silk Stalkings" targeted the male demographic. "Silk Stalkings" was perceptive enough to cast really hot young actresses for each episode, with more concern about their exploitation potential than their acting ability. But for some strange reason "Tropical Heat" filled these roles with the most average looking collection of women you are likely to find this side of your local DVM line.

Your basic acting-for-the-camera class has three tiers of would-be actress. The hot first tier: actresses who look good enough that their acting skills are a bonus, not a necessity. The bottom tier: dogs, pigs, and elephants who can find work in character roles if they look strange enough. The middle tier: girls who need extraordinary acting skills because they look so ordinary, and even those should give serious thought to cooking school. For its first season "Tropical Heat's" hired exclusively from the middle tier (plus a few of their mothers); and disqualified those who received "C" or better grades. And they wonder why these things are not more popular.

Season one writing is also pretty weak although the Nick-Sylvie exchanges are usually entertaining and appear to have been written by someone who knew what they were doing; apparently the rest of the script writing fell to the second team.

The Season One DVD (which contains most of the Season Two episodes as well) is cheap in both cost and quality. It is viewable but there is no supplemental material and navigation is extremely basic.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Best of the "Crime Time After Prime Time" CBS shows.

[gt2002 · 20 January 1999]

"Sweating Bullets" is the best of the five "Crime Time After Prime Time" CBS-TV shows which rotated nightly at 11:30 P.M. A pleasing combination of action, beautiful women and sarcastic wit with Rob Stewart the ruggedly handsome--like a Steven Seagal/ Alec Baldwin--cool dude who can really deliver a line; with his clothes blazing in flames, he crashes through a 2nd floor window and lands in a swimming pool, face to face with a gorgeous young woman and says to her, "and I thought I was HOT!"

"Silk Stalkings" and the other 'Crime Time' shows were also good but not as charming.

Should have been bigger than it was.

[MartynGryphon · 9/10 · 7 July 2023]

Unlike those family friendly light action shows that adorned our TV screens throughout the 80's Tropical Heat came out in the early 90's. However, It was a bit more adult in its delivery as set in the Florida Keys, most episodes featured BIG chested scantily clad blondes in TINY Bikini's in the background of most episodes so it was hardly suitable for prime time. My Introduction came in early 1994. I was 20 years old, and I'd just moved out of my parent's house and had my first flat and I was still revelling in my new found freedom by staying up all night drinking beer and smoking cigarettes (and maybe other things too). And I discovered Tropical Heat purely by accident skipping through channels at about 2am. I really enjoyed it and was hooked from then on. Now I know that the show is HUGE in Serbia, but I'm not sure how big it was in other countries. One thing I CAN tell you for sure, is that you can ask 1000 random people here in the UK if they've ever heard of this show and about 999 of them will give the answer NO!

The show focuses on Nick Slaughter, played by Rob Stewart, (The Dana Andrews of the 1990's), a disgraced Ex-DEA agent now exiled to the tropical island paradise known as Key Mariah. He's a private eye who through financial necessity has formed an uneasy partnership with Sylvie Gerrard (Carolyn Dunn). She handles the paperwork and the books and he does the gumshoeing. However, given that this series lasted for three seasons and never once left the Island, Key Mariah must have had a higher crime rate per capita than Detroit and Chicago combined.

The efficient Sylvie is constantly butting heads with Nick, who would rather spend his time drinking at the Tropical Heat bar, run and owned by his friend Ian (John David Bland), who mainly appears for comic vignettes at the start and end of each episode, although his character is fleshed out and gets in on the action from time to time. Midway though season two, Bland was dropped from the series, (apparently bitter about his reduced role) and was replaced for the remainder of the series by Huckleberry Finn himself Ian Tracey, who played new bar owner Spider.

The plots of each episode are for the most part light hearted and comedic and the action was seldom gratuitous or overly violent and that was part of its appeal, that despite the added sexuality, it still remained predominately inoffensive, (unless you're a feminist that is).

In the intervening three decades since I first saw this show, I have now been able to hunt down a copy of all the episodes and I still watch them regularly....usually in the winter when it's blowing a gale or pouring with rain or even worse, snowing. As when the weather's that bad, (which is often here), it's nice to escape into a far away world of sun, sand, sea and BABES...and tap my feet to that damn catchy theme tune.

This TV show never fails to cheer me up.

Tropical Creeps !

[beighttoo · 2/10 · 14 June 2020]

I can't believe the 7.9 rating for this garbage.The acting is pathetic! It's not even "so bad it's good/funny",just continually bad! Watch "Miami Vice "instead!

PALMS, BEACH, JEEP and the two charming detectives ever!

[Alex-274 · 12 June 1999]

I really love the TV show "Tropical Heat" (aka Sweating Bullets). The combination of two very different mainactors (reminds me of "Moonlighting") Rob Stewart (Nick Slaughter) and Carolyn Dunn (Sylvie) with the tropical setting, the only possible car for the P.I., an old blue Jeep CJ7, the most interesting and actionstyled cases and the beautiful women in Nick's life (clients, quickies, ...) is unique and fantastic. The show is so entertaining, it has all I want to see on late evenings. The sad thing is, that they canceled the show after only 3 seasons (Does anyone know WHY?) ... soo many more interesting parts would have been possible ... and there wasn't even a real and understandable ending ... a final episode? Maybe someday we'll see more about the tropical island Key Mariah, the most charming P.I. on TV, Nick Slaughter and his sexy but not-stupid partner Sylvie ... I really hope that the show will be back!

Sweating bullets...good memories

[Princessoftales · 15 May 2005]

I remember this show, it was around the time that 'Silk Stalkings' was hot. I remember thinking it was a knock-off 'Silk Stalkings', but it was still a good show from what I remember; but it disappeared quickly. I think they were cops. I was so young I can't remember everything about it. I think this show came on late at night on Fox, at least where I live that's the channel it came on.

I actually wish a lot of old shows like this would come back on so I can now enjoy them. For some reason I thought the actor Jack Scalia played the lead in this show, but I guess I was wrong. Maybe he had another show like this named 'Point Blank' or something like that.

SWEATING BULLETS versus SILK STALKINGS

[timmytony80 · 8 July 2020]

I used to try to watch this show, which was on cable (I believe USA), late nights ,when it started. But c/d never catch it. It was eventually over-shadowed by SILK STALKINGS. Which it actually predated by a few months.