How to watch
Miami Vice Watch Order in the correct order
How to watch Miami Vice in order
Last updated: November 10 2026
Written by: ChronoAlice
Miami Vice defined '80s cool with pastel suits and pop soundtracks, and it later returned as a gritty Michael Mann film. Here is how to watch it all.
Detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs work undercover in Miami's vice squad, taking down drug runners while cruising in a Ferrari and a cigarette boat. Created by Anthony Yerkovich and executive produced by Michael Mann, Miami Vice changed TV with its cinematic style, music-video sequences and morally complex stories. Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas became icons of the decade.
๐ Release Order
The franchise covers five seasons of television and a feature film made nearly two decades later.
- Miami Vice Season 1 (1984)
- Miami Vice Season 2 (1985)
- Miami Vice Season 3 (1986)
- Miami Vice Season 4 (1987)
- Miami Vice Season 5 (1988)
- Miami Vice (2006)
The 2006 movie, written and directed by Michael Mann, recasts Crockett and Tubbs with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. It is a reimagining, not a continuation.
๐ Story Chronology
Because the film is a reboot set in its own continuity, the series is the only true story timeline, running from the pilot to the final episodes in 1989.
- Miami Vice Season 1 (1984)
- Miami Vice Season 2 (1985)
- Miami Vice Season 3 (1986)
- Miami Vice Season 4 (1987)
- Miami Vice Season 5 (1988)
Which Order Should You Choose?
Start with the series and watch it in order. The pilot, "Brother's Keeper", is essential, and the show's character arcs, including Crockett's amnesia storyline in Season 4, are best experienced as they unfold. The 2006 film can be watched at any time and requires no knowledge of the show, so it makes a good standalone pick if you prefer modern crime thrillers.
๐ Related Guides
Did we miss anything? Let us know and we'll keep this guide up to date!