Definitely a cop show, and one of the best of all time. It achieved the sort of notoriety publicists kill for before it began in 1993, when word got around that it was going to be the adult cop show of choice. Of course this had more to do with the occasional shots of breasts and buttocks (just about every cast members has appeared naked at one time or another, including Dennis Franz and Rick Schroder), and the street-wise language that proclaimed its credibility. Want to hear the word "asshole" a dozen times in an hour? Then you’ve come to the right place. The show follows the lives of a regular cast of police in New York’s 15th Precinct. Like most cop shows of the past decades, what happens to the characters away from the job is just as important as the action on the street and in the station house. If you want to see how much things have changed over the years in the private lives of cop show detectives, take a look at "Dragnet" on Pay-TV ("just the facts, ma’am"). Once upon a past decade we might have known the names of the detectives’ wives (the cops were always men and they were always married). Now we get to see their brand of underwear as they remove their pants (Calvin Klein hipsters seem to be the preferred style)! Don’t be swayed by the rantings of the American Right about this show (some tried to get it banned) - they think it’s been downhill since "Leave It To Beaver". This is great television drama, probably the best of its type since "Hill Street Blues", which just happens to have been another of producer/creator/writer Steven Bochco’s superior efforts. Sure, things have changed since the squad at "Hill Street" were warned to "be careful out there" back in the seventies, but what the heck, we’ve changed too! Like most American television dramas, we become familiar with a number of regulars. "NYPD Blue" is one of those shows where, after a few months of dedicated watching, you know what everyone’s up to without having to think about it, kind of like your own family (if your family happens to be a group of dysfunctional cops). This is no mean feat when you consider the subtlety of the writing and the large ensemble cast - these are not wooden caricatures that hit you over the head with their flashing neon foibles. Sure Sipowicz drinks (less often nowadays) and rages, and there are moments of calculated racism, but that’s hardly the whole story. In "NYPD" there’s always more to the character than meets the eye, and we expect nothing to be quite as it seems. Why is this so fascinating? Because it reminds us of the way we are - as in real life, nothing is straightforward. Let’s take a closer look at the characters: A Law4U favourite, Detective Andy Sipowicz is the television Everyman who carries enough baggage to sink a tanker. The first few episodes dealt head-on with his alcoholism and broken dreams, and it was not a pretty sight. Five years at the wrong end of a bottle have left him with more than a few accounts to pay, and pay he does! He’s lost his wife, his child, and in the first episodes he’s constantly in danger of losing the only relationship that still matters - with the 15th Precinct of the New York Police Department and his partner Detective John Kelly. There are reconciliations with his older son (and tragedy as well), and in 1997 a second marriage brings joy and terrible sadness – that’s Andy all over, from one extreme to another. Later series have seen their fair share of trouble, as well, including an operation for prostate cancer, and tragically, the loss of his wife in a courtroom shooting. So what is there to like about this bear of a man who dresses like last year’s garage sale? It’s simple - he’s got a heart as big as the MCG. We cringe every time he makes another stupid mistake, every time he backslides, every time he faces the latest investigation by Internal Affairs. But his soulfulness makes us want to reach inside the TV and drag him to safety. In our minds he walks tall and straight, and we forgive him as we wish we could forgive ourselves. Bruce Springsteen could have been writing about Andy Sipowicz when he sang:
Why have we got so much to say about Andy? By acclamation he is the Law4U favourite lawyer/cop television character (okay, we love Horace Rumpole as well). It will break your heart to see Andy cope with the death of his wife, left to look after young Theo. In the opening episode of the 2000 season we see him caring for his three year old son, who plaintively says, "I help you". By the way, do you like the new slimmed down Andy? Detective Danny Sorensen achieved his gold shield at the tender age of 28. He's confident without being too arrogant, but his origins remain something of a mystery, although there seems to have been some army service and he's transferred from narcotics. It was difficult to walk into the precinct as the replacement for the much loved Bobby Simone, and clearly it upset Andy and Dianne. However he has made his mark and earned his place with this highly professional group. Obviously there is a father-son relationship with Andy, who clearly sees a lot of his dead son in Danny. Lt. Arthur Fancy is the captain of the ship and keeps a steady hand on the tiller. Fancy (where did they come up with that name?) is honest, calm, and collected (for all you Star Trek fans, he’s the Jean-Luc Picard of the detective squad). In other words, he’s everything his officers are not! If we mention the fact that he’s also black, it’s for a reason. Throughout the series there’s an undercurrent of innuendo - did Fancy get to where he is because of his colour, or in spite of it? That might have been settled in later series, as Fancy’s role at the 15th has been elevated with whole plots revolving around his character. He’s happily married, though not too much is made of this. Check out how the officers find it hard to look him in the eye, and the nervousness that infects every conversation with their exacting leader. He's also got a temper when the situation calls for it. Detective James Martinez is the junior member of the detective squad. It’s hard not to worry about James - the way you worry about a younger brother or a vulnerable friend. He used to look up to John Kelly - now Kelly’s gone and it’s Bobby who’s the older brother. We know that things haven’t always been easy for James, but he wears it with grace, even when his brother overdoses and dies before his young eyes. Thankfully for James they’ve allowed him to have a love life. He has an interesting professional relationship with the slightly inept Greg Medavoy, not to mention the receptionist Gina. James leaves the precinct in the early part of the 2000 season. Detective Greg Medavoy reminds us of a clumsy relative - when he comes to visit you hide the china dolls and anything else he’s likely to knock over while he’s looking the other way. Which sort of makes you wonder whether you want him protecting your back in a stakeout (he’s been known to fumble when he draws his service revolver). He’s often paired with James Martinez – early on we would have split those two to ensure their longevity. It sometimes takes him a few attempts to get a complete sentence together, he’s not the world’s snappiest dresser, and his allergies could keep a team of medical researchers in a lifetime of grants. In 1997 he tried to toughen himself up in the image of Andy, but he soon realised it wasn't his style. His new partner is Detective Baldwin Jones. Detective Diane Russell was another problem drinker, though Bobby was not about to buy into that one. Andy picked all the denial and got her into AA - Bobby exited their love affair until she could get her life together. Tough love, but it worked. Still, there's a lot we don't know about Diane, and that worried us as well as Bobby. Her time as an undercover cop nearly brought her undone, and we sometimes feel that she is skirting the edge of sanity. 1998 brought more tragedy when she miscarried the child she conceived with Bobby. Since Bobby's death she seems to have become far more stable, and has developed a great working relationship with her partner Jill Kirkendall. Detective Jill Kirkendall has been a great addition to the precinct - she made her entrance in episode 6 of 1997. We didn't see too much of her at the beginning, but she more than held her own against those strong willed men of the squad. She has established herself in the cauldron of the 15th, and we have learnt a lot more about her private life (split marriage and two kids). We thought she showed an early interest in Bobby (who doesn't?), but of course he was well and truly taken. She has developed an excellent professional partnership with Dianne, and a caring personal relationship as well. Det. Baldwin Jones is the replacement for the departed James Martinez - he arrived partway through the 2000 season in the episode "Along Came Jones". His mother named him after the black writer James Baldwin, and he transferred into the 15th squad from the Bias Investigations Unit (they look into crimes suspected of having a racial motive). You may notice that he's a fitness buff who runs every day (clearly unlike his co-workers). He likes to be called "Dee". Compared to some of his now or previously dysfunctional colleagues, he's pretty much on the straight and narrow. Assistant District Attorney Sylvia Costas was that rarest of all creatures, a lawyer who knows her job and has the respect of the people she deals with, including most of the criminals and all the cops. She comes from a large, loving family, clearly where she learned the compassion that shows in every aspect of her relationship with Andy (see "Andy and Sylvia"). She wasn't seen as much after she married Andy, and God knows that hasn't been an easy ride, but lately she's been well and truly back in the fold. Tragedy struck at the end of 1999 when she was gunned down in the hall of a court and died in Andy's arms. Detective John Kelly has left the 15th Precinct, more by necessity than choice. The police force has pretty much been his life, his father was an Irish cop who got shot in the line of duty. Maybe that explains the harsh look, the take-no-prisoners attitude, and the way he knows how to keep a secret. We never really got to know Kelly - perhaps the producers had planned revelations as part of a later series, but of course he never made it past the beginning of the second series. He left because he tried to protect another officer (a lover, of course) from Internal Affairs - given his post-NYPD career, in real life David Caruso might have done better to find a protector of his own - see "Behind the scenes". Detective Bobby Simone has left the show, but he had his problems too. Bobby's come off a few tough years as he enters the 15th Precinct for the first time in the fifth episode of Season Two. His wife died from breast cancer, which forced him to take easy duty in the Department while she was sick. Sipowicz wasn't sure he wanted to be partnered with someone who chauffeured the Commissioner, until he discovered the reason Bobby opted for the cushy job. Now Bobby was ready for the Detective squad again, and it didn't take long for him to show the real strengths he mostly kept hidden. This is the big difference between Simone and Sipowicz - Andy carries the macho onto the street; with Bobby more is implied than said, but don't get him angry or you'll fast learn that he means business, and then some (check out the episode "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" in 1997)! Did we mention that Bobby has some sort of Latin attitude, and the looks to match? Check out "The facts " if you want to know more about his ethnic background. By the way, he had a complex relationship with Diane Russell. So what kept Bobby together, and where did he go to find that peace ten hours a day on the streets leaves him begging for? (tick, tick, tick…) If you're a regular viewer, you already know the unlikely answer - it's up on the roof to commune with his racing pigeons (yes, we said racing pigeons!) Unfortunately for Bobby it all ends in tragedy long before his time is due. His death was a terrible shock for everyone at the precinct, and for the viewers as well. Denis Franz's portrayal of Andy Sipowicz has us believing that even the most hard-boiled cop can have a heart. Even more incredible, he’s managed to invest the part with a sexiness you would not believe possible on first sight. Franz was in Vietnam for eleven months, which might go to explain the simmering intensity he brings to the role. His first real shot at fame came in 1982 with a part in "Chicago Story". The next year he saw action in "Hill Street Blues" as the detestable Sal Benedetto (he was awarded the American magazine "TV Guide" Villain of the Year). Little did Franz know that this was one of the lucky breaks of all time. The show’s producer/creator Steven Bochco would go on to cast him as the mangy Detective Buntz in "Hill Street". That role led to a spin-off, "Beverly Hills Buntz", which went nowhere fast. Parts in TV and movies (a cop again in "Die Hard 2") kept him in rent money until rescued by the fabulous potential of "NYPD Blue’s" Andy Sipowicz. Want to know how big this unlikely star has become? He’s guest starred on the "Simpsons", another Law4U favourite. And yes, he’s stripped for the camera in "NYPD", a famous shower scene where his ass was on display in all its oversized glory (he's slimmed down nowadays). Check him out in 1998’s "Wings of Desire" with Meg Ryan and Nicholas Cage, another fine performance. Rick Schroder has shared screen time with Jon Voight, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Gene Hackman, Alec Guinness, Angelica Huston, and William Holden. He won a Golden Globe as best new male star in 1979 for his role in "The Champ" opposite Jon Voight, followed by a successful sitcom, a good role in "Lonesome Dove", and numerous movies including "Crimson Tide" and "The Earthling". Jimmy Smits played Bobby Simone. Smits exploded onto the screen in "L.A. Law" in 1986, as lawyer Victor Sifuentes. Before that he was featured in the pilot of "Miami Vice", where he was promptly killed in the first fifteen minutes of the show. No matter, because "L.A Law" was one of the great success series of the eighties. Smits was more than the smouldering sex symbol of the show - his acting prowess earned a well deserved Emmy ("NYPD Blue" has brought him another). It is said that Steven Bochco, the brains behind "L.A. Law" and "NYPD Blue", originally saw Smits in the title role that eventually (but briefly) went to Caruso - we should be thankful that Caruso left to pursue an abortive career in the movies. Smits has also appeared in a number of decent movies, though he never achieved the sort of prominence he has found on the small screen. Nevertheless, his screen credits remain impressive: opposite Jane Fonda and Gregory peck in "Old Gringo"; with Ellen Barkin in "Switch"; a star in the operatic family saga "My Family", amongst other efforts. "NYPD Blue" springs from the incredibly prolific and creative Steven Bochco, although in this show more of the credit belongs to his partner David Milch. Those of you who have watched American cop shows for some time will recognise these names, and the track record they have established. It is the hallmark of a Bochco show that there is an ensemble cast. Sure, Smits and Franz are the stars, the ones we keep coming back to see, but the show is crowded with characters talking over each other, watched from crazy angles, a technique pioneered on "Hill Street Blues". Before you know it you’ll feel like you’re part of the family too. The show is grounded in reality by Bill Clark, a retired NYPD detective, who is the show's technical advisor. And as for that stunning theme music, you can look to Mike Post, the composer in residence for all Bochco's shows, including "LA Law", "Hill St.", "Doogie Howser", and "Brooklyn South". What else? How about "Law and Order", "Quantum Leap", and the "A-Team". By the way, he produced Dolly Parton's "Nine To Five". There is only one thing we all want to know, right? Why in the hell did David Caruso (Detective John Kelly) leave a huge hit after the first mega-successful season? This is the truth, the whole truth…Caruso went from obscurity to television superstardom overnight, so of course he wanted a pay rise. Apparently he wanted $100,000 an episode - the producer’s offer topped out at 80 thou. The producers agreed to disagree with his opinion of his importance to the show, and David was written out by the end of the fourth episode of the second season. So, you figure, he sure as hell must have had a better offer on the burner? Well, maybe he thought he was going to be the next Mel Gibson, an action movie specialist, and for an instant it looked like he might just be right. No such luck. His first post-NYPD film, "Kiss of Death", was okay but didn’t set the box office on fire. The second movie was a stinker. By this time there had been too many stories of his difficult behaviour on the set of NYPD. What do they say about a bird in the hand? And to make this sad tale even sadder (for Caruso, not us), his replacement in "NYPD Blue" was made in heaven. Jimmy Smits, a refugee from another Bochco hit ("L.A. Law"), arrived on his charger to save the day and really sink the idea that the show would suffer without its charismatic former lead. And the kicker? The show jumped about 20 places in the ratings when Smits took over. Lately Caruso has emerged with a different story altogether. He says he only wanted to have a shooting schedule that would allow him to make films at the same time that he was committed to "NYPD Blue". He cites the example of George Clooney in "E.R." who has managed to combine a punishing schedule of TV and movie careers. Maybe the difference is that Clooney is part of a large ensemble cast – in "NYPD Blue" so much depended on the two main characters. Ironically he has returned to television in a series about a lawyer - In "Michael Hayes", now discontinued, he plays a hard-hitting prosecutor who is names acting U.S. Attorney in New York. All the "NYPD Blue" fans will be glad to know that in 2000 the American network ABC renewed the show for at least another two years, which would take us to the end of the eighth season. Jimmy Smits decided that he wanted to move on to a second shot at a serious movie career, so he left the show in 1999. Thankfully for its millions of fans, Denis Franz stayed on to break in his third partner. The 100th episode of this great show ("A Box of Wendy") was broadcast on Channel 10 on May 7th , and in typical "NYPD" fashion, there was no hysterical nostalgic recollection of past glories - just the same brilliant exposition and eccentric style. After all, that's how the show has arrived at this landmark in the first place! Gabrielle Fitzpatrick was cast as a receptionist eventually exposed as an Aussie refugee in April, 1988. She’s parlayed her eleven week stint on "NYPD" into a number of auditions for various pilots and movies. And by the way, she really is Australian. Andrea Thompson, who plays the indomitable Jill Kirkendall, spent 6 years of her youth living near Melbourne. Her younger sister still lives in that city. What ledto the exit of Jimmy Smits (tissues at the ready, ladies). First, let it be said that Jimmy saw out his four year contract, so there's no shifty business in his dealings with the network. All Jimmy will say is that "it was time to move on". As happened with the less graceful exit of Caruso, he agreed to play the part into the next (sixth) season to establish the continuity and ease the way for his successor. How was the replacement to Jimmy found? Of course this was a plum role, one that any actor would have given the key to his Malibu ranch to get. Rick Schroder got the nod after some strong performances in audition, but we think the producers were prepared to be a little perverse as well. This is a show that likes to be at the cutting edge, and also loves to prove the critics wrong (there was so much criticism of Schroder's choice e.g. Mr Showbiz called it the worst idea since "new Coke"). And so it has come to pass, because Rick has been a big hit in the States and the show is back in the top ten. So there! Rick Schroder had to sign a nudity clause in his contract - as we all know, everyone on this show eventually has to bare themselves to the camera, but for Rick it happened before he had hardly settled into his trailer. If you're looking for it, check out the episode "Czech Bouncer" in the 1999 season! What's up with Sharon Lawrence (Sylvia), who kept coming and going until she finally departed in the last episode of 1999? By our reckoning this was the third time she had left the show. Seems she left after the fourth season to go into a sitcom, "Fired Up", and when that failed returned on a semi-regular basis. And why did Nicholas Turturro (Martinez) leave the show? Well, it's obvious to all viewers that he hasn't had a great deal to do, so perhaps he's looking for greener pastures. Ever wondered about Bobby’s ethnic origins? If you blinked you probably missed it, but somewhere in the second series Bobby says something about his "French-Portuguese ass". Enough said. What’s the connection between "Hill Street Blues" and "NYPD"? First, Dennis Franz played a not dissimilar character in "Hill Street", Lieutenant Norman Buntz. And yes, he impressed us then, too. Charles Haid, who played Renko in "Hill Street", has appeared in "NYPD Blue" and directed a few episodes. Bruce Weitz, who played Mick Belker (the one with the Jewish mother) in "Hill Street", appears in the fourth season of NYPD. Barbara Bosson, who played Faye Furillo in "Hill Street" and stars in "Murder One", had a guest spot in NYPD. All three shows are Steven Bochco creations. And in the opinion of Law4U, they are groundbreakers in the genre. In other words, if "NYPD Blue" was a dog, it would have a pedigree longer than your arm; if it was a horse, its bloodlines would keep it in stud forever; if it was …(ENOUGH with the animal analogies, we get the point, okay?) Where have you seen Ross from "Friends" before? (tick, tick, tick…) Of course, the first four episodes of "NYPD Blue". He was Josh Goldstein - until he was shot, killed, and wound up in the most successful comedy sitcom since "Seinfeld". Lucky Josh. And what goes on with the cameraman? Is the camera shaking because he’s (she’s) nervous? Is he also a recovering alcoholic with the DTs (why not, the show’s already a convention of AA attendees). The truth is in the so-called "handheld camera" - check out the ABC’s "Frontline" and Woody Allen’s "Husbands and Wives" for the same cinematic technique. If you caught a 1998 episode of Michael J Fox’s "Spin City", you might have seen a clever take-off of this technique and the Andy/Bobby style of interrogation. Get the feeling you’ve seen Denis Franz before? Maybe as a cop? That’s understandable, because he’s played a cop a ridiculous twenty-eight times before. He swears this will be his last. Channel Ten reveals that Kamahl’s son, Rajan, has a hand in the composition of the series music. There are a number of books about this great show if you are a real fanatic. Check some of the online stores for "True Blue: The Real Stories Behind NYPD Blue" by co-creator David Milch. For a novelisation try "NYPD Blue: Blue Beginning" by Max Allan Collins. And for the soundtrack, try "Inventions from the Blue Line", featuring Mike Post's music. The developing on screen chemistry between Russell and Kirkendall is making them the Cagney and Lacey of the nineties. NYPD Blue is set in the (fictional) 15th precinct, as we all know. The NYPD "house" is really the exterior of the 9th Precinct house at 321 East 5th St. between 1st & 2nd Ave. If ever there was a cop show that relies on the jargon of the street to stamp its authenticity, this is it. The following examples might help you in your quest for NYPD fluency:
Don’t worry if you don’t catch on for a while. We don’t know what they’re talking about a lot of the time either. Notice how the boys and girls of the 15th Precinct are always getting upset at the District Attorney’s "plea bargains"? This happens when they have put in a lot of work catching the alleged criminal, only to find the court accepts a relatively modest sentence on the basis of a plea bargain. What is this? Does it mean, as the police in "NYPD Blue" often complain, that criminals are not feeling the full weight of the law? Or sometimes they are the ones trying to get a plea bargain for a law-breaker (see the episode "A Tushful of Dollars" where Diane quarrels with Assistant District Attorney Cohen while trying to get a plea bargain for her mother). A plea bargain is a strategy that allows an alleged criminal to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for their co-operation; occasionally they may even avoid the court altogether! After the prosecution and defence have struck the bargain, and the defendant agrees to plead guilty, it is recommended to the judge, who is not under any obligation to follow the recommendation (but usually will). There are many justifications for this type of bargaining, not the least of which is that the courts just have too much business to deal with, and a good plea bargain can give the prosecution leads to solve other crimes or speed up the course of justice. This is important in America, where the Constitution establishes the right of an accused to a speedy trial. And of course the prosecutor closes the case with a conviction, even if it is to a lesser crime. In Australia this sort of thing is a daily event in Magistrates and Local Courts, where police informants and lawyers nut out the details of pleas at the door of the court. This is especially so where a defendant has been charged with a number of offences arising from the same crime, and an agreement will be made to drop some of the charges in exchange for a guilty plea to one or more of the others. By the way, how come the perps hardly ever ask for a lawyer, particularly given the fact that that they are "read their rights" in line with the Supreme Court's Miranda decision? How many times do you see the perps nonchalantly accept the writing pad and admit chapter and verse to their crimes? What's the situation in Australia? In general the police have to tell a suspect that they can communicate with their lawyer, but that doesn't mean they are allowed to have them attend the interrogation at the police station. So in this way the right to counsel is much stronger in the States, and often the best that can be achieved in Australia is a conversation in private (and often that will be on the phone). This is the best American police drama on television. It comes from a champion stable; it’s got one of the finest actors on television (Franz), television's best character in Andy, and a wonderful ensemble cast to boot; the stories keep you on the edge of the lounge; but the action takes place in a context, it’s not just there for a cheap thrill; and most of all, it’s heart is in the right place, without the forced sentimentality that usually implies. We like the fact that it continues to take chances and won’t settle for the successful formula that’s taken it to the top of the heap. Of course there is a change in the show's consciousness with the departure of Jimmy Smits and some of the lesser cast members. This may even be moreso than the departure of Caruso, because Smits was merely a more charismatic version of his predecessor. The arrival of Schroder amounts to a real shake-up in the formula, and after a couple of seasons there is every reason to be optimistic. Sure, we loved Jimmy Smits and the juxtaposition of his character with Franz, but if we had to choose, we'd settle for any format that allowed Franz to continue to work his magic. And let's face facts, it was always Sipowicz who entranced the writers. The best they could do for Simone was a rather unsatisfactory relationship with Diane, and any excuse to utilise Smits considerable charm. The advantage of the apparently oblique choice of Schroder is its potential to move the show of its comfort zone. We’re not expected to like everything the characters do and say - Sipowicz can sometimes sound like a follower of Pauline Hanson (he doesn’t like "foreigners"). But the characters and themes are never simplistic, and weekly we are left with a sense of fulfilment that is rare in television nowadays. And the production values are first class (yes, including those shaky cameras). In fact, the production itself is one of the real stars of the show. If you haven’t seen "NYPD Blue" check it out soon. The show is still in it's prime and has remained a top ten hit in the U.S. Here’s to many more seasons on the streets with the perps and the DTs!
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