I never saw one episode of this that I recall. But the Audience channel started them from the beginning without commercials and we've watched about ten so far. They run them in order. We're hooked on it. What a bunch of great actors. Except for the cars, phones, and revolvers, this show doesn't seem dated at all. See. All I had to do was wait twenty years and I can now watch an episode every day instead of once a week.

I miss it. I came to it late because I couldn't stand Caruso, but I thought it was a great show. Fine ensemble cast.

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Oh well, what the hell.

It was one of my favorites. Caruso was one of the cops in Rambo, he was the red head that tried to stop the senior officer from giving Rambo the bath with the firehose.

Jimmy Smits was Sonny's first partner in Miami vice. In both of these tv shows the actors look like they are 12yo. Then they dispeared until the were in NYPD Blue.

Ed

Yes! I too missed the first couple of seasons and I've been recording them since Audience started. Just finished watching the latest one a few minutes ago, decided to jump on the forum one last time for the night and found your thread.

Dennis Franz was great as Sipowicz. A complex guy with lots of issues but dedicated to doing his job right. The way his relationship with Fancy developed really impressed me. A great actor, too bad he's not active these days.

I don't remember the machinations behind Caruso leaving but I like the way he portrayed his character as well. Good stuff.

It was a great show. I thought it improved through the years, and got a little "racy" toward the end.
I think they had some real fights with the network censors, especially over the bare butt scenes of some of the cast.

David Milch of more recent "Deadwood" fame was a driving part of the production teams.

All of the ensemble cast shows up often, even now. All except Sip. (Dennis Franz)

I never understood the leaving of the Caruso character, John, I believe, but he was spoken of in later episodes more than once by Sip, but only in an aside remark as "that other guy".

Didn't Hill Street Blues, or NYPD, or perhaps both pull many episodes from the Joseph Wambaugh book, "The Blue Knight" ?

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wanna do right-- not right now

The most realistic cop show ever IMHO.

Caruso got an inflated ego from his acclaim on the show. He tried to hold out for what the producers thought was an unreasonable bump in salary. Plus, IIRC, he got a couple of film roles while the show was on hiatus. He left thinking he'd make it on the big-screen. He did a lot of 'penance' I suspect, as I don't think I saw him for many years before he landed CSI Miami.

Barney Miller?

I liked NYPD Blue. It was probably as realistic as a police show can be and still be entertaining.

Sipowicz was the extension of Sal Benedetto from Hill Street Blues. Sipowicz had a tough time during the run of the show. I won't say more in deference to the people that never saw the show in it's first run.

I will say that originally Sipowicz was supposed to die off early in the first season.

It was mostly an enjoyable series, but some episodes were frankly clunkers.

Speaking of Wambaugh, I'd love to see Police Story re run on ME TV or some other retro channel.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

Like the Capt. Furillo character in "Hill Street Blues", Sipowicz was a sober alcoholic. I'm one too, and found Travanti and Franz's portrayals really rang true.

One of the most shattering performances I've seen on TV was the meltdown of Detective Cagney on "Cagney And Lacey" when she hit bottom with her alcoholism. Sharon Gless played it incredibly well--and later went into treatment herself. Life imitating art...

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Oh well, what the hell.

All the NYPD Blue seasons are on Amazon Prime.
I use a ROKU to watch internet TV
The Shield was also good.
The Closer too.
Damages with Glen Close stuf
Justified with Tim Olifant
Now you know why I don't chores done.

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Have a blessed day ,
Bull