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DVD Hill Street Blues - Season 1
Created by Steven Bochco and one of television's most influential series, Hill Street Blues was not your father's cop show. The Emmy-winning pilot episode, "Hill Street Station," immediately established the series as less a police procedural than an up-close and personal "interface with the police experience." To establish gritty, documentary-like realism, the show featured sequences, such as the pre-credit roll call, that were filmed with a hand-held camera. There was chaotic, overlapping dialogue. There were sudden, shocking bursts of violence that claimed popular characters. Story lines were not wrapped up at the end of the hour, but instead, unfolded serially throughout the season. It's no wonder that Hill Street, while championed by most critics, was initially not embraced by viewers. It was, in the beginning, one of television's lowest rated shows, its case not helped by NBC's criminal practice of juggling it in its primetime schedule). But there is justice in Hollywood. Hill Street Blues won the Emmy for best drama in its first season. Also honored were several members of the ensemble, including Daniel J. Travanti as the compassionate and incorruptible Precinct Capt. Frank Furillo, Michael Conrad as the avuncular Sgt. Phil Esterhaus (whose cautionary, "Let's be careful out there," became the show's pop culture signature), and Barbara Babcock as the wildly sexual Grace Gardner, who rocks Esterhaus's world (particularly in the episode that earned her her statuette, "Fecund Hand Rose").
There were no big stars on Hill Street Blues (or, for that matter, no little stars, as one of the cast members jokes during a near-hour-long reunion featurette included as a bonus feature on this three double-sided disc set). Each was an indelible character, among them Charles Haid as cowboy cop Andy Renko, Veronica Hammel as sexy public defender Joyce Davenport, Bruce Weitz as the untamed, animalistic Belker, Keil Martin as LaRue, whose descent into alcoholism is one of the season's most compelling dramatic arcs, and James Sikking as the gung-ho Howard Hunter. Once daring, Hill Street Blues seems almost quaint today, with none of the graphic sex or language that scandalized NYPD Blue (in one episode, a captured cat burglar, portrayed by a pre-L.A. Law Michael Tucker, makes a reference to "wolf pee-pee"). The ethnic portrayals, too, are not exactly nuanced. But the human dramas at the heart of Hill Street still make for arresting television. --Donald Liebenson
I started watching this season immediately after finishing the outstanding newest season of "The Shield," so the bar was set unusually high for this series, so I really don't hold it against the first season of "Hill Street Blues" for walking right into it. It quite frankly seemed to be moving in slow motion compared to "The Shield." And for all the complaints we have to listen to about us being an ADD culture, that show is better off for it's reluctance to spend time with the mundane. But more important than the speed is the intelligence. "Hill Street Blues" tell you what to think about right and wrong. Their theme music screams "We're the good guys!" and from then on that statement is never so much as looked at, much less challenged. "The Shield" challenges you to figure out who the good guys are, and why.
Despite all that "Hill Street Blues" puts out a decent effort in its first season. We follow Captain Frank Furillo and his quirky, flawed staff of cops around an unnamed city. They come up against gangs, corrupt cops, and neglectful mothers. They even try to open a saloondramat (a what?). The main problem is I simply cannot go back in time and watch this show in its original time slot. Remember, back in 1981 we were emerging from a decade that saw "Starsky and Hutch" as the typical TV cop show. Still, the amount of violence and sexuality I found was, while tame by today's standards, more than I expected. I was also quite pleased with the character development of Furillo. He truly is a case study in healthy management skills. He's tough when need be, but accomplishes most of his tasks through logic and understanding. His character is beautiful counterpoint to the megalomaniac, tough for the sake of looking tough Glen Haskins from "Glory Road." The season finale delivered some surprises, as season finales typically do. One you can see coming from a country mile away, the other hits you like a cold slap to the face . . . well, make that a warm slap. A major complaint I would have is the shows habit of leaving plot threads hanging. One that leaps to mind involves Phil leaving his wife to marry an 18 year old because of her fertility (hey man, whatever he says). Despite the fact that said marriage ends in disaster, his love life is never mentioned again. Does he get back together with his wife? And I really don't give two toots what the writers of this show think, his wife cannot compete, looks wise, with an 18 year old. Any 18 year old. Period.
So do I recommend this season? Yes, but barely. It should really only be viewed as supplementary to modern shows like "24," "The Wire," and of course "The Shield." This show is more of a relic. A quaint piece of TV history where police corruption is treated as the exception not the rule, and morals matter more than politics. I'm sure back in 1981 the show would've looked awesome, but time has not been kind. But I still respect it because now it has been reincarnated into some of the best shows on TV. Besides sometimes you just need a break from all the torture and high tech gadgets that is in those other shows. 6.64 out of 10
A bit weathered with time...
I can remember in High-school being acquaintances with a fellow named Jeff Swan, who's advice to me, when signing my yearbook, was: turn your damn watch around, and don't forget to watch Hill Street Blues. Well, I still wear my watch turned to the inside, but I didn't forget his second piece of sage advice.
Hill Street Blues was one of my favorite shows in the early 80's. I loved it! Its funny, because I remember it being "so violent" and exciting. Really a great show!
Well, I watched this DVD set, and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. It didn't live up to my memories of the show. In fact, I can say I was a bit disappointed.
I will give it 4 stars, as it is a well written show, and has some good plotlines. But overall, not my favorite DVD set.
MC White said: Just a'iiight.
episodes missing
The first plot arc includes investigation of cop who made a bad decision and then tried too late to amend it. The episodes completing this arc were not on the disc. Ever tried to contact manufacturers to replace faulty discs? Buyer beware.
Despite critical acclaim, Hill Street Blues could not get arrested ratings-wise its first season. Far from being careful out there, the superb second season did nothing to tinker with the integrity of this groundbreaking series to make it more audience friendly. Multiple storylines, overlapping dialogue, gritty language, and a pseudo-documentary style capture the palpable chaos and tension of what one character calls "the rat-infested, poverty-stricken urban reality." From the precinct-house shooting rampage that opens the season to a hijacked hearse in the season-ending episode, Hill Street Blues deftly walks the line between police procedural and personal drama, further fleshing out its gallery of compelling and colorful characters. Belker (Bruce Weitz) is still a growling... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Lawrence Levy (II) - Jack Starrett - Mark Frost - John D. Hancock - Scott Brazil DVD Release Date: Released the 16 May 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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St. Elsewhere is viewed by critics as one of the best TV shows ever produced. The accolades are deserved. All the shows since - ER, Grey's Anatomy, Chicago Hope and others - have roots in St. Elsewhere, the show that set the standard for combining hospital drama and comedy.
As a teenager I came late to the table and was only able to view about two thirds of the original shows. However, I was able to record on VHS almost all of the shows I did see. I was excited when I heard they were going to (finally!) release the show on DVD and I could, at last, watch all the early episodes I had missed.
So here we have one of the most acclaimed shows ever and what we get is a flimsy slip case, double sided DVDs (that easily become scratched), and minimal extras. This is... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Beth Hillshafer - Victor Lobl - John Heath DVD Release Date: Released the 28 November 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Within the first few minutes of the pilot episode, it's clear what made NYPD Blue stand out from the rest of the cop show pack, as the characters express themselves in startlingly colorful language. This, combined with glimpses of nudity, earned NYPD Blue the reputation as R-rated television--but just about every episode demonstrates the propulsive storytelling and superb ensemble acting that put substance behind the flash. The show revolves around two detectives: Tough, moralistic, but passionate John Kelly (David Caruso) and hair-trigger Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz), who wrestles with booze and racist tendencies. Caruso rose to prominence as the star, but his intensity bleeds too easily into preening self-righteousness; it's Franz, with a much more complex role,... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Dennis Franz DVD Release Date: Released the 18 March 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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