Hill Street Blues premiered 40 years ago today - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 01-15-2021, 06:00 PM

https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/sta...50414285627392

The groundbreaking gritty NBC police procedural that Steven Bochco created with Michael Kozoll paved the way for today's Golden Age of Television. Hill Street Blues ran for seven seasons, ending in 1987 after 146 episodes. "The ambitious police drama seemed doomed even before it hit the NBC airwaves on Jan. 15, 1981," Greg Braxton wrote of Hill Street Blues in the Los Angeles Times in 2014. "Test audiences were unimpressed by the gritty pilot that focused on the personal and professional struggles of police officers working in a crime-ridden urban precinct. In fact, many hated it — there were no recognizable stars, the camera was unsteady, the scenes were noisy and confusing, and there were too many characters. Hill Street Blues got off to a shaky start, and it barely received a second season — at the time, it was among the lowest-rated shows ever renewed at the network. But audiences eventually embraced it, and, during its seven-season run, the series racked up 26 Emmys, including four consecutive awards for outstanding drama. Even today, Hill Street Blues is widely regarded as truly groundbreaking, and its success paved the way for the current golden era of serial TV drama where large ensembles drive complex story lines filled with heroic but flawed characters." Bochco added: "There’s no question that the show was a tipping point in not only how an audience responded to TV but how those of us making TV came to see what we were doing in a very different light. It expanded the drama form and the medium. Lots of shows that came behind us might not have had the same success if we had not broken through.”

AMackII · 01-15-2021, 09:33 PM

Happy 40th Anniversary, Hill Street Blues

Yong Fang · 02-14-2021, 09:20 AM

I am now rewatching the series now online (mostly on YouTube and DailyMotion). I see it about once a year or so. It really takes one back to that era of the early 1980’s. I was a teenager and it was one of my favorite shows (there was another kid my age who thought the same thing).

Really, there wasn’t one bad character in the show and there were a lot of them. Lots of drama, good natured drama and a lot of humor also. A very heartwarming show with good values and morals.

How much this is complete heresy, I can be critical of Hill Street Blues (may Saint Esterhaus forgive me from on high)

1. The show was cartoonishly violent at times.

2. The gangs and other groups were charactures.

3. I dislikedJoyce Davenport. Francis, go back to Faye (well before she got knocked up by the judge who ran off that is).

4. Sgt. Esterhaus who was about 55 was dating a 17 year old. That’s creepy, and this is from a character otherwise is one of the most upstanding people on the show and undermines his character.

Fallon97 · 04-15-2021, 01:39 AM

This is a great show.

01-15-2021, 06:00 PM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,985	Hill Street Blues premiered 40 years ago today https://twitter.com/RetroNewsNow/sta...50414285627392 The groundbreaking gritty NBC police procedural that Steven Bochco created with Michael Kozoll paved the way for today's Golden Age of Television. Hill Street Blues ran for seven seasons, ending in 1987 after 146 episodes. "The ambitious police drama seemed doomed even before it hit the NBC airwaves on Jan. 15, 1981," Greg Braxton wrote of Hill Street Blues in the Los Angeles Times in 2014. "Test audiences were unimpressed by the gritty pilot that focused on the personal and professional struggles of police officers working in a crime-ridden urban precinct. In fact, many hated it — there were no recognizable stars, the camera was unsteady, the scenes were noisy and confusing, and there were too many characters. Hill Street Blues got off to a shaky start, and it barely received a second season — at the time, it was among the lowest-rated shows ever renewed at the network. But audiences eventually embraced it, and, during its seven-season run, the series racked up 26 Emmys, including four consecutive awards for outstanding drama. Even today, Hill Street Blues is widely regarded as truly groundbreaking, and its success paved the way for the current golden era of serial TV drama where large ensembles drive complex story lines filled with heroic but flawed characters." Bochco added: "There’s no question that the show was a tipping point in not only how an audience responded to TV but how those of us making TV came to see what we were doing in a very different light. It expanded the drama form and the medium. Lots of shows that came behind us might not have had the same success if we had not broken through.”

01-15-2021, 09:33 PM	#2
AMackII Member Forum Star Join Date: Oct 23, 2015 Location: St. Louis Posts: 17,207	Happy 40th Anniversary, Hill Street Blues

02-14-2021, 09:20 AM	#3
Yong Fang Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 04, 2009 Location: Memphis Tennessee Posts: 3,072	I am now rewatching the series now online (mostly on YouTube and DailyMotion). I see it about once a year or so. It really takes one back to that era of the early 1980’s. I was a teenager and it was one of my favorite shows (there was another kid my age who thought the same thing). Really, there wasn’t one bad character in the show and there were a lot of them. Lots of drama, good natured drama and a lot of humor also. A very heartwarming show with good values and morals. How much this is complete heresy, I can be critical of Hill Street Blues (may Saint Esterhaus forgive me from on high) 1. The show was cartoonishly violent at times. 2. The gangs and other groups were charactures. 3. I dislikedJoyce Davenport. Francis, go back to Faye (well before she got knocked up by the judge who ran off that is). 4. Sgt. Esterhaus who was about 55 was dating a 17 year old. That’s creepy, and this is from a character otherwise is one of the most upstanding people on the show and undermines his character.

04-15-2021, 01:39 AM	#4
Fallon97 Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 04, 2007 Location: America Posts: 1,270	This is a great show.