Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
blackmamba99971
At one time it was thought of just as a simple cop show. Not so, in fact Hill Street Blues went on to win over sixty awards during its career, which also became the first television series to use adaptive camera action. For instance whenever the episodes started we always got the roll call scene for which Sergeant Esterbrook could give his daily routines to the troops while at the same time camera shots of various policemen or women would be included using a shaky cam movement. It was then that other television series started to use the same ingredient to heighten or flex the moods.Basically it was just a story about a bunch of gritty cops who are used to the city streets for both crime, and resolves in catching the bad guys nearly every day of their entire length of tour. People like Renko, Furillo, Davenport, Belker, and other cops who make up the best ensemble in recent history. It also paved the way for some actors who went on to star in films later in their careers such as Stephen Bauer in Scarface. Mimi Rogers, and a host of other famous people who made their own corner stones in film.Hill Street Blues became one of the most beloved television series of all time because it addressed issues of different natures. Corruption, internal affairs, criminal elements who used the system or loop holes to stay out of jail or more psychological aspects to the human condition if and when a cop gets shot while on duty or that they must overcome the nightmares that follow. It holds emotional turmoil while trying to circumnavigate outside interventions such as the DA or the city mayor while trying to keep a solid police station from falling apart at the seams.Since its inception Hill Street Blues has remained as one of the best classics to come out of the eighties, which still turns heads for the home audiences who has never seen the series. It still amazes those new viewers who only watch reality television, and by comparison has no equal as far as I am concerned. This is a highly recommended series for all those who love to watch a good story, along with some realistic acting that you might find more appealing than just a pretty girl stacked to the nines on some stage with men who has less than ten percent body fat. It is a real down to earth kind of series that holds no punches. You will not be disappointed.
escapeintofilms
This series really takes me back, it is without doubt one of my all time favourites. Rarely have I ever been on such a roller coaster of emotion following the story lines of some of these characters.My favourite has to be Mick Belker, it took a while to get with his character but once you do it will leave you feeling that he is the type of guy you might want in your corner.This was by far the first of its type in the UK, not too sure about other US offerings around that time period as this was definitely pre-internet. Just glad this was snapped up by channel 4."Let's be careful out there"!
John T. Ryan
The earliest days of television saw the beginnings of Network Programing in its various forms and Genres. In those days prior to the introduction of Video Tape, circa 1958, the programs fell into one of three categories: Live programing, kinescope films and the standard filmed TV Series.So we had News, Variety, Drama,Sports and "Local Chit-Chat(a mixture of mostly Local "Soft" News and Personal Appearances by Celebs , who just happen to be in the area.Later in the mid-1950's, we saw that the Juvenile Western Shows like THE GENE AUTRY SHOW, ROY ROGERS & DALE EVANS and THE LONE RANGER gave rise to a new, revolutionary idea(for TV). Some one out there in TV land came up with the idea of doing "The Adult Western"! Now to this of course, doesn't mean X Ratings or the old "Adults Only!" designation. The Adult Western meant a mature, more realistic, and meatier in characters and storyline.Other actors on the series are: Kiel Martin, Taurean Blacque, Joe Spano, Bruce Weitz, Betty Thomas, Rene Enriquez, Ed Marinairo, Robert Hirshfeld and so many more who came and left the cast during a 7 year run!Once the 'Adult Western' cat was out of the bag, with GUNSMOKE(?), a great population explosion of Western Primetime Series occurred. Soon the Adult Western was the leading genre of filmed series on the air.Well by the mid-1970's, the tide had turned radically. At one point the only series that was even set on the American Frontier was LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. The new "Western" was The Cop Shw. Now, we do mean Police and not the Private 'I' series, which is similar and definitely related. With the coming of HILL STREET BLUES in 1981, a new pinnacle was reached. Until then, most series either were so involved in the activities of the bad time and the Cops (usually Detectives) working the cases.Conversation between partners often times sounded a lot like it could be used in a training manual or training film. This seemed to be a particularly hard problem with any series involving the backbone of our Polioce Departments, the Uniformed Beat Cops.Producer/Creator Steven Bochco's inhabitants of HILL STREET were a great improvement and an advancement for all series dramas. Bochco gave the characters 3 Dimensional Personalities, rather than being like comic strip/comic book cartoon characters, talking in formal Police Jargon about Police situations.HILL STREET introduced the full person to the TV screen. So, if a guy's a Cop, could he be an Oprea Buff or sing with a Barber Shop Quartet society group? Could he have a side business or be a Brick Layer? Whatta bout any Pilots or Scuba Divers?*** And even more importantly, we get a view of personal lives of the men and women of the Precinct. We see divorces, alcoholism, on-the job affairs and all manner of problems that are with us in real life. Early on, they dealt with a Detective McAffey and his being married to 2 women at once. The original Desk Sgt. Phil Esterhaus discovers that an old friend of his is a homosexual and has been paying a lot of attention to him. Sgt. Stan 'Stash" Jablonski(Robert Prosky) comes transferred to the station on bad paper concerning him and a certain Female Lieutennant.THe whole zoo is presided over by one Captain Frank Furillo(Daniel J. Travante) who is not without his foibles. Favourite characters include:Sgt./Lt. Howard Hunter(James B. Sikking) G.I. type head of the Precinct's Emergency Action Teamor "EATERS", PO's Bobby Hill & Andy Renko (Michael Warren & Charles Haid) a salt-n-pepper pair of Street Smart kids, now grown up, Two special mentions for women characters go to: Fay Furillo(Barbara Bosson) Capt. Frank's ex, and A.D.A.Joyce Davenportand (hey,ain't a Davenport a name for sofa-hide-a-bed?) .
Sulla-2
This is one of the very best Police programmes. I never tired of watching the start of each programme and listening to the music both at the beginning and the end. As a person familiar with the Police in England I found the Police Station to be totally chaotic with almost everyone being in the same main room. Even the Captain doesn't seem to have any privacy. Are all Police Station is the USA like that? There were some great characters in the cast, so many that it would be unfair to single individuals out. I enjoyed the mixture of humour and pathos. I was always impressed with the roll call and the contrast between Phil's crisp clean shirts and the variety of uniform and plain clothes.
