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142-631: This is a list of characters from the NBC police drama Hill Street Blues . Officers are listed by the rank they held at first appearance on the program; some officers later held higher ranks. ( Daniel J. Travanti , 1981–87) Furillo is in charge of the Hill Street Precinct. He is honest, capable, and goes "by the book," though some of his colleagues find him a bit superior in attitude. He generally presents himself to be even-tempered, but on rare occasions he allows himself to get truly angry. Furillo joined

284-510: A "Previously on..." montage of clips of up to six episodes preceded the roll call. Author Steven Johnson wrote of the importance to viewers of each episode's roll calls, saying that they "performed a crucial function, introducing some of the primary threads and providing helpful contextual explanations for them." Also, almost all episodes took place over the course of a single day, many concluding with Capt. Frank Furillo ( Daniel J. Travanti ) and public defender Joyce Davenport ( Veronica Hamel ) in

426-428: A Drama Series. Season 7: Up until now, each episode of the series started with the morning roll call. Episodes from season 7 break away from tradition, showing characters at home or working. The roll call becomes a minor part of the beginning. Some episodes do not show roll call at all. Officer Patrick Flaherty ( Robert Clohessy ) and Officer Tina Russo ( Megan Gallagher ) joined this season in an attempt to rekindle

568-478: A bar set up for a police corruption investigation. Originally transferred to Hill Street in Season 2. Ingratiated herself to Detective Belker when she agreed to accompany him on visits to his incapacitated father. Pursued an on-again, off-again relationship with Belker until becoming pregnant by him in Season 6 and marrying him later that season. Previous character of Dennis Franz, the corrupt Detective from Midtown Vice

710-556: A bit of weight and later on elopes to New Zealand with the female "khaki" officer, Natalie. The widow of Chief of Detectives Sam Gardner, Grace is hired to improve the appearance of the Hill Street stationhouse and immediately falls for Phil Esterhaus. Her erotic desires seem to know no end and, even in public, she sometimes appears to be restraining the throes of passion. Briefly partnered with Hunter before returning to Esterhaus. Esterhaus eventually expires while in her bed, and she becomes

852-588: A complete series set. Beverly Hills Buntz aired on NBC from November 5, 1987, to April 22, 1988. It was a half-hour comedy, a hybrid between light private eye fare and a sitcom . Main character Norman Buntz ( Dennis Franz ) quits Hill Street, moves to Beverly Hills with Sid "The Snitch" Thurston ( Peter Jurasik ) and becomes a private investigator. Thirteen episodes were filmed, though only nine were broadcast. Hill Street Blues has inspired parodies, storylines, characters, and cultural references in numerous media vehicles. In 1991, Krisalis Software released

994-412: A confidante, to the irritation of Lieutenant Calletano; this friction remains even after Goldblume is promoted to Lieutenant. Raised on 110th Street, he joined the police force in 1969 and was stationed at Jefferson Heights prior to his transfer to Hill Street. At the beginning of the series, he is married with two children, Josh and Annie; however, he and his wife Rachel undergo a separation after Henry has

1136-497: A detective, and has appeared regularly in television movies and television shows like The X-Files (episodes " Tempus Fugit " and " Max "), Mercy Point and Amazing Grace . Spano won an Emmy award in 1988 for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series for a role he played in an episode of Midnight Caller . He has appeared in several feature movies, including Apollo 13 and Primal Fear . His credits are often confused with Australian actor Joseph Spano. They are not related. He

1278-466: A dinner date. He had aspirations to become a writer during high school, and is convinced to write his memoirs in season 7 following the tragic death of a former high school friend, who was also an aspiring writer. In the last couple of seasons, Henry becomes hardened and somewhat cynical, and ceases wearing bow ties. He begins teaming with Norman Buntz on occasion, which would have been unthinkable in early seasons. ( Michael Warren , 1981–87) Bobby Hill

1420-410: A domestic situation, often in bed, discussing how their respective days went. The series dealt with real-life issues and employed professional jargon and slang to a greater extent than had been seen before on television. Each week after roll call, from Season 1 until Michael Conrad's death, partway through Season 4, Sgt. Phil Esterhaus would say, "Let's be careful out there." Sgt. Lucy Bates continued

1562-525: A happy and well-behaved child and, later, teenager. Like Lucy, he is very close to Joe Coffey. Fabian’s birth mother. A hooker and a junkie who abandons Fabian and later makes an unsuccessful effort to get him back. Widow of a mobster and paramour to Lieutenant Goldblume, Gina was shot by an assassin for acting as a police informant and died in Goldblume's arms. She left Goldblume $ 1.1 million, from which Goldblume received $ 80,000 after settling encumbrances with

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1704-438: A heart attack while trying to flee to Saint Louis, Missouri ; he dies in the hospital. Introduced as a sleazy and unscrupulous attorney who occasionally hangs around the Hill Street precinct, Wachtel attended law school with Joyce Davenport, where he was one of the best students in the class. After a period of wearing dresses to "explore his gender identity", he eventually becomes a judge courtesy of political patronage and, after

1846-618: A life of crime. Unfortunately, when Ruiz takes mayoral candidate Benjamin Fisk hostage in retaliation for not being named head of the Diablos (while Jesus Martinez was in jail), Ruiz is shot and killed by an EAT sharpshooter. Hill Street Blues The show received critical acclaim, and its production innovations influenced many subsequent dramatic television series produced in the United States and Canada and has been widely regarded by many as one of

1988-521: A look and style inspired by the 1977 documentary The Police Tapes , in which filmmakers used handheld cameras to follow police officers in the South Bronx . Season 1 : The pilot aired on Thursday, January 15, 1981, at 10:00 pm, which would be the show's time slot for nearly its entire run. The second episode aired two nights later; the next week followed a similar pattern (episode 3 on Thursday, episode 4 on Saturday). NBC had ordered 13 episodes and

2130-407: A nun. Unable to avoid the temptations of the flesh, she leaves the nunnery and becomes a field representative for a condom company. Introduced as the warlord of the Diablos youth gang, Martinez often works with Furillo if he can gain an advantage for himself. Serves time in jail after he uses a government grant to play the futures market, loses all the money, and tries to recoup his losses by stealing

2272-496: A paper towel dispenser) often results in comic situations. His attempts to acquire sophisticated weaponry (such as the PANDA "urban tank") often fail spectacularly and only serve to hinder his career ambitions (one such incident directly resulted in him being placed dead last on the captaincy list). Despite these mishaps, however, Hunter is held in high regard by almost everyone at Hill Street. He initially butts heads with Henry Goldblume,

2414-613: A particular crime scene. The precinct bowling team is the "Hill Street Blue Ballers." The ranks and titles held by the characters are listed below when pertinent; Some characters held more than one rank over the course of the series, and in those cases, both ranks are shown. Hill Street Blues featured many guest actors who were establishing careers in television and film. It also occasionally featured well-known character actors. Notable guest actors include: Initially, Hill Street Blues received rave reviews from critics but had dismal Nielsen ratings. Early schedule switching did not help;

2556-538: A person on the opposite side of the spectrum politically and personality-wise. He sometimes has conflicts with Captain Furillo, believing that militaristic action is often the best solution to a situation, though he is bound by his loyalty to his superior, and Furillo respects his abilities. In later seasons he mellows somewhat, and prefers to resolve situations with as little violence as possible. Often he has tried to find female companionship, but he has never been able to keep

2698-424: A police shooting and Deputy Chief Mahoney's last-minute revelations of Daniels' role in trying to cover up that shooting - wins election in a landslide. He has a particular hatred of drug dealers - having grown up constantly exposed to them in a poor area of the city - and invests significant political capital in "Operation Stop 'n' Cop", a sweep operation that nearly costs Furillo his command. Cleveland's own son, Lee,

2840-590: A private practice in Los Angeles. Originally introduced as the commander of the powerful Midtown Precinct, Cleveland was also the president of the Black Officers' Coalition, and he nominated Bobby Hill to the vice-presidency of the BOC. When mayoral candidate Councilman Benjamin Fisk dies in an ironic and tragic accident ten days before the election, Cleveland enters the race and - assisted by Fletcher Daniels' mishandling of

2982-528: A production of Romeo and Juliet in 1967. In 1968, he helped found the Berkeley Repertory Theatre , acting in its first production, and stayed with the company for ten years. He relocated to Hollywood during the late 1970s, obtaining guest roles for television and minor roles in American Graffiti (1973) and The Enforcer (1976). In Hill Street Blues he played Henry Goldblume during

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3124-463: A prostitute she was about to arrest caused her to turn her back while the girl shot up heroin and overdosed). Though she tries to be "one of the boys," she is often critical of her colleagues when they exhibit unprofessional behavior, and sometimes assumes on a "big sister" role. Her relationship with Coffey is strained after both take the Sergeant exam; Coffey claims it will be easy, does not prepare and as

3266-483: A public defender — she became an assistant district attorney for five months in season 5, but disliked it and rejoined the Public Defender's Office. She is a successful and well-respected attorney. Davenport is in a relationship with Captain Furillo, whom she refers to as "Pizza Man" as a term of endearment (she first used the term on screen in season 1, episode 2). They originally met during a court trial when Furillo

3408-586: A result of national distribution laws was not available east of the Mississippi until that year, implying the location is west of the Mississippi. Though most of the series' scenes were filmed in Los Angeles (on location and at CBS Studio Center in Studio City ), the series' introduction shows exterior shots entirely of Chicago and cutaway shots from Chicago were used in production, with police cars resembling

3550-408: A result scores poorly, while the better-prepared Bates scores excellent and is promoted. After a brief stint as desk sergeant in season 4, following the death of Esterhaus, she returned to partnering with Coffey on motor patrol with the arrival of Sergeant Jablonski; she also assumed occasional desk sergeant duties during emergencies and following the reinstatement of Hunter's lieutenancy near the end of

3692-516: A rough start, quickly becomes more "by-the-book," but also more cynical. His name was originally pronounced WAKH-tull , later as wakh-TELL . A soft-spoken sergeant who is promoted to lieutenant after serving for many years on the force. Bobby Hill wants him to take a more active role in the Black Officers' Coalition, but Alf declines and politely lectures him on how long he has waited for advancement and how many movements dedicated to affirmative action he has seen come and go. After his promotion, Alf

3834-539: A roundabout manner, one apparently designed to lightly disguise descriptions of illegal activity, though he rarely conceals anything successfully. Fearing for his life as a known snitch, Sid relocates to Los Angeles as Norman Buntz's assistant in Beverly Hills Buntz . Howard Hunter's right-hand man. He rarely has much to say except in response to Lt. Hunter's orders or theories. Inwardly, however, he begins to harbor deep resentment toward Hunter. This state of affairs

3976-408: A series from MTM Productions , which assigned Bochco and Kozoll to the project. The pilot was produced in 1980, but was held back as a mid-season replacement so as not to get lost among the other programs debuting in the fall of 1980. Barbara Bosson , who was married to Bochco, had the idea to fashion the series into four- or five-episode story "arcs" . Robert Butler directed the pilot and developed

4118-438: A short-lived affair. The separation ends after Rachel admits that she too once had an affair, but after Henry is shot during an undercover operation, his wife — who did not want him working undercover — divorces him. In season 4, Goldblume acted as Fay Furillo's labor coach, and briefly became her lover. He later forms a strong romantic relationship with the wealthy widow of a mob boss, only to witness her cold-blooded murder during

4260-508: A shot of a Regional Transportation Authority suburban train arriving at the Chicago and North Western Terminal. However, in the penultimate episode of season 2, a street sign for Los Angeles Street – a thoroughfare in downtown Los Angeles – is visible outside the fictitious Hotel Doane. There are several mentions through the series of characters going down to "the shore", which implies a lake or oceanfront setting. One indication of setting within

4402-411: A somewhat "soap opera-ish" period according to Bochco. New characters included Sgt. Stanislaus Jablonski ( Robert Prosky ) and Det. Patsy Mayo ( Mimi Kuzyk ). Det. Garibaldi was now a regular, while Fay Furillo became a full-time member of the squad room as a victim's advocate. Bochco was dismissed at season's end by then-MTM President Arthur Price. The firing was due to Bochco's cost overruns, coupled with

List of Hill Street Blues characters - Misplaced Pages Continue

4544-519: A steady significant other; the longest relationship he has had was with nurse Linda Wulfawitz in season 3. In season 4, he also had lunch dates with both Lucy Bates and Fay Furillo that proved major disasters. He joined the police department directly following his service in Vietnam, wearing badge 1146 in the Midtown Precinct; while there, he was compelled to serve as a bagman for dishonest officers, and

4686-445: A unique style of camera usage for weeknight television productions, such as filming close in with action cuts rapidly between stories. Rather than studio (floor) cameras, handhelds were used to enhance this style. Overheard, off-screen dialogue aurally augmented the " documentary " feel with respect to the filmed action of a scene. Although primarily filmed in Los Angeles (both on location and at CBS Studio Center in Studio City ),

4828-509: A young woman during the sixth season, only to be shot in the back by her pre-teen son during an argument (an attack that he survives). ( Rene Enriquez , 1981–86) Colombian-born but a naturalized American citizen and former Marine, Calletano serves as Furillo's "right-hand man" and he has responsibility for staff and day-to-day precinct administration. His fluency in Spanish often comes in handy, especially in dealing with Hispanic youth gangs such as

4970-550: Is Jewish. He exhibits a number of eccentricities, such as usually dressing in torn and dirty clothing, rarely shaving and frequently consuming onions, sardines and other pungent foods. Belker often growls and sometimes bites suspects (usually after they have attacked him first); he revealed that his father, a tailor who was also short of stature, tended to bite people during fights. Belker cares deeply for his parents; many episodes show Belker answering his station phone curtly with "Belker!" then softening as he says "Hi, Ma." Belker suffers

5112-549: Is a nod by the writers to this prior role. ( Robert Clohessy , 1986–87) Transfers to Hill Street in season 7. At his prior precinct, he turned in his corrupt partner, who was a friend of Lieutenant Buntz; as a result, Buntz dislikes and constantly needles him. Romantically linked with Officer Russo (who refuses to be seen in public with him, resulting in their breakup) and later, Grace Gardner. ( Megan Gallagher , 1986–87) Transfers to Hill Street in season 7. An able patrol officer, Tina also works undercover from time to time, which

5254-511: Is a patrol officer who partners with Andy Renko. He is generally well-meaning and kind and makes extra effort to help less-fortunate citizens. He was previously stationed at Jefferson Heights. A trained boxer - fighting as Bobby " Blueberry " Hill - he twice won Golden Gloves championships and also twice won the Metro Police Middleweight Championship, though his attempt to win a third middleweight championship ended when he

5396-484: Is a veteran stage actor on the east and west coasts. Spano made his Broadway debut in 1992 in the Roundabout Theater revival of Arthur Miller 's The Price , with Eli Wallach , which was nominated for a Tony for Best Revival. West coast stage credits include Eduardo Pavlovsky's Potestad , and David Mamet 's Speed-the-Plow and American Buffalo , for which he was awarded an LA Drama Critics Circle Award. At

5538-548: Is an American actor known best for his roles as Lt. Henry Goldblume on Hill Street Blues and FBI Special Agent Tobias C. Fornell on NCIS . He also voiced the Chuck E. Cheese (at the time Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre) character, Pasqually the Chef, from 1977 to 1983. Spano was a member of the San Francisco improvisation group The Wing, and in college debuted as Paris in

5680-552: Is an opportunist and a cheap politician with very little conscience. Because of his traditional approach to police work (which includes a lack of interest in the civil rights of suspects), Daniels finds a kindred spirit in Howard Hunter, though Hunter is not always within the Chief's inner echelon. (By the end of the series, Hunter disdains Daniels and tells Buntz "Daniels doesn't care one bit about people like you and I.") Ray Calletano finds

5822-406: Is at first secret; by the end of season 3, they are married. The majority of episodes end with them in intimate situations, most of the time in bed, reviewing the events of the day. While on duty, Frank usually wears a three-piece suit; in one episode, (season 7, "Bald Ambition"), his colleagues are astounded by Frank wearing a sport coat (after which his wardrobe varies slightly from time to time). In

List of Hill Street Blues characters - Misplaced Pages Continue

5964-419: Is completely unknown to Hunter or the audience until it is shown that he is responsible for some petty thefts of Howard's property. Once caught, Ballantine has a complete psychotic break that includes armed hostage-taking. A junior member of the Diablos youth gang, Ruiz on three separate occasions takes hostages in an attempt to better his position. Frank and Joyce frequently intercede in hopes of saving him from

6106-541: Is covered infrequently during the series, but after a rocky start (especially when Frank Junior appeared to prefer Joyce to his mother), they seem to have come to an understanding and even a friendship, though not a close one. Occasionally, when he is defending his ex-wife to a third party, Furillo will mistakenly refer to Fay as his wife. Despite her seeming neediness, Fay is rarely intimidated by anyone and openly challenges others frequently; she takes karate lessons in season 4 that prove effective on one occasion. Her screen time

6248-460: Is efficient and has a wry sense of humor. Natalie develops strong feelings for Leo, which are sometimes manifested as half-serious jabs at his character or appearance. Despite her interest in him, Leo long maintains feelings for his estranged wife. Eventually, however, Natalie and Leo elope to New Zealand. The adopted child of Lucille Bates, whom she first encountered during a shoplifting incident. Despite his harsh upbringing, Fabian quickly turns into

6390-499: Is eventually promoted to captain of the Polk Avenue Precinct, he is proven to be a poor leader, and an explosion of racial tensions at Polk Avenue result in him being relieved of command and made an advisor to Chief Daniels. By the end of the series, Ray has resigned from the force and is instead providing Spanish-language training to the police department. ( Jon Cypher , 1981–87) The chief of police – formerly an inspector and

6532-403: Is famous for three events: blindsiding Renko with a sap during a brawl behind a bar, being severely beaten by Hill in revenge, and committing suicide in a bank's safe-deposit area when his corruption is discovered (after one of his schemes nearly gets Washington killed). A street cop who is generally well-liked by the other members of the precinct. He speaks both English and Spanish fluently. In

6674-419: Is given more responsibility but is hardly ever an integral part of a story. Not seen after season 3. A superhero "wannabe" who crosses paths with Belker on several occasions. He gives inspirational speeches to Belker about society and the power of the human mind and spirit, though they are invariably followed by a statement that reveals him to be insane. Killed when he attempts to intervene in an armed robbery of

6816-453: Is how she first comes into contact with J.D. (who is unaware that she is also a police officer). Russo gets into some trouble for having sex with a criminal whom she is investigating, rather than merely "seducing" him at length. Later mentored by Belker; briefly linked romantically with Flaherty, though she is reluctant to make their affair public. (Pronounced "Bern-steen.") Often faces off against Joyce Davenport in court. Recruited Davenport to

6958-454: Is no longer with the FBI, but is a private investigator. Two episodes have used Fornell's personal life as the basis of an NCIS episode: one where Fornell's daughter is imperiled and another where Fornell's career is imperiled. In each episode, it is the friendship between Gibbs and Fornell which is invoked in order to involve NCIS in the resolution. Spano was born in San Francisco , California ,

7100-455: Is occasionally tested, as in the aftermath of their nearly fatal shooting in season 1. ( Charles Haid , 1981–87) Partners with Bobby Hill, who calls him "Cowboy," even though he was born in New Jersey and says he has never been west of Chicago in his life. He speaks with a Southern accent and rides a motorcycle when he's not in a squad car. He favors country music and, in the early seasons,

7242-415: Is often chosen to break down doors when necessary. During a trip to Las Vegas, he shows a potential for gambling addiction and goes so far as to steal money from Belker (who is passed out drunk) to continue playing. Coffey forms a close friendship with Bates' adopted son. He holds the unusual distinction of being killed twice during the course of the series; his first death was changed into a severe injury when

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7384-529: Is portrayed as meek (emphasized by his wearing of a bow tie and his reluctance to draw his gun) and liberal, placing him at odds with Howard Hunter and his distinctly right-wing view of the world. As Goldblume's confidence increases over the course of the series, he becomes less of an adversary of Howard and more of a thorn in the side of Captain Furillo, who is constantly reminded of Henry's moral code and how it sometimes interferes with Furillo's difficult decisions. Nevertheless, Captain Furillo often uses Goldblume as

7526-539: Is revealed to be a junkie ; while Ozzie wants Lee out of his life, his wife Leona still supports him. Cleveland later survives an assassination attempt engineered by former Captain Jerry Fuchs. The "khaki" officer in charge of booking. He wears glasses, is overweight, and is in a rather unhappy marriage. Leo attempts to save a drug addict named Rico, staying with him in a jail cell until he gets straight, but Rico eventually relapses. After his wife leaves him, Leo loses quite

7668-451: Is right and what works. Television author John Javna described it as "a cop show for the Big Chill generation, discovering that it takes all of their energy to keep even a few of their ideals alive while they struggle to succeed." Almost every episode began with a pre-credit sequence (or teaser ) consisting of (mission) briefing and roll call to start the day shift. From season three on,

7810-399: Is romantically involved. In season three, a girlfriend breaks up with him saying she is tired of his bullying and trying to make her do things she doesn't want to do (in this case, drink more alcohol at a party when she said she had had enough to drink). Despite his frequent insensitivity towards others, he is emotionally needy, and lashes out at those close to him when he feels he isn't getting

7952-508: Is roughly a three-hour drive from Chicago via I-55 ). The show also contains a few references to locations in Buffalo. In one episode, Lt. Hunter talks about needing to get rid of tickets for the "Sabres." Buffalo place names mentioned on the show include the Kubiak Lodge, Ganson St. and the canals, Gabriel's Gate bar, Decker St. and West Utica St. Show writer Steven Bochco attended college at

8094-452: Is shaking down loan sharks for money; Buntz eventually tells him corrupt behavior is why he transferred out of Midtown and tells his friend he never wants to see him again. Buntz is frequently the target of internal investigations; in one case, a corrupt Internal Affairs investigator sets Buntz up, using Buntz's record to lend support to the setup. In the last episode, he punches Chief Daniels — who had been publicly calling for his dismissal — in

8236-427: Is shot dead during a vehicle stop. However, later on the producers decided that Coffey should remain, so the scene was edited to show him being seriously wounded and taken to a hospital. (The character would eventually be killed in the sixth season.) This echoes the shooting and resurrection of Renko and Hill at the beginning of the season, providing unintentional thematic bookends to the first season. In early episodes,

8378-444: Is stubborn, enjoys police work and dislikes that his age affects his ability to go out on motor patrol. His angina progresses to a heart attack early in season 7, requiring coronary artery bypass surgery and forcing him into retirement. Post-retirement, he continues to spend time with his former colleagues during their off duty hours and occasionally provides assistance when the opportunity arises. ( Ken Olin , 1984–85) A transfer from

8520-436: Is the desk sergeant, in charge of the uniformed officers, and is rarely seen outside of the station house. He is the only one at the station that calls Captain Furillo by his given name, Francis. Until season 4, each show opens with Esterhaus's morning briefing during roll call, which always ends with his catchphrase "Let's be careful out there." His speech is filled with complex syntax but his kindly and warm manner endears him to

8662-627: Is visible over the judge's left shoulder in the courtroom scenes in the Season 2 episode "Fruits of the Poisonous Tree," suggesting that the location is Chicago. Some outdoor scenes, particularly in the first two seasons, capture palm trees and other Southern California flora not found in the Midwest or Northeastern United States . While most vehicles sport generic, stateless license plates, 1980s-era California license plates are easily spotted on many large trucks used on set. Hill Street Blues refers to

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8804-550: The Blue Line subway and Mercy Hospital . Both of the characters played by Dennis Franz employ a heavy Chicago-type accent, also employed by Dan Aykroyd in The Blues Brothers , a motion picture set and filmed in Chicago. In a Season 5 episode, during an undercover detail, Detective Belker is knocked unconscious by a criminal and stashed in the luggage compartment of an interstate bus. A package labeled "Springfield ILL" (using

8946-578: The East River ", implying New York City. In Season 2, Episode 3, Sergeant Esterhaus references guarding "the national guard armory in Newark ", implying a location in or near New Jersey . Season 2 episode 18 shows an elevated subway train on which the transit agency " CTA " can clearly be seen, suggesting Chicago. Throughout the series, characters occasionally mention well-known Chicago street names, such as Michigan Avenue , or other Chicago-related landmarks, such as

9088-700: The Heroes & Icons network. Seasons one through seven can also be viewed on Hulu and Star . Season three can be viewed as streaming video on commercial sites and is also available in many countries from Channel 4 on YouTube. Series producers deliberately left the exact city in which the series was set vague and a variety of methods are employed to imply different general locations. The call letters of local TV stations were usually obscured to avoid showing whether they began with "W" (the Federal Communications Commission designation for stations east of

9230-438: The 30-plus years since it debuted." He compared Hill Street Blues to Casablanca , which was so influential on other films that "if you come to see it for the first time after a lifetime of watching the copies, it could be at risk of playing like a bundle of clichés—even though it invented those clichés." In 1993, TV Guide named the series its All-Time Best Cop Show in an issue celebrating 40 years of television. In 1997,

9372-563: The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time and #23 of the 60 Best Series. Also in 2013, the Writers Guild of America ranked it #15 on their list of the 101 Best Written TV Series. 20th Century Fox released the first two seasons of Hill Street Blues on DVD in Region 1 in 2006. Both releases contain special features including gag reel, deleted scenes, commentary tracks and featurettes. On December 5, 2013, Shout! Factory announced its acquisition of

9514-465: The Bates/Coffey relationship of years past. Stan Jablonski became a secondary character part way through this season, and when Travanti announced he would not return the next year, the producers decided to end the show in 1987. The program was also moved to Tuesday nights almost midway through the season after nearly six years to make way for L.A. Law on Thursdays. During this season the show featured

9656-570: The Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University ) in Pittsburgh . The run-down, shabby, drug-ridden impression of Pittsburgh's Hill District that Bochco acquired was apparently part of the inspiration for the show. He intended the setting to resemble several cities, including Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Although the city is never named, the Illinois state flag

9798-558: The Chief particularly irritating. Daniels also never remembers Henry’s last name, often calling him every other name with “Gold” as a prefix. Daniels is often concerned about the status of racial diversity in the department, though his worry is related solely to the image of the department rather than to a genuine concern for civil rights. Daniels' wife is first referred to as Anne, then as Cora. His wife eventually divorces him, after which he sexually harasses Detective Mayo and tries to have her fired when she rejects his advances. Despite this, at

9940-444: The Diablos. Ray's relationship with Howard Hunter is sometimes awkward, as Hunter likes to use Spanish words show camaraderie with Ray but he comes off as unintentionally patronizing. Though Ray has reached the rank of lieutenant and Furillo depends on him on a daily basis, Ray's leadership abilities are sometimes called into question (even by Furillo himself). Ray is jealous of the attention lavished by Furillo on Henry Goldblume. When he

10082-478: The District Attorney's office in Season 5. Known to refer to himself as "Mrs. Bernstein's son" when making a point. In Season 6, Bernstein is part of Captain Furillo's commission on corruption, which secures indictments against more than three dozen officers and lays blame on Chief Daniels as well. He confesses his attraction to Joyce Davenport and kisses her in Season 7. Leaves Hill Street in the last episode for

10224-530: The IRS. Ally to Lieutenant Norman Buntz; originally seen in the company of LaRue, Washington, and Belker in an undercover operation, after which he was arrested. Despite the fact that he interacts with dangerous criminals, Sid is most often a comic character, annoying his associates on both sides of the law with his grating manner. Sid wears loud clothing and is constantly broke and seeking any amount of money from Hill Street officers in exchange for information. He speaks in

10366-485: The Midtown Precinct, Garibaldi is willing to bend rules to make a bust. He spends his nights in law school classes, juggling his schedules so that he can complete law school in four years. Partners with Detective Mayo. Fatally stabbed in season 6 while heavily in debt to loan sharks from gambling losses. ( Mimi Kuzyk , 1984–85) Much more "by the book" than her partner, Detective Garibaldi, and very defensive of her police practices. Well respected by her peers. She approached

10508-464: The Mississippi River) or "K" (signifying a station west of the Mississippi River). An episode in season three specifically mentions a radio station of WDPD, suggesting a city east of the Mississippi. However, in bar scenes throughout the series, characters are frequently shown drinking bottles of beer that strongly resemble Coors Beer . Coors did not obtain national distribution until 1986, and as

10650-709: The Rubicon Theater in Ventura he has played General Burgoyne in George Bernard Shaw 's The Devil's Disciple , Greg in A. R. Gurney 's Sylvia and Vladimir in Waiting for Godot . He is a member of the Antaeus Theater Company and a founding member of three other theater companies. He played a seductive vampire in the cult musical Dracula: A Musical Nightmare in a small Los Angeles theatre. He also appeared in

10792-646: The TV movie Brotherhood of Justice with Keanu Reeves and Kiefer Sutherland . He is the voice of the Wild Flower Hotline for the Theodore Payne Foundation, which can be reached by telephoning (818) 768-1802. Spano has been a recurring character of NCIS since its premiere episode, " Yankee White ", playing FBI Special Agent Tobias Fornell , the FBI counterpart to NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs , portrayed by Mark Harmon . In Season 15, Fornell

10934-414: The aftermath of this revelation, Captain Furillo had Perez admitted to a psychiatric hospital for observation, while Chief Daniels denounced officer Perez to the media and placed him on indefinite suspension. Introduced after the death of Coffey and partners for three episodes with Lucy Bates. Her father was a police officer who was killed in the line of duty when she was a child. She eventually comes out of

11076-508: The air for four episodes that are thrown away in nine days? People barely saw us. What the f--k was that? Everyone was up in arms and screaming at NBC, and NBC was screaming at them. If they had dumped Hill Street Blues they would've been called the idiots of all time. Their being in that weak position worked in our favor — but also threatened us all the time." The series later aired in reruns on TV Land , Bravo , AmericanLife TV , and NuvoTV . It ran for several years, from September 2015, on

11218-525: The attention he deserves (in one episode, when Hill begins a new relationship with a woman, Renko is jealous and angry with Hill; he reacts similarly when Hill is elected to the Black Officer's Coalition). Renko also does not respond well to criticism; in an episode where Captain Furillo is angrily reprimanding him for breaking protocol and potentially creating serious legal issues for the department, Renko dismissively says "Is that all?" and storms off, slamming

11360-427: The beginning of season 6, Mayo has begun a romantic relationship with Daniels, though she soon breaks it off. ( Ed Marinaro , 1981–86) A patrol officer and Vietnam War veteran who is partnered with Lucy Bates. Lucy is attracted to Joe, but critical of his promiscuous behavior. The two are close and supportive of each other, but frequently squabble. Joe is well-liked by his colleagues. Because of his large stature, he

11502-479: The blue uniforms worn by many police officers in the United States and, by extension, the depressing nature of inner-city police work. The phrase is uttered only once in the series, apart from introductions such as "Previously on Hill Street Blues ." It is spoken by Detective Emil Schneider ( Dolph Sweet ) in the first-season episode "Gator Bait." Schneider says it in a slightly mocking tone, in reference to officers Hill and Renko, who he feels are out of their league at

11644-490: The captain of the 23rd Precinct – has many officers reporting to him, but he seems to pay special attention to Frank, partly because he had worked with Frank before he became chief and partly because Hill Street is the most dangerous precinct in the city. Daniels respects Furillo's integrity, though it often frustrates him as it interferes with what he considers effective policy or political expediency. Several times he accuses Frank of disloyalty. Though not provably corrupt, Daniels

11786-413: The closet as a lesbian, though she fears rejection from her fellow officers. Not seen again until the next season, when she is awarded a medal of valor after a violent shootout with a criminal. Buntz becomes something of a mentor to her, notes her guilt surrounding the circumstances behind her award and offers wisdom and emotional support . A "khaki officer" brought in to assist Leo Schnitz in Season 4. She

11928-516: The color schemes of Chicago Police Department patrol vehicles. Chicago's 7th District Police Station is frequently shown in cutaway shots and also during the closing credits. This station was closed by the Chicago Police in 1998 and later repurposed as the headquarters for the University of Illinois at Chicago police. The first episode of season three shows both a TV camera labeled "WREQ", and

12070-695: The computer game Hill Street Blues , based on the TV show. The game runs on the Amiga , Atari ST and DOS platforms, and places the player in charge of Hill Street Station and its surrounding neighborhood with the aim of promptly dispatching officers to reported crimes, apprehending criminals, and making them testify at court. If certain areas have less serious crimes unresolved, such as bag snatching , they soon escalate to more serious ones, such as murder in broad daylight. The game received mixed reviews. The game can be downloaded from abandonware websites. Joe Spano Joseph Peter Spano (born July 7, 1946)

12212-512: The death of both his father (season 3, "Life in the Minors") and his mother (season 6, "Blues in the Night") during the course of the series. Belker addresses friends and foes alike with insults such as "dog breath" or "hair bag", and will threaten them with violence (for example, to "rip out [their] kidneys" or "collapse a lung") as an assertion of strength (his sister Luana, who appears in one episode, speaks

12354-727: The degeneration of society. At the "chief's breakfast" in episode 11 of the first season, Daniels mentions in passing that Hunter has a PhD. A decorated Marine and a veteran of the Vietnam War, Hunter tends to speak in an overly complex manner similar to that of Sergeant Esterhaus; however, unlike Sergeant Esterhaus, he rarely thinks about or seems to understand the consequences of some of the things he says, especially relating to social, racial, or ethnic subjects and situations, and often comes across as patronizing and somewhat bigoted. When he speaks to Lieutenant Calletano, Hunter cheerfully infuses his speech with Spanish words and phrases, occasionally to

12496-469: The deluded "superhero" Captain Freedom in season 2, and Eddie Gregg, a gay prostitute whom Belker arrests. Eddie leaves town after informing to Belker on his boyfriend, who had murdered some Peruvian drug dealers. Eddie returned in season 6 to tell Belker that he (Eddie) was dying of AIDS. ( Joe Spano , 1981–87) Goldblume is often in charge of negotiating in hostage situations. In the early years especially, he

12638-460: The door behind him. Despite his behavior, he enjoys a close friendship with Hill and a good relationship with the other officers, who generally respect him. Towards the end of season 3, he mellowed considerably when he vowed to improve himself; his demeanor softened and he increasingly served as comic relief. Renko had a fractious relationship with his father, who was emotionally cold and abusive; he sincerely mourns when his father dies of cancer towards

12780-440: The end of season 1, until the appearance of Grace Gardner causes him to call off the marriage. He then begins a passionate relationship with Grace. Three seasons later, he dies during a romantic tryst with Grace; this was written due to Michael Conrad's death from urethral cancer on November 22, 1983. ( Bruce Weitz , 1981–87) An extremely capable undercover detective, Belker is small in stature yet strong, wiry, and very fast. He

12922-504: The end of season 2, but laughs when his body, dumped in an alley, is found by Belker. Renko aspires to become a detective, and has taken college courses towards that goal. In season 4, he marries and the couple have a daughter, but the marriage collapses after affairs on both sides in season 7. ( James B. Sikking , 1981–87) Hunter, the commander of the Emergency Action Team (EAT, or "EATers"), loves to postulate and theorize about

13064-455: The entire cast had been replaced. It was then revealed that this was, in fact, the night shift. The action then cut to the day shift pursuing their after-work activities. Another unique episode from this season explained through flashbacks how Furillo and Davenport met and fell in love. This was the first season that Travanti and Hamel were not nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress in

13206-681: The entire seven-year run of the series, first as a detective sergeant, later as a lieutenant. Goldblume was one of Hill Street precinct captain Frank Furillo's trusted junior officers, serving at times as a hostage negotiator and gangs relations officer. The character was sympathetic to crime victims, sometimes conflicting with his duties as a police officer. Spano was one of many actors appearing throughout each episode, which typically had several story lines intermingled. After Hill Street Blues ended, Spano won recurring roles in television police shows Murder One (1995) and NYPD Blue (1993), again as

13348-458: The episode "Doris in Wonderland" (S4E5), he shoots a child whom he mistakes to be a prowler. His recovery from the tragedy is slow and painful. In "Of Human Garbage" (S5E13), Perez rescues several children from an apartment fire and is quickly recognized for it by Chief Daniels. It is later revealed - after Perez's informant and his wife come forward - that Perez paid his informant to set the fire. In

13490-501: The episode "Grace Under Pressure" was ranked number 49 on TV Guide ' s 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time . When the list was revised in 2009, "Freedom's Last Stand" was ranked number 57. In 1998, Entertainment Weekly named it in the top 20 television shows of all time, saying it "...took the cop show and turned it upside down". In 2002, Hill Street Blues ranked number 14 on TV Guide ' s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time , and in 2013 TV Guide ranked it #1 in its list of

13632-459: The extent that Furillo nearly fired LaRue for arriving to a major undercover operation inebriated. Though his alcoholism eventually remains in check, he continues to have problems with Internal Affairs: J.D. cannot resist scams and constantly wants his friends to invest in schemes of questionable legality. LaRue is an inveterate practical joker, sometimes targeting Hunter's paramilitary escapades, but in one episode (season 5, "Washington Deceased") when

13774-411: The face. After being fired, he moves to Beverly Hills, California with Sid and becomes a private investigator — the premise of the short-lived spin-off Beverly Hills Buntz . Buntz is similar in personality to Franz's previous character on Hill Street Blues , corrupt Detective Sal Benedetto of Midtown Vice, though he is less violent and exhibits greater moral character. The little-used "Guido" nickname

13916-411: The fact that since they were no longer married, she shouldn't keep coming to him for solutions. She then became less shrill and developed new life interests; she also became involved with and pregnant by Judge Paul Grogan and delivered a baby girl in season 4. Fay later became romantically involved with Goldblume in season 4 and, to a lesser extent, Detective Garibaldi. Her relationship with Joyce Davenport

14058-440: The fact that the show had achieved the 100-episode milestone needed to successfully syndicate it. Betty Thomas won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series this season. However, at the awards ceremony, Barry Bremen , aka "The Great Imposter", rushed the stage ahead of Thomas and claimed she was unable to attend. He then claimed the award and left the stage, confusing viewers and robbing Thomas of her moment in

14200-420: The first lesbian recurring character on a major network; the character was police officer Kate McBride, played by Lindsay Crouse . This was the only season that Bruce Weitz (Det. Mick Belker) was not nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Only Betty Thomas was nominated, making her the sole member of the cast to be nominated in all seasons. This was the only season for which

14342-596: The first season, Frank is revealed to be a recovering alcoholic; in season 4 he almost suffers a relapse after being stripped of his command on the orders of a vindictive Mayor Cleveland and he does relapse near the end of season 5, but quickly recovers and resumes attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in season 5's last episode. In the first episode, Furillo speaks Spanish in a negotiation. He later demonstrates at least some knowledge of Italian when he calls his uncle in Italy. ( Veronica Hamel , 1981–87) Davenport works mainly as

14484-402: The freedom to create a series that brought together a number of fresh ideas in TV drama. Each episode featured intertwined storylines, some of which were resolved within the episode, with others developing throughout a season. The conflicts between the work lives and private lives of the characters were also significant. The series featured a strong focus on the workplace struggle between what

14626-468: The greatest television shows of all time. In 1981 , the series won eight Emmy Awards , a debut season record surpassed only by The West Wing , in 2000 . The show won a total of 26 Emmy Awards (out of 98 Emmy Award nominations) during its run, including four consecutive wins for Outstanding Drama Series . MTM Enterprises developed the series on behalf of NBC, appointing Steven Bochco and Michael Kozoll as series writers. The writers were allowed

14768-404: The later revelation in season 4 of that activity embarrassed Hunter to the point of attempting suicide (an act circumvented by J.D. LaRue). Initially a Sergeant, he is promoted to (or perhaps merely re-written as) Lieutenant early in season 1 without mention. In season 7, Hunter is involved in a controversial off-duty shooting and is demoted to sergeant; with the retirement of Jablonski he becomes

14910-515: The latter's mild irritation. Though generally suspicious of poor immigrants (sometimes calling them "third-world brown types"), he is very compassionate toward victims, whatever their background. In later episodes of the series, Hunter often expresses admiration and respect for ancient tribal practices and artifacts and is less patronizing. Hunter is a very capable officer, skilled in unarmed combat (e.g., taekwondo ) and an expert in weaponry; nevertheless, his handling of many an inanimate object (e.g.,

15052-449: The married Captain Furillo, who politely declined a romantic relationship. Chief Daniels became infatuated with her in season 5 after reviewing a videotape of her being undressed by a predatory dentist; when Mayo rebuffed his advances, Daniels tried to have her kicked off the force, until Furillo intervened. At the beginning of season 6 she appears only occasionally, and also enters into a brief romantic relationship with Chief Daniels, much to

15194-502: The new desk sergeant, known for ending his Roll Call with a succinct "dismissed", before eventually being restored to Lieutenant and commander of the EAT. Throughout most of the series, he expresses admiration for Chief Daniels, supports him in disagreements and frequently tries to ingratiate himself. However, in the final episode, he tells Buntz that "Daniels doesn't care one bit about people like you and I". ( Betty Thomas , 1981–87) For much of

15336-424: The new show-runners would receive royalties. Bosson's departure, however, was voluntary. She left after a salary conflict with the new executive producer who, according to the actress, had also wanted her character, Fay, to go back to being a shrewish "thorn in her ex-husband's side". The season premiere opened with a roll call filled with officers never before seen on the show, briefly fooling viewers into thinking

15478-423: The officers who deeply respect him. While on duty, he maintains a calm and professional demeanor, but has lost his temper in a few extreme cases (such as when his treasured Buick was stolen). He passed the lieutenant examination four times, but never advanced in rank — three times due to budget limitations, and the fourth without explanation. Divorced from his first wife, he nearly marries his 18-year-old girlfriend at

15620-454: The old three-letter Postal Service state abbreviation) is next to him. When he is finally freed from the compartment and told he is in Springfield, it is still daytime and after he rides a bus back to his origin, it is now early evening and the other detective at his detail is not alarmed when Belker explains his absence as "following a tail", implying the distance was not very great (Springfield

15762-406: The opening theme had several clearly audible edits; this was replaced by a longer, unedited version partway through the second season. The end credits for the pilot differed from the rest of the series in that the background still shot of the station house was completely different. Ranking 87th out of 96 shows, it became the lowest-rated program ever renewed for a second season at the time. However, it

15904-424: The penalties for sex with minors, once when he facetiously said he had three words for his partner, "statue tory rape".) Neal's trademarks are a toothpick in the side of his mouth and a habit of referring to people as "babe" or, when he is angry, "sucker!" His nickname for his partner is "Lover." When frustrated by LaRue, he usually turns his head and mutters "Ohh, maaaaann..." He develops a promising relationship with

16046-542: The police force in 1964 and was a lieutenant at Division prior to his promotion to captain. He is generally quite well-versed in the intricacies of departmental policy. Though he was the protege of Police Chief-to-be Daniels, Furillo often disagrees with Daniels on policy and disdains his political gamesmanship. Frank is divorced from Fay Furillo, though he tolerates her histrionics and constant unannounced visits and helps her deal with her many problems. His relationship with Joyce Davenport, whom he affectionately calls "Counselor,"

16188-454: The police payroll. He renounces his gang colors after his marriage, enrolls in law school (using forged documents). Despite Martinez's long list of violent crimes, Furillo develops a thinly concealed respect for his big ideas and his clever readings of people. Introduced as the Captain in charge of Vice when it was based out of the Midtown Precinct. He is a tough cop with a New England accent, and

16330-426: The producers decided to make him Bates' regular partner. ( Barbara Bosson , 1981–86) Frank's emotionally needy ex-wife. In early seasons, she made frequent visits to the precinct house to harangue Frank about things such as alimony, child support, the exploits of their son Frank Junior and her own life problems. In season 3 after one such outburst had begun, Furillo lost his temper and forced her to come to terms with

16472-575: The rights to the series in Region 1, releasing Hill Street Blues: The Complete Series on DVD on April 29, 2014. In late 2014, Shout! began releasing single-season sets. In Region 2, Channel 4 DVD released the first two seasons on DVD in the UK in 2006. In Region 4, Shock Records released the first three seasons on DVD in Australia on December 4, 2013, and the remaining four seasons on April 30, 2014. On December 4, 2013, Shock Records also released

16614-525: The same way). He is loyal to and respectful of Captain Furillo, and has an almost filial feeling towards Sergeant Esterhaus. Originally a loner, Belker had multiple unsuccessful short-term relationships with women until he met and eventually married Officer Robin Tataglia. In season 6, Mick and Robin welcomed a son, whom they named Philip after Sergeant Esterhaus. Belker has had some unusual and serendipitous friendships, including movie actor John Gennaro in season 3,

16756-404: The scripts. A less muted version of the closing theme was played over the end credits. Season 3: Kozoll left the show at the end of season two, replaced for the most part by Anthony Yerkovich (who later created Miami Vice after leaving Hill Street Blues at the end of this season) and David Milch . This was the show's most popular season in terms of viewership, as it finished at #21. This

16898-472: The season in February 1984 in a memorable send-off episode, " Grace Under Pressure ". Det. Harry Garibaldi ( Ken Olin ) was introduced at the end of the season as a temporary replacement for Det. J.D. LaRue ( Kiel Martin ) who was supposedly suffering from mononucleosis . The show won its fourth and final Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series this season. Season 5: The show changed drastically this season, entering

17040-466: The season was supposed to end on May 25 with a minor cliffhanger (the resolution of Sgt. Esterhaus' wedding). Instead, growing critical acclaim prompted NBC to order an additional four episodes to air during the May sweeps . Bochco and Kozoll quickly fashioned this into a new story arc, which aired as two two-hour episodes to close the season. In the first season's original ending, Officer Joe Coffey ( Ed Marinaro )

17182-537: The series is set in a generic unnamed inner-city location with a feel of a U.S. urban center in the Midwest or Northeast . Bochco reportedly intended this fictional city to be a hybrid of Chicago , Buffalo , and Pittsburgh . The show's opening and closing and cut-scenes were filmed in Chicago. The program's focus on failure and those at the bottom of the social scale is pronounced, in contrast to Bochco's later project L.A. Law . Inspired by police procedural detective novels such as Ed McBain 's 1956 Cop Hater ,

17324-545: The series, Bates is the sole female officer given story lines. Initially depicted as overly emotional and self-conscious of her 6'1" stature, Bates is rewritten as a tough, capable officer when she is partnered with Joe Coffey. Bates and Coffey have a complicated relationship, and she is often critical of his off-duty behavior, but the two are nonetheless close and very supportive of each other. An effective officer, she occasionally encounters conflicts of conscience in her work (including one episode in season 2 where her compassion for

17466-496: The series. Bates eventually adopts a child, Fabian, the biological son of a drug-addicted mother. ( Kiel Martin , 1981–87) A talented undercover officer whose great detective skills are constantly marred by his poor choices: heavy drinking, womanizing, and frequent get-rich-quick schemes (such as "Saloondromat" — a bar and laundry — and his promotion of narcoleptic comic Vic Hitler). His recurrent battles with alcoholism have put him at odds with recovering alcoholic Captain Furillo, to

17608-644: The show has been described as Barney Miller out of doors. The focus on the bitter realities of 1980s urban living was revolutionary for its time. The theme music for Hill Street Blues was written by Mike Post , featuring Larry Carlton on guitar. It was released as a single and became a major US hit, reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1981, winning the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance . Pilot: Brandon Tartikoff commissioned

17750-427: The show was broadcast once weekly on four different nights during its first season alone but gradually settled into a Thursday night time slot. The NBC Broadcast Standards Unit deemed it "too violent, too sexy, too grim." The producers described the show as "an hour drama with 13 continuing characters living through a Gordian knot of personal and professional relationships." In a May 1981 review, John J. O'Connor charted

17892-462: The show was given by the Southern-accented character Officer Andy Renko when he stated in the season one episode "Politics as Usual": "Just drop that cowboy stuff. I was born in New Jersey, never been west of Chicago in my life", as if to imply that they were in Chicago. In Season 1 episode 12, Captain Furillo informs Lieutenant Hunter that the armored vehicle he was test driving has been found "in

18034-443: The show was not nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. Years after the show had run, Daniel J. Travanti commented: "NBC tried their best to get rid of us, and heaven knows why. They did their best to destroy us and only ordered 13 episodes — that's how confident they weren't. And when did they put us on the air? Jan. 15, 17, 22 and 24. That's disgustingly destructive, stupid and idiotic. There aren't words strong enough. You put us on

18176-445: The show's growing popularity and called it "a comfortable balance between comedy and drama." The choice to include African-Americans as mainstays in the core ensemble cast and to feature several interracial and interethnic cop partnerships drew notice and praise, as did the overlapping plots and examinations of moral conundrums such as police corruption, racism, alcoholism and both interpersonal and institutional forgiveness. The show

18318-425: The sun, although she returned and spoke after the ad break. Presenter Peter Graves suggested that the imposter was "on his way to the cooler." Season 6: Major changes occurred as Det. Mayo, Det. Garibaldi, Lt. Ray Calletano ( René Enríquez ), Fay Furillo (Barbara Bosson) and Officer Leo Schnitz ( Robert Hirschfeld ) were all phased out at the start of the season, and Joe Coffey left near the end. The sole addition

18460-483: The surprise of Furillo and the other officers. ( Dennis Franz , 1985–87) Buntz is an effective officer with a natural detective's sense, but he often takes shortcuts and makes use of morally questionable tactics. He tends to dress in mismatched clothing and speaks in a distinctly working-class manner with a heavy Chicago accent (similar to Elwood Blues in The Blues Brothers ). He also makes use of colorful imagery and uses as much profanity as television would allow at

18602-669: The tables are turned on him, he is shown to be a poor sport. He has an adversarial relationship with Belker, who he frequently insults; he often comments without thinking, not realizing that such remarks make people angry with him. ( Taurean Blacque , 1981–87) A former football player whose career ended due to a knee injury, Washington is the partner of LaRue. He is a very good undercover officer, much respected by his captain. Though Washington admits that he learned "almost everything I know" about undercover from LaRue, LaRue's drinking, schemes, and libido cause him no end of trouble. (He even feels compelled to remind LaRue on several occasions about

18744-688: The time. His "Guido" nickname was used by people at his prior precinct, but nobody at Hill uses it. On his first day at Hill, he convinces a captain of the Polk precinct to retire so that Ray Calletano can take the position and leave the Hill, allowing Buntz to take Calletano's staff responsibility and make Buntz' job easier. Buntz develops a working relationship with Sid the Snitch, who feeds him information about major criminals. At one point he unwittingly becomes entangled with his dishonest previous partner from Midtown precinct, who

18886-484: The tradition through the end of Season 4, as a tribute to Conrad. From Season 5 until most of Season 6, Sgt. Stan Jablonski concluded his roll calls with, "Let's go out there and do it to them before they do it to us." At one point, at the suggestion of Det. Mayo, Jablonski softened this to "Let's do our job before they do theirs." From then on, the show changed directions and conclusions (and even roll calls) were dropped. Hill Street Blues employed what was, at that time,

19028-402: Was Lt. Norman Buntz, played by Dennis Franz , who had played a different character, the corrupt "bad guy" Detective Sal Benedetto, in several season 3 episodes. Buntz and Benedetto were doppelgängers . Peter Jurasik played a new recurring character ("Sid the Snitch"), who often teamed with Buntz. In a 1992 interview on Later with Bob Costas , Ken Olin claimed these characters were removed so

19170-443: Was a former "drinking buddy" of Furillo before Furillo swore off alcohol. Fuchs is not well respected by his superiors or his own people, who consider being under Fuchs' command a license for officers to do anything they want. His department is found to be pervasively corrupt, leading to its dissolution. Fuchs quits rather than be fired and sets up his own private investigation firm. Fuchs attempts to kill Mayor Cleveland and then suffers

19312-422: Was also the birth of " Must See TV ", as the show was joined by Cheers , Taxi and Fame . The network promoted Thursdays as "the best night of television on television." Michael Conrad was increasingly absent from the show due to his ongoing, and ultimately unsuccessful, battle with cancer. Season 4: Following his death on November 22, 1983, Michael Conrad's final appearance was broadcast halfway through

19454-665: Was dramatically reduced, and ultimately eliminated during season 6. ( Robert Prosky , 1984–87) An "old school" cop who takes over from Sergeant Esterhaus after the latter's death. He is transferred from Polk Avenue after a physical altercation with a female officer, replacing Bates as desk sergeant in the process. Well-respected by the officers, though he does not inspire the emotional bond that Esterhaus did. He lives alone except for his dog, Blackie. Instead of urging his officers to "be careful out there," he encourages his people to "do it to them before they do it to us"; in season 6, he changes this to "They're getting away out there!" Jablonski

19596-418: Was knocked out in the final match. He is elected and briefly serves as the vice-president of the Black Officers' Coalition, but he disliked the politics and pressure of the position. In season 4, he wins $ 100,000 in the lottery and promptly loses all but $ 30,000 of it gambling. Unlike his partner, Hill does not aspire to plainclothes work. He and his partner are close friends and loyal to each other — though this

19738-407: Was often shown wearing a Waylon Jennings baseball cap and sometimes cowboy boots. Renko is an egocentric, gruff and sometimes taciturn man who rarely is shown smiling or laughing, even when others around him are telling jokes. He often indulges in semi-serious braggadocio to his fellow officers, who usually ignore him. He is quick to anger and sometimes displays emotional cruelty to women with whom he

19880-426: Was only renewed for ten episodes. A full order was picked up partway through the season. Season 2: A writers strike pushed the start of the season forward to October 29, meaning that only 18 episodes were completed that year. Kozoll was now listed as a consultant, signifying his diminished role in the show. He later stated he was already feeling burnt out, and in fact was relying more on car chases and action to fill

20022-435: Was recently divorced and still a Lieutenant; their first date was to a (free) classical music concert, followed by pizza. Though the relationship is initially hidden, Davenport reveals the relationship in season 2 and they are married near the end of season 3. They have no children, as they learn in season 4 that she is medically unable to bear children (to the dismay of Furillo's mother). ( Michael Conrad , 1981–84) Esterhaus

20164-444: Was very influential, with many others imitating its use of handheld cameras, ensemble casts, and multiple overlapping story lines lasting for several episodes, set in urban decay . Alan Sepinwall wrote in 2014 that it "is on the short list of the most influential TV shows ever made. Whether through shared actors, writers, directors or through stylistic and thematic complexity, its DNA can be found in nearly every great drama produced in

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