Truly Dreadful Film

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Taking a lot from his previous cop drama Hill Street Blues, Steven Bochco fashioned in NYPD Blue one of the biggest television hits ever. It was the kind of show that even in its last days still wanted its fans begging for more. And we may yet get more, who knows.Two characters remained through the show's run and anchored it until it's conclusion. Dennis Franz as Detective Andy Sipowicz, a very flawed individual, an alcoholic bigot, but the best detective around. And Gordon Clapp as Detective Greg Medavoy, a decent man with a lot of issues of confidence. The rest of the cast came and went through the 15th precinct of Manhattan just like life itself.Sipowicz took over the show after the departure of his first partner David Caruso. He was predicted to be a breakout star and he sought to take advantage of his new found fame with a major movie career. A lot of folks wondered if NYPD Blue would survive at that point. Sipowicz was supposed to be a supporting character with the problems just mentioned, Archie Bunker with a badge. But he went in Alcoholics Anonymous and preached its virtues as did Daniel J. Travanti from Hill Street Blues. And over a dozen years, Sipowicz grew in strength and character. Dennis Franz had three succeeding partners all who had a different character and background. Jimmy Smits, Rick Schroeder, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar were all very good and very different. In the case of Gosselaar he was finally able to shake the casting specter of Zack Morris from Saved By The Bell.The women detectives all had an individuality about them as well. Probably Kim Delaney as the alcoholic Diane Russell was the best. She was counseled by Andy Sipowicz and brought into AA, but she also wound up marrying Jimmy Smits's character Bobby DeSimone and bravely carrying on after his demise. Sipowicz married ADA Sylvia Costas played by Sharon Lawrence and after she was killed in an unforgettable court house shooting episode. Andy later married again to young detective Charlotte Ross and found again some domestic happiness.In fact it was getting to be a running joke towards the end that it was as fatal to be around Dennis Franz as it was to be involved with a Cartright from Bonanza. Partners Jimmy Smits and Rick Schroeder died, wife Sylvia Lawrence died, and his son from an even earlier marriage was killed all during the run of the show. But Sipowicz dealt with it all.The detective squad of the 15th precinct had four heads, James McDaniel, Esai Morales, John O'Donahue, and Graham Currie. One of them actually was a cop, John O'Donahue. He played this mediocre time server Eddie Gibson who was an absolute doofus and originally was a detective on the graveyard shift. When he took the sergeant's test, passed it and wound up succeeding Morales the whole squad was ready to flip. But Gibson wasn't totally stupid, he knew these people and he basically let them have their head.James McDaniel had a wonderful character in Arthur Fancy and he had all the problems and frustrations of being a black man who rises in the NYPD. I remember once in an episode he was asked why he didn't get rid of a bigot like Sipowicz. To which he replied if I got rid of him it isn't like I'm going to get as his replacement some candidate for the brotherhood award. Probably I'll get another white cop with the same attitudes, but who isn't half as good on the job.We got to know all these people and what baggage they might have brought to each case they were assigned to. Probably NYPD Blue could have kept going, but Steven Bochco decided to end it while still on high. And he did in fact give it an ending of sorts unlike Hill Street Blues. It was an ironic ending in fact for Sipowicz. But you'll have to see the final episode in fact you'll have to see the entire series which you can catch on cable television to appreciate why.But the elements are there for a TV movie or six. I've got a good feeling that people would want to see them. We may not have seen the last of the detective squad of the 15th precinct from NYPD Blue.

My wife and I also love NYPD Blue! The best show ever made for TV. We just watched 3 hours tonight. Back then, in 1993 everybody thought that was too strong for airing on TV prime time. Wonder what they think now compared to todays garbage on TV?Thanks for the info about Court TV on Saturday and Sunday. I did not know about them. I will start taping there also.Here is Arkansas, CST, I tape it every Wednesday Morning at 2:00 A.M till 5:00 A.M. on TNT! Hope this helps! It is still the best show on TV Today, bar none. There is literally no better actor than Andy. I wonder what Andy was being paid per episode over the 12 year run? Does anybody know?

Tonight the final episode of NYPD Blue was shown across America and with it, comes a closing of TV history, one of the best cop dramas ever made.Hats of the cast, Steven Boucho and others for delivering 12 yrs of amazing entertainment, gut wrenching story lines and powerful characters that will stick with us for a lifetime.This show had it all, controversy, action, strong language, nudity, but it also had chemistry among it's actors, it had charisma and above all heart, baby!!!Dennis Franz as Det. Andy Sipowicz is perhaps the best cop ever made. Franz turned this self absorbed hypocrite and abuser and made him human given us a look into this guy and shown us that he is human, he is good, he has that courage to do things his own way and get results.Mark-Paul Gosselaar who came on board Det. John Clark for four years was just amazing. Mark you are too cool!!!. Hes definitely come a long way from "Saved from the Bell", he has really shown his acting abilities, he just impressed me as the show went.Gordon Clapp as Det. Greg Medavoy was one of the original cast members who like Andy survived 12 yrs of the most intense police drama everHenry Simmons ,Bill Brochtrup , Jacqueline Obradors, too many names to list, going back to David Caruso, Jimmy Smits have left their mark on television history.This is television at it's finest and hats go of to ABC for giving us 12 yrs of the best cop drama ever!!!

Oh boy.I guess I'll just review Season 1 in this review, hopefully in the future I'll have time to review each season on a one by one basis.We all know the history of how NYPD Blue stirred an uproar when it first came out in 93, but forgotten by some is just how well done the show was.Very minor spoilers may appear throughout the rest of this review.Season 1 absolutely blew anything that had and has been on TV since away. Following the life of Detectives from the 15th precinct, the show opened with what may be the finest episode of any TV show ever.In season one we're introduced mainly to two detectives, John Kelly (oh how I miss Caruso) and Andy Sipowitz (played by the amazing Dennis Franz). Kelly is an Irish-American Cop whose father was killed in the line of duty when he was but a child. Caurso plays Kelly flawlessly, and really portrays an honest man whose word is his life, but will step over other boundaries should the situation call for it. Kelly isn't without a few flaws though, and they end up causing him some trouble as time goes on.Sipowitz starts the series as a man with a heavy drinking problem, an insatiable hatred for a member of the mob (Alfronse Geordello), problems at work stemming from his addiction to the bottle, and a slight bit of racism that seeps through from time to time. As the season goes on we see that he really isn't a bad person after all and the bond that is shown between the two partners even in their most trying times is moving to say the very least.Other characters on the show include an African-American boss- Lieutenant Arthur Fancy (done well by James McDaniel), a troubled cop Janice Licasli (Amy Brenneman in probably the only good role in her life), Kelly's ex wife, Laurie (played by Sherry Stringfield), whom both share mutual feelings for each other but can't seem to get things to work out, and others. To note, though he came in a couple episodes after the beginning, Greg Medavoy (played by a highly underrated Gordon Clapp) is the only detective other then Sipowitz who has been with the show since Season 1.Season 1 unlike later seasons (starting mainly around season 6) had ongoing story lines that were spread throughout the entire season, and weren't forgotten after an episode or two. It's sad that the show started going downhill in later years (though still better than the majority of shows on TV). It's also a shame that Caruso left the show so soon. While Jimmy Smits did an excellent job playing Detective Simone for his run, it would have been wonderful to see Caruso in some more episodes. The producers of the show should really set aside their differences and attempt with everything they can to at least get him in on the finale.A darned good show. A must see if there ever was one. Season 1 of NYPD Blue should not be missed and is well worth the money to pickup on DVD. I would recommend picking it up on DVD as I believe the show is much better uncut as it was meant to be.