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"NYPD Blue" (1993)

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52 comments in total

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24 out of 39 people found the following comment useful :-
I Love It!, 30 July 2003
Author: smrhyne from north carolina

I had never seen NYPD Blue until the ninth season. Then I went back and watched all the reruns, starting from the first season. I have been hooked ever since. I taped all the the episodes and watched them every evening. Now I'm going back through the first season! As the stories unfolded, I found myself getting caught up in the stories and the lives of the characters. At the end of a hard day's work, I can always count on Andy Sipowicz to say something to make me laugh. What a great character! He runs the gamut of emotions and I find myself going there with him.I alternate between loving the guy and hating him! As an African-American, I sometimes rankle at his racist remarks. But I sometimes find myself agreeing with him when he makes remarks about other minorities, which has made me realize that I must be a racist too. I admire Andy because he is honest enough to voice his opinions and own up to his shortcomings. I have enjoyed each of Andy's partners. I feel that each one has brought something different to the show. But Jimmy Smits was my favorite and I was devastated when his character dies. But my favorite characters on the show are Greg Medavoy and John Irving, both underrated and underused on the show. One of my favorite episodes is "Israel", where a homeless deaf mute man was accused of killing a little boy. Andy was trying to find clues to the killing in the deaf man's Bible, but became so frustrated that he threw the Bible across the room. Later while trying to comfort the boy's mother, Andy picked the Bible up from the floor and started to read aloud from it. As he read over the hustle and bustle of the squadroom, a peace started to fall over all under the sound of his voice, himself included. It was a great moment,from a great scene from a great show.

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23 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :-
Simply the best ever, 5 July 2003
Author: Van Smack from Hackensack, NJ

Consider that in the first 50 years of ABC television, NYPD Blue was on for 12 of them. Was it better, more edgy the first couple of seasons? Yes. Was it at the end? Not so much. Yet, it was still appointment television. It was ground-breaking, and if you missed it from Day One, sure you can buy the DVD's as they come out, but it was so different than anything on TV then, and it changed what we expect out of television dramas.

The character of Andy Sipowicz, played by 4 time Emmy winner Dennis Franz, was the most realistic character ever created on television, faults and all. He was a modern-day everyman, and that was why we rooted for him, even when he was in one of those moods. It was why we continued to watch right up until it's triumphant end.

It came along when the one-hour drama on network television was all but dead; it re-defined the look of prime time drama with language and wardrobe (or lack their of), as well as how it was filmed; and when you speak with anyone that is or ever has served in law enforcement in this country, they'll tell you it was the best show at capturing "The Job" from a realism and accuracy standpoint.

Thank God for re-runs.

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16 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
NYPD: The First Season, 7 November 2006

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

Believe-it-or-not, I never watched this show until I bought the DVD when it came out. I just never watched it, even though I enjoy crime shows. Anywhere, here are my thoughts, just randomly said:

David Caruso may have gotten top billing as the star of the show but Dennis Franz is the actor who dominates when on screen. He is the most dramatic figure in this crime series that features character studies, almost to the point of being soap opera-like. In fact, all the love-lives of the main characters are explored, especially as the episodes developed that first season.

In the beginning, some sex scenes were used to grab viewers. This was new to TV then. All the characters in the show may not have been likable but they were all interesting. To me, the most likable was Nicholas Turturro's "Martinez."

The cops - men and women - all talked tough and the show's writers liked to insert words like "a-hole" and "prick" because, I suspect, they could get away with using them. This was TV's first drama to use words like that and have the open sexuality that was shown here. We saw side shots of breasts and Caruso's butt, etc. Speaking of Caruso, he left after this first season and that really annoyed a lot of the viewers, I am told. After an unsuccessful movie career, he landed back on his feet in TV with the very successful CSI: Miami show. Franz, meanwhile, stuck it out for the long NYPD run.

I found the first season interesting but too much soap opera and not enough straight crime story didn't encourage me to buy any further season DVD sets.

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5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Soap opera or drama, 15 May 1999
Author: Squid-11 from London, U.K.

The success of the show has been due to the writers ability to portray the characters as humans who are cops, with the whole gambit of emotion that goes with this. Viewers who wish for less 'soap' will find that they would get another sterile 'run of the mill police drama' and not the classic program format as we see today.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Will We Get More?, 13 July 2008

Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

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.

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4 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Great show that may've ran TOO long(Spoilers!), 30 May 2005
Author: S.R. Dipaling from Topeka,Kansas,USA

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I imagine I could,to some degrees,apply the summary line to LAw and Order(16 seasons!),but I applied it to this show because I felt like,somewhere inside the last five seasons of the show,it just started to run on fumes near the end.

I mean,HOW MANY ways could the writers of the show hurt Detective Andy Sipowicz(a brilliant Dennis Franz!)? Let's review:he was a Vietnam vet who had to live down some of the horrible stuff he'd witnessed,his first partner is forced out of the squad,his son and namesake is murdered while trying to foil a saloon hold-up,his second partner is felled by a debilitating illness,his third partner disappears during an undercover operation (and is later found dead),his long-time flame,the DA(the lovely Sharon LAwrence)is shot and killed in the courthouse she worked,his alcoholism and got him into trouble more than once.I mean,Wow! I guess the fact that he still persevered through all that,plus clashes with quite a few of his coworkers(and no fewer than one of his superiors)was a true testimony to his toughness. His relationship with Charlotte Ross' character(to whom he had almost no chemistry)was disposable. Also,it seemed like each season was going to come a new,crushing blow to his world and anyone who he was directly close to,to which had me almost wishing the show would close to give him some peace,finally!

The rest of the cast,which seemed in constant flux,was very strong,as well. In particular,Jimmy Smits as Bobby Simone(partner #2,as aforementioned),Bill Brochtrup as JOhn Irwin(the sweet,gay receptionist),David Caruso as partner #1,John Kelly,James McDaniel as Lt.Arthur Fancy and Gordon Clapp as the basically decent Det.Greg Medavoy.

This show was very well written and kept the story lines very tight and gritty though most of its run. I feel like near the end,the show's writers and producers seemed to be wanting a way to end the show and couldn't quite find a right way to do so. I have yet to see the last episode,but I've heard that it was done very well.

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7 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
From the best show on TV to one of the worst, 8 October 2004
Author: Toucan Sam from United States

When this show started in 1993, it was by far the most innovative show on television. The show pushed the boundaries of language, sex, and violence and really brought in a whole new era of television. The combo of David Caruso and Dennis Franz was arguably the best cop duo in history. The first season was outstanding as it brought a level of reality never seen on TV.

Early in the second season, David Caruso had a contract dispute and left the show. The show would never be the same. Jimmy Smits came in and, though he was pretty good, was no David Caruso. The show leveled out in terms of pushing the boundaries and became a little stale. Then they killed off Jimmy Smits and brought in Rick(y) Schroeder. This is when the show hit the wall and went straight downhill. It bottomed out when Zak from "Saved by the Bell" was cast and in the end show became virtually unwatchable. This is too bad, especially when you think how good this show could have been if Caruso had stuck around.

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2 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Why NYPD Blue is the best show Ever!, 1 August 2007

Author: Richard Slusser (rass@suddenlink.net) from United States

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?

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3 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
NYPD Blues' Run, 23 December 2004
Author: kenjmilio from United States

I agree that season 1 was the best. Kelly was one of the strongest characters in television history and the show was in top form that first year. I thought Bobby Simone was pleasant enough but somehow that era was lacking and whoever said Kim Delany was laughable as a New York cop wasn't kidding, she is the worst actress. I actually thought that Sorenson was going to be special at the very beginning but the writing just got too weird especially at the end but I still think Rick Schroder (I don't think there's an "e" in his name) was awesome especially considering what he was given. I can't say I like the newest partner (forget his name, I don't watch regularly anymore) very much because he just not convincing as Andy's partner. Of course the one person who always is worth watching is Dennis Franz. Hell if it was the rest of the cast (well with the exception of a new girl who is hot AND surprisingly believable from what little I've seen), I probably wouldn't tune in at all. The writing certainly stopped going anywhere a long time ago.

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3 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Night Time Soap, 15 June 1999
Author: michael steindel (claw7man@webtv.net) from Los Angeles

Some have expressed displeasure with the soap opera direction of NYPD Blue, but for me I love it. Its about time that soaps come to the network at night. Sorry to Sharon go but she had so little time onscreen I missed her before she was shot. Danny and Diane action was heating up I thought it would be Jill and Danny for sure. I would like to see this show on more than just one night a week. I am also hoping for some Jimmy Smits ghost scenes or flasbacks. Rick Schroeder was a great choice to replace him. He reminds me of Steve McQueen...

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