A Conversation for Great Cop Shows
What Made Hill St Unique.
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Started conversation Dec 5, 2003
Although clearly owing much to Ed Mcbains classic 87th Precinct police procedural novels, Hill St was still a landmark in the genre.
It was the first tv cop show, on either side of the Atlantic, to recognise that there had been a shift in perceptions in both the police and the public regarding Law Enforcement.
No longer the cuddly Dixon of Dock of Green types, the cops at Hill St were morally ambigious figures whose first loyalty was to their fellow officers, not to members of the public. In a world that treated them as 'Pigs', 'filth' or just plain corrupt, Frank Furillo's men adopted a simple code 'Do it to them before they do it to you.'
This was no longer Cops and the peoples vs. criminals', this was a world were the cops regarded everyone as a potential criminal, and it was now 'Cops vs the people and criminals.'
It it *still* kicks the s**t out of 'NYPD Blue' and indeed every other cop show since, with the honourable exception of 'Homicide: Life on the Streets'.
What Made Hill St Unique.
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Dec 7, 2003
, you sure? All the opening credits were of Chicago, though the city was never named in the series itself.
Homicide was based in baltimore, Nurder capial USA (or it was at the time).
What Made Hill St Unique.
J Posted Dec 7, 2003
I believe Steven Bochco (creator) based the show on Pittsburgh, but it wasn't necessarily set there.
When will an Ohio based Cop Show be aired? 
What Made Hill St Unique.
Jimi X Posted Dec 10, 2003
You know, you're right.
The Hill District is a nortorious high-crime area in Pittsburgh, but the uniforms simply don't come close. Pittsburgh's police have gold and black checkers on their hats, while in Hill Street Blues I believe they were blue and white check (Chicago).
Perhaps I need a life?
And Jodan, you can't complain about Ohio's lack of tv cop shows when it had the greatest radio sit-com of all time. 
What Made Hill St Unique.
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Dec 10, 2003
You know how I know it was Chicago in the opening credits? The building being demolished was a hotel my father had stayed in and he hated it - it came complete with roaches and who knows what else. Everytime he saw Hill St, he used to give out a little cheer seeing it being blown up. 
What Made Hill St Unique.
J Posted Dec 10, 2003
Jimi- I'd stop complaining if it was WKRP in Dayton!
Blues-
What Made Hill St Unique.
Al Johnston Posted Dec 11, 2003
Legend has it that the scenery, street names, cars and uniforms were taken from various US cities so that Bochco could plausibly deny defaming any of them...
What Made Hill St Unique.
Tonsil Revenge (PG) Posted Dec 11, 2003
So, it was just coincidence that Rampart was used in the radio call tags?
"Barney Miller" owed a lot to the 87th precint procedurals, too.
"Hill Street" owed a lot to the old "Naked City" show, too.
I always had trouble with the way the network and syndicators ran the show out of line. I didn't have a VCR then, nor do I have cable now.
So I didn't like the story lines so much as the dependable characters, like Belker. Grrrrrr! Sit down, Dirtbag, I'm talking to my mother...
The soap opera aspects of the show became overwhelming after the second season and after the tall bald sergeant died on his wedding night... I pretty much stopped caring.
Nice theme song, though.
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What Made Hill St Unique.
- 1: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Dec 5, 2003)
- 2: Jimi X (Dec 7, 2003)
- 3: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Dec 7, 2003)
- 4: J (Dec 7, 2003)
- 5: Jimi X (Dec 10, 2003)
- 6: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Dec 10, 2003)
- 7: J (Dec 10, 2003)
- 8: Al Johnston (Dec 11, 2003)
- 9: Tonsil Revenge (PG) (Dec 11, 2003)
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