NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
TV-14 | 21 September 1993 (USA)

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SEASON & EPISODES
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  • Reviews
    Flyerplesys Perfectly adorable
    Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some
    AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
    Married Baby Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?
    davisnathan Great acting, excellent character development, etc. I particularly liked the Jimmy Smits years, but all of them were great.One of the bet shows ever on TV---lasted 12 seasons---but only the first 5 are available on DVD.Does anyone know why? Is there some sort of contract problem or lawsuit? Are they scheduled to be released at some time in the future? I would like to know----the first 5 seasons came out quite some time ago (8 years?) and then nothing! You would think that a show with the kind of legs this one had and the audience to keep it on the air for 12 seasons would represent excellent potential for the DVD sales. SO---what's up with that? Anybody know?
    ccthemovieman-1 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.
    cogency1 I have been an avid watcher of this series since its debut in September of 1993. The character Andy Sipowicz has evolved considerably over those 12 years, from a troubled alcoholic on the brink of losing his career to triumphant family man and eventual squad leader. The writing in this show is outstanding, which explains why it's had 84 Emmy nominations and has won 20 of them. The acting is equally outstanding, with Dennis Franz pulling in 4 Emmys for his performance as the Everyman Andy Sipowicz, who we all can identify with, especially in his struggles to remain sane and good in a world which has given him so many disappointments. After watching an hour of NYPD Blue, it's hard to imagine that we were watching fictional material, especially since the cases are often based on real events. One case in particular comes to mind, in which an older married man had concealed an affair with an immigrant woman by murdering her and placing her pregnant body in a barrel and hiding it in a house that he had owned in New Jersey. I was surprised to see that case profiled in a recent documentary as I had thought up to then that the story was purely fictional. NYPD Blue, for that and many other reasons, is perhaps the most realistic cop oriented drama ever made for television. Over the years, while watching Blue, one gets to know the characters and their many dimensions and it's hard to imagine them as fictional. Sipowicz and Medavoy are the only fixtures in the constantly changing ensemble cast, but all of the actors do an excellent job. The show's creators pay careful attention to every detail from the realistic dialog and stories to the acting and technical aspects. The show is gritty yet full of heart, especially when showcasing Andy's personal life. The stories consistently show kindness on the part of the detective squad toward the people they serve and their dedication to justice despite all the chaos they face episode after episode. We are drawn in to like the characters and feel what they feel. This is drama at it's best, and Bochko and Co. are the best at what they do. Watching NYPD Blue makes me feel like I'm getting the best quality that Television can offer. I marvel at the intricate interplay between all the elements of each show, from the unique camera work to the realistic dialog that is taken from real police experiences (one of the writers was a cop in real life) to the dead-on acting performances from all the cast to the excellent editing. I can always count on every episode to get my emotions in full gear. It is so well done, I am emotionally drained after an episode, especially when one of the characters has a trauma or failure in his or her life. It's not just about solving cases, it's what the characters experience in solving them. The creators round out the characters so well that they become part of you as you watch each episode. That's the feeling I come away with as I watch NYPD Blue. I am saddened that it finally went off the air March 1, 2005, but at the same time I am glad that it continues in syndication on TNT and Court TV. We true fans can get a three hour fix every day and two hours on weekends. Continuity is another element that remains consistent throughout the entire 12 year run. Some shows get lost in their continuity sometimes, with characters "forgetting" their past. Not on this show. You see the characters evolve realistically and none of the characters are one-dimensional. Sometimes, we don't get a full picture, as in the case with Murphy in the last season, but we get enough about each character being rounded out so well, that we can pick up on their various personality traits. All in all, this is one of the best programs ever created for television. I will always keep Andy Sipowicz and crew close to my heart. Let's hope they release all 12 years on DVD!
    JerryCantrell 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.
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