NYPD Blue (TV series)
NYPD Blue is a critically acclaimed American television series created by Steven Bochco and David Milch, which aired on ABC for twelve years. The show is notable for its gritty realism and was inspired by Bochco's earlier work, Hill Street Blues. Centered around the character of Detective Andy Sipowicz, played by Dennis Franz, the series delves into the complexities of police work in New York City, tackling a variety of controversial topics such as organized crime, sexual issues, and racial tensions.
The show is recognized for its bold use of adult language and frank portrayal of nudity, which were groundbreaking for broadcast television at the time. While some viewers found these elements objectionable, others appreciated the authenticity they brought to the portrayal of police life. NYPD Blue's innovative storytelling and strong ensemble cast garnered numerous awards, including four Golden Globe Awards. Its impact on television can be seen in the way it set new standards for adult content in drama series, influencing many programs that followed. Overall, NYPD Blue remains a significant and influential series in the landscape of American television.
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Subject Terms
NYPD Blue (TV series)
Identification Television drama series
Creators Steven Bochco (1943- ) and David Milch (1945- )
Date Aired from September 21, 1993, to March 1, 2005
This program redefined acceptable limits for broadcast television in the areas of language, violence, and nudity. It also presented an extremely realistic view of police life and important social issues, while retaining the occasional comedic element.
Created by Steven Bochco and David Milch, NYPD Blue was partly based on an earlier series by Bochco, Hill Street Blues, and both programs generally had a single episode that followed one day’s events in a police precinct house. Bochco was a devoted advocate of gritty realism, so the scripts for NYPD Blue were reviewed by a former police officer for accuracy. The program was a schedule mainstay of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) for twelve years and won many honors and recommendations, including four Golden Globe Awards.
The program’s main character was Detective Andy Sipowicz, portrayed for all twelve seasons by veteran character actor Dennis Franz. Sipowicz had a kind heart and a keen sense of justice, both of which he hid behind a coarse and gruff personality. The tragedies he suffered through and survived, including but not limited to being shot, beaten, having cancer, and the murders of his son and wife, would have destroyed a weaker person. The program was not exclusively about Sipowicz, however. No viable topic was considered too inflammatory or offensive, and episodes dealt with such diverse topics as organized crime, gangs, sexual perversion, and racial hatred.
It was the frank and open treatment of obscenity and nudity, along with the fine scripts and acting, which truly differentiated NYPD Blue from the myriad other police and drama programs. The program routinely featured adult language, which until then had been heard only on cable and satellite television. This did offend many viewers, and ABC was often threatened with boycotts and other forms of retribution.Others, however, felt the program was only reflecting the way police officers really spoke, and the consistently high ratings appeared to indicate most viewers were not too upset. It was its treatment of nudity that was most upsetting to the drama’s most vocal detractors, however. Both sexes appeared in various forms of undress on a fairly regular basis. Full-frontal nudity was avoided, but little else was left to the imagination. Like the obscenity, though, the use of nudity was not gratuitous but seemed to flow naturally from the plots.
Impact
NYPD Blue changed the standards and mores of dramatic broadcast television. For better or worse, it opened the doors for a host of increasingly more explicit programs that followed. Its main appeal, though, was that it featured outstanding ensemble acting, intriguing scripts, and story lines that millions of viewers found to be entertaining.
Bibliography
Collins, Max Allan. NYPD Blue: Blue Blood—NYPD (NYPD Blue). New York: Signet, 1997.
Nelson, Robin. TV Drama in Transition, Values, and Cultural Change. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1997.