By David Flynn

 

During the 1990s and into the 2000s, NYPD Blue was one of the most successful US police drama series. It also had a popular run internationally including a Wednesday night slot on Ireland’s RTE 1 while it was on the air in the US.

The series was set in a fictional New York Police Department and told of the lives and crimes of those in the city, particularly involving the detectives working in Manhattan. There was usually around a dozen cast members and several different storylines per season.

Police department stories were popular on US television with Dragnet being the main such show in the 1950s and 60s, Kojak starring Telly Savalas in the 1970s, and the classic tv series, Hill Street Blues in the 1980s. NYPD Blue was a worthy successor to those shows, and it was created by Steven Bochco, who was also the originator of Hill Street Blues. NYPD’s other creator, was David Milch (who later on created the tv western series, Deadwood).

The headline star of the series in the first season was actor David Caruso, who did prove to be very strong in his role of Detective John Kelly. However as the season progressed, Detective Andy Sipowicz, played by Dennis Franz became as important a character.

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