I was 15 when this series started. I never missed an episode , it used to be on a Thursday night. That was nearly 40 years ago . One of the greatest ever shows.
I grew up watching Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere. They were both done by the same company MTM and the principles players behind the scenes of both shows all got started on The White Shadow (another show I grew up watching). These are the shows that formed my viewing habits for years to come and are the shows that I studied (along with Thirtysomething) when I was learning how to write an hour long drama.
I loved St. Elsewhere. I wish they would put out the whole thing as a box set to buy. Also loved thirtysomething, LA Law, Moonlighting, Cagney and Lacey, They were all generally well written. The 80s were the golden age of television, certainly for me. There were a few hiccups though, LA Law had a bad season when the writers changed, but they pulled it back a bit in the final season (8). And I think thirtysomething could have gone at least another season, maybe two. So sad the re-boot got cancelled due to Cv! I would love to have seen them as Sixtysomethings. And although the first two seasons of Moonlighting were great, once we got onto the whole relationship saga, and the behind the scenes dramas, allegedly, it ruined what could have run another couple of years.
@@CC-uc4gq so mad that 30something (else) it's working title was canceled the week they were to start filming the pilot!! There is a script for it that I am trying to get my hands on. Fingers crossed. You can find a pilot episode break down online, the show sounded great, but who knows.
This was a fantastic retrospective. I was first exposed to Hill Street Blues when my dad sent me the first two seasons on DVD as a care package (I was living on my own for my first time, and didn't make enough money to have cable. So my only means of entertainment besides video games was my DVDs and whatever I ordered through the mail from Netflix). I feel in love with the show immediately. It's tragic how few people in my generation have ever actually seen the show. Once again, this is a fantastic retrospective.
I discovered this show on DvD when I was a teenager and it became one of my favorites of all time, I was disappointed at the time that only the first two season were on dvd, so glad the whole series is now on Hulu. If you want to know what the perfect balance between drama and comedy looks like, look at this show. It is so well written that Howard, a character who was only used for comedy in the first season, ended up having my favorite dramatic moments in the show by the last. This is one of the few shows I would call perfect and not because of what it inspired but because of what it its self did.
This is incredible! I am so glad to find someone that loves and appreciates Hill Street Blues as much as I do. Fantastic Retrospective. You even had a post credits scene... Brilliant!
Much as I really do love *The Wire* (what a show!) I'd LOVE to see someone tackle a *NYPD Blue* video-doc retrospective, like this superb H.S.B. vid, - NYPD Blue was a tremendously well made show, and perhaps even more forgotten now than this classic 80s gem! ( Or even, if we're talking about incredible / funny dialogue writing and story-craft, that other 80s TV gold standard show: *Moonlighting* ) EDIT: Here's an episode of Moonlighting, if you're interested in great screenplay writing alongside stellar comedy action acting ruclips.net/video/7yrroH9bStQ/видео.html
All of the characters who filled out this cast, made this show run in so many great ways.I loved Frank Furillo and Joyce Davenport and as great actors, they made a great couple.
First generation viewer here. I loved the show in the 80's and remember the characters but had forgotten most of the episodes and story lines after 35 years. I've recently been watching from episode 1 and it's like watching a whole new TV series.
Rockford was, “not a cop,” either, but the opposite; an ex-jailbird. But, I’ll forgive you because, well . . . Hill Street Blues, baby. I remember watching Fort Apache The Bronx on its first TV run too, back in the 80’s. Thanks for the nostalgia trip. I used to love this show. It’s hard to convey just how revolutionary Hill Street was in its day, but it set the template for so much to follow and made Botchco a household name. That must have been the first time people started watching TV shows based on the name of the production company. And Botchco became the gold standard for US TV drama.
Hill Street was crippled in syndication as the minutes allotted to commercials per hour increased, because nothing can be trimmed from the episodes without utterly destroying the continuity of the story and eliminating vital information, either visually or in dialogue. So by the later 1990s, it could be found nowhere and it lost a couple generations in audience. I watched the whole in the original run, and then watched it recently with my wife, who had seen only sporadic episodes while she was raising her kids, and she was utterly mesmerized.
The greatest TV show to come out of the US. Groundbreaking at the time and still never to be beaten. The music, credits, characters, camera work, ensemble cast, diversity.
Only B-Mask can make an hour long video about a cop show I've never heard of, and after finishing said video, it makes me want to track the show down and watch it. Just... Bravo sir, bravo.
Well said, the french television never believed in it and it was titled "Capitaine Furillo". In south America it was "El precio del deber". A very underestimated show that won some Emmy Awards though.
This show was a pivotal part of my childhood, it is still the best police show I have ever watched. Taurean Blacque passed 21/07/22 and that brought me here. Such beautiful characters and wonderful nostalgia. Loved every minute of each show. Rest in love Taurean 💔
The main problem with this video and after 8 months and only 4500 views is this one thing: The huge majority of the many, many millions of HTB fans worldwide still don't know this amazing video is right here! A friend shared a personal story about one of the main actors and it made me look for more about HSB and "accidentally" I found this great video and I've just linked to it to all my friends, as it should have hundreds of thousands of views by now and even more thumbs up, as we can only "thumb up" once, but see it again and again. The second and last "problem"; it is too short! *big smile
I've been a lifelong fan of Hill Street right from its first late-night showing in the UK in 1980. This is an outstanding video that manages to be both an homage and introduction at the same time. I am currently re-watching Season 2 - and still feel it's magic. I totally agree that none of the great ensemble cast dramas we now love and cherish would have been possible without the barriers broken on The Hill. This is television genesis and B-Mask's video is your best way in.
Excellent. A look back at the best show ever made. The characters were unbelievably good, it was a show of many laughs and quite a few tears too, not all with laughter. Thank you for this video.
I was a Reserve Police Officer in the 80's and 90's and I think Hill Street Blues is still the best police show ever made. It was the first cop show that portrayed the officers as having flaws which affected their performance. It also showed officers getting injured during confrontations which I don't recall ever seeing before HSB. Most episodes did not have a happy ending and many cases were never resolved, which is the reality of police work. The show was not politically correct and dealt with issues such as race relations. It also had a wicked sense of humor which modern police shows lack. Subsequent police shows focus too much on detectives and ignore uniformed officers.
Well over 40 yrs has gone by since I watched this wonderful show here in the UK on a Monday night. The beautiful theme music always brings a tear to my, as I recall with nostalgia some great TV and my youth.
Going back in time....watched this show back then...still at an impressionable age thinking that cop shows were action packed & starred cool cops...this show keeps you grounded & makes you deal with reality. 2022 & still enjoy the show!
Excellent depiction of life on the Hill. I used to video this show every week and whatever I had to do in life was put on hold religiously, nothing would interfere with the street, my house being on lockdown with no exits or entrances for one solid hour. No talking was permitted, even during the adverts, lol. Seriously though, in my mind, the show has never been beaten. It gave a repertoire of emotions that would relate to everyday life and fill a gap in the way food fills you when hungry. Thanks so much for this video.
Hill Street Blues is my favorite series of all time. B-Mask, you did an awesome synopsis of the acting, characters, & story lines. This must have taken a very long time to compile. Thanks for sharing this overview and taking us all down memory lane. The writing in this show, especially during the Boccho years, was superlative. The theme song's bittersweet sound is iconic. I do miss seeing these actors so regularly. Michael Warren and Bruce Weitz still show up occasionally. Shout out to them, and the others who made our Thursday nights worthwhile.
I had happy memories watching Hill Street Blues in the 80s that aired on Southern Command Network, an affiliate of AFRTS (for military viewers). This was a world wide phenomenon back then, and still is. Brilliant television not seen today unfortunately. Awesome retrospective...many thanks!
I started watching Hill Street Blues in high school on Hulu then now on Amazon prime. I enjoyed seeing the day on the job and personal life of the men and women who serve and protect us. Fun fact Dick Wolf who is famous from Law and Order, SVU, Organized Crime, Chicago PD, Fire, Med, and The FBIs for CBS worked on Hill Street Blues as a writer in Season 6
I remember hill street blues came on uk tv on channel 4. Back in the 1980s it was a great program and still is got the dvd box sets. Thanks for the upload.
The Rockford Files is my all time favourite show, James Garner was wonderful and, let’s admit, drop dead gorgeous. But, Hill Street Blues eclipsed all the preceding shows. It was and still is Awesome.💕💕🇨🇦💕🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
here in the year 2023 we look back on this wonderful show it was difficult to watch at the start the first year 1981 it was all over the place but after the first series ,we looked forward to the rest of the series here in the UK then afterwards we all looked forward to all the episodes it never has any big name actors , to start with but we all got used to all these actors in all these roles
Thank you so much for this. I’m surprised there aren’t more Hill Street Blues retrospectives. To younger viewers, Hill Street may look dated or even primitive, but it would be difficult to overstate how thematically, creatively and technically revolutionary it was in its time. At the risk of being cliché: every quality drama to follow it owes a debt to Hill Street Blues. I would love to read the reactions of younger adults to first watches of entire episodes of the series. Good “starter episodes”: Season 1, Episode 1: Hill Street Station; Season 1, Episode 2: Presidential Fever; Season 2, Episode 18: Invasion of the Third World Body Snatchers; Season 3, Episode 1: Trial by Fury.
Well as a 27 year old who recently found the show I will tell you that I'm in love. Not the biggest fan of most dramas especially one note cop procedurals but Hill Street, Homicide: Life on the street and In the heat of the night are gold standards of the genre and can't be topped.
MY all-time #1 TV Show ! On Thursdays , right after " Family Ties " , Mary & I would cuddle on our couch, & just enjoy great, great, TV. Those were, looking back now, some of the happiest times of my life. ------------------MJL, 77 y/o
Damn, that suicide scene got me again, 40 years later....and wiser.😢 thanks for this great retrospective on one of the best or maybe even the best shows that ever was. Please make the same about Cheers. Tia. 👍
Huh, I can see why this video took so long, with its length and the dedication you clearly placed into it. I'm definitely happy that it's out now, but I also appreciate you taking the time to make your points understandable and convincing. I will have to watch the show at some point, especially being an inspired writer myself!
It should be required watching for any writer as well as many other classic shows not just for learning purposes but anyone who just wants to be entertained by damn great television.
I love this show and I´m watching it again on DVD. I think it has a lot of "Naked City", the great show from the 60s - personal dramas and all the stories we can see on the streets of big cities. I remember the young Dan Travanti in "Lost in Space", 3rd season. Thanks for the video. Greetings from São Paulo, Brazil.
Thank you very much for this well thought out retrospective. Just now revisiting this show having been there for the originals. I particularly appreciate the mention of Breaking Bad. I have always remembered that Hill Street made me feel the need to be in front of a television each week for the original shows. Not again until Breaking Bad did I feel that same urge. Hill Street Blues: seminal impactful show.
That RL Bronx Borrough Commander was surprisingly perceptive, AND wonderfully articulate with his thoughts - A side you *definitely* don't often get to see! 2:47
Thank you for mentioning my friend Jon Cypher as the, now what did you call him, oily Chief Daniels. Loved this retrospective. An amazing hour to sit here and have a big ole smile on my face. Thank you so much for focusing in on a special time in television. In answer to your question at the end, no there will never be another "Hill Street Blues" because there's no will to write and cast such an amazing show. The way you covered all aspects including "Fletch The Leach" was a work of art. Thanks again.
Thank you so much! Jon is a personal hero of mine, as both an actor and as one of the best characters on the show- I hope through this video more people can find it and experience just how wonderful his character was. Really glad you felt I did justice to the show generally, that means a lot =)
You're more than welcome. Like I said I spent a good hour reliving the reasons why this show will never be paralleled in my eyes. And yes, Jon is a friend. I wrote him and we became "pen pals" of a sort. I have a website dedicated to him if you would like to visit: joncypher.org I would love to feature this video in a post, if you don't mind. Jon checks out "his site" as he calls it. He'll likely see it there. I just loved though how you referred to him as "oily". I think the only time I ever saw him change briefly was in the episode where Frank was shot and he was talking with Joyce outside the hospital room. After he was back to same ole, same ole. Real "class" act Daniels was, right down to sexual harassment charge Mayo filed against him. The only thing you didn't mention was that Mayo and Daniels ended up together. Talk about irony that. Again, thanks for a stroll down memory lane. I had a ball.
The tryst with Patsy is something I really wanted to go into, among even more details I ended up leaving out. Maybe in the future I'll be able to revisit the show on other points. I'd be more than happy for you to feature this! I've actually visited your site before, an absolutely brilliant resource so I have to thank you again for that. Would of course be delighted for Jon to know how much his work and the show are still appreciated.
I'm glad you mentioned Daniels at all and showed some of my favourite scenes with him. There would be the proclivity for some not to mention a relatively non-contract player. Daniels was the main antagonist of The Pizza Man so I was happy you did put him in there. As for the feature, I'll be posting it sometime today. I've told Jon how much people love him. I've had many emails come through the site that I've passed onto him. He's very thankful. He's now in retirement, but it all means so much to him. He loved working on "Hill Street Blues" and loved Daniels so much. He also loved working with the cast and crew of the show so I know he'll be thrilled to take a skip down that memory lane. Once again thank you so much for the lovely experience. You're aces.
How in the world, when going over the highlights of this amazing show, do you forget to include Season 3's opener, "Trial By Fury" which is one of the most amazing episodes of television every aired.
Really appreciated! I watched HSB from start to finish in the UK,taping most on VHS. Not watched properly for years as Dvd issues seem to have edited shows,including the pilot and even some which were in full on retail VHS tapes. Quite frankly my favourite show of all time. It wasn't until the advent of the internet that I discovered much of the back story to Hill Street, although there was a marvellous MTM book here in the UK around '84. Joyous to watch this, put a real smile on my face just now! Thanks again.
Thank you for sharing. Casting, characterization, acting and dialogue, were brilliant in this series. Humor, drama, action, suspense, with realistic slices of life circumstances embedded within it. How could you top that?
I've just finished watching the whole thing. Easily my favourite TV of all time. I'd watched the first series maybe 3 times before and a bit of the second series and loved it but I finally finished it and want to go again. It does change a lot over time and I miss the more overarching narratives across episodes that they had in the earlier series, as you had shown. But it was still great, and Buntz was a brilliant additional character. It had me in tears and laughter often within moments of each other.
Never missed one episode, was in hospital and my husband fetched a small tv in so I could watch it . It ended up with a the girls on the ward watching in the dark in the day room . Magic!!!
You did an amazing job with this video. I remember watching this show when I was too young to ever understand it, but I watched it with my dad - rare moments chilling in a busy world. I'm looking forward to finding it streaming if I can.
I heard of this show from a interview by legendary comic writer Peter David who was inspired by this show to basically do a run of spectacular spider-man which is a classic run especially with the storyline the death of Jean dewolfe
Bless you for your fine work on this retrospective, it's a wonderful tribute. This is my favorite cop show of all time and the best theme song of any TV show EVER. I still watch the re-runs on You Tube. Well done sir!
I really appreciate that you put such effort into analyzing such an obscure show. I'm sure you knew it wouldn't be the most popular video you put on this channel but you had something you wanted to say about a show you're passionate about. That stands out in the fame driven culture on youtube nowadays. It gives an air of genuineness you don't see enough of anymore. The video itself was excellent. Though I've never heard of the show, I watched the whole video. Entertaing and well scripted. Idk, I feel like I'm gushing but I really do have respect for the consistently high quality of the videos on this channel.
ProjectJ This Show was among the thirty top-rated shows for almost six of its seven seasons, critically acclaimed throughout its run, and it won armloads of Emmys for years. It’s not all that obscure.
Obscure? Hell it inspired almost every tv drama from Law and Order to Homicide to The Sopranos, The Shield, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Blue Bloods etc. it's almost like no quality television drama, especially cop drama since Hill Street came out would be here without it.
I am discovering this series on Disney+ and I am loving it! I love watching content that was done before CGI screens were common… when there was an actual set with designers, good actors with real talent. Definitely a series I’m gonna watch more than once!
Thank you for this video. Idk how I watched the whole thing. You crushed it man. Hill Street made it that much easier to make a retrospective because it is so compelling. Again, great video. Time to watch some Hill Street Blues.
Tony Bouza, the police officer in the documentary at 03:18, only died on 26 Jun 2023. He was 94. He became chief of police in Minneapolis in 1980, retiring from policing in 1989.
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I was 15 when this series started. I never missed an episode , it used to be on a Thursday night. That was nearly 40 years ago . One of the greatest ever shows.
Yep, 10pm☺️
After Cheers
That monologue about Vietnam was beautiful. Such a heartbreaking point of view of that War, simple, but very human.
Oh, and the theme song is so nostalgic for me! Brings me so many memories...
That 1980 sound!
Hill Street Blues in the 80s and NYPD Blue in the 90s and early 2000s. Two greatest Police shows ever. Thank you Steven Bochco.
I grew up watching Hill Street Blues and St. Elsewhere. They were both done by the same company MTM and the principles players behind the scenes of both shows all got started on The White Shadow (another show I grew up watching). These are the shows that formed my viewing habits for years to come and are the shows that I studied (along with Thirtysomething) when I was learning how to write an hour long drama.
I loved St. Elsewhere. I wish they would put out the whole thing as a box set to buy. Also loved thirtysomething, LA Law,
Moonlighting, Cagney and Lacey, They were all generally well written. The 80s were the golden age of television, certainly for me.
There were a few hiccups though, LA Law had a bad season when the writers changed, but they pulled it back a bit in the final season (8). And I think thirtysomething could have gone at least another season, maybe two. So sad the re-boot got cancelled due to Cv! I would love to have seen them as Sixtysomethings.
And although the first two seasons of Moonlighting were great, once we got onto the whole relationship saga, and the behind the scenes dramas, allegedly, it ruined what could have run another couple of years.
@@CC-uc4gq so mad that 30something (else) it's working title was canceled the week they were to start filming the pilot!! There is a script for it that I am trying to get my hands on. Fingers crossed. You can find a pilot episode break down online, the show sounded great, but who knows.
This was a fantastic retrospective. I was first exposed to Hill Street Blues when my dad sent me the first two seasons on DVD as a care package (I was living on my own for my first time, and didn't make enough money to have cable. So my only means of entertainment besides video games was my DVDs and whatever I ordered through the mail from Netflix). I feel in love with the show immediately. It's tragic how few people in my generation have ever actually seen the show. Once again, this is a fantastic retrospective.
I discovered this show on DvD when I was a teenager and it became one of my favorites of all time, I was disappointed at the time that only the first two season were on dvd, so glad the whole series is now on Hulu.
If you want to know what the perfect balance between drama and comedy looks like, look at this show.
It is so well written that Howard, a character who was only used for comedy in the first season, ended up having my favorite dramatic moments in the show by the last.
This is one of the few shows I would call perfect and not because of what it inspired but because of what it its self did.
This is incredible! I am so glad to find someone that loves and appreciates Hill Street Blues as much as I do. Fantastic Retrospective. You even had a post credits scene... Brilliant!
LOVED this show as a 16 yr old. Thanks for this documentary. RIP Steven Bochco
There'd definitely wouldn't have been The Wire without Hills Street
Or more importantly no Homicide: Life on the street without Hill Street.
Much as I really do love *The Wire* (what a show!) I'd LOVE to see someone tackle a *NYPD Blue* video-doc retrospective, like this superb H.S.B. vid,
- NYPD Blue was a tremendously well made show, and perhaps even more forgotten now than this classic 80s gem!
( Or even, if we're talking about incredible / funny dialogue writing and story-craft, that other 80s TV gold standard show: *Moonlighting* )
EDIT: Here's an episode of Moonlighting, if you're interested in great screenplay writing alongside stellar comedy action acting
ruclips.net/video/7yrroH9bStQ/видео.html
All of the characters who filled out this cast, made this show run in so many great ways.I loved Frank Furillo and Joyce Davenport and as great actors, they made a great couple.
First generation viewer here. I loved the show in the 80's and remember the characters but had forgotten most of the episodes and story lines after 35 years. I've recently been watching from episode 1 and it's like watching a whole new TV series.
Rockford was, “not a cop,” either, but the opposite; an ex-jailbird. But, I’ll forgive you because, well . . . Hill Street Blues, baby. I remember watching Fort Apache The Bronx on its first TV run too, back in the 80’s. Thanks for the nostalgia trip. I used to love this show. It’s hard to convey just how revolutionary Hill Street was in its day, but it set the template for so much to follow and made Botchco a household name. That must have been the first time people started watching TV shows based on the name of the production company. And Botchco became the gold standard for US TV drama.
This was my favorite show when I was a kid because of the realism. Soon to follow as St. Elsewhere which was just amazing.
Yes yes YES!!!!!!
The final episode of St Elsewhere was, to me, the best ending of a series ever.
@@tinacampbell1302 I wish we could get the whole of St Elsewhere on DVD.
Hill Street was crippled in syndication as the minutes allotted to commercials per hour increased, because nothing can be trimmed from the episodes without utterly destroying the continuity of the story and eliminating vital information, either visually or in dialogue. So by the later 1990s, it could be found nowhere and it lost a couple generations in audience. I watched the whole in the original run, and then watched it recently with my wife, who had seen only sporadic episodes while she was raising her kids, and she was utterly mesmerized.
I still love walking by the old Chicago Police Station used on the show. And that El train stop shown at 27.44 was my el stop for 4 years
The greatest TV show to come out of the US. Groundbreaking at the time and still never to be beaten.
The music, credits, characters, camera work, ensemble cast, diversity.
Only B-Mask can make an hour long video about a cop show I've never heard of, and after finishing said video, it makes me want to track the show down and watch it.
Just... Bravo sir, bravo.
Never heard of? What planet are you from?
Dude... Barney Miller, Homicide: Life on The Street and Hill Street Blues are shows you need to make apart of your life ASAP! Trust this.
First couple of seasons are 'free' to watch on Amazon Prime Video (in the UK, at least) 👍
Thank you for a terrific retrospective. Maybe the best TV show ever. Can't believe some people have never HEARD of it. Makes me feel OLD. :)
No shit right? But, I'd rather be old than be someone who didn't grow up with Hill Street Blues :)
Mea Culpa indeed it’s the best ever, I don’t understand why it isn’t on syndication on Netflix etc
@@bojack40 we are lucky in Toronto Canada. A channel in nearby Hamilton had it on reruns every day. All of the seasons....
@@bojack40 it does air reruns on H&I channel Monday to Friday late evenings.
Well said, the french television never believed in it and it was titled "Capitaine Furillo". In south America
it was "El precio del deber". A very underestimated show that won some Emmy Awards though.
Really good show, was really sad and almost shed a tear watching the last episode
Never tire watching Hill Street
Me neither Javeed 👍
This show was a pivotal part of my childhood, it is still the best police show I have ever watched. Taurean Blacque passed 21/07/22 and that brought me here. Such beautiful characters and wonderful nostalgia. Loved every minute of each show. Rest in love Taurean 💔
I believe he was the best part of the show. And an awesome human in real life too.
@@DCRealEstateMama He was indeed and had so much swag too.
I started watching this in high school and scheduled around it. I watched every episode. There will never be another show like Hill Street Blues.
The main problem with this video and after 8 months and only 4500 views is this one thing:
The huge majority of the many, many millions of HTB fans worldwide still don't know this amazing video is right here!
A friend shared a personal story about one of the main actors and it made me look for more about HSB and "accidentally" I found this great video and I've just linked to it to all my friends, as it should have hundreds of thousands of views by now and even more thumbs up, as we can only "thumb up" once, but see it again and again.
The second and last "problem"; it is too short! *big smile
Jesus dude, you scared me.
I've been a lifelong fan of Hill Street right from its first late-night showing in the UK in 1980. This is an outstanding video that manages to be both an homage and introduction at the same time. I am currently re-watching Season 2 - and still feel it's magic. I totally agree that none of the great ensemble cast dramas we now love and cherish would have been possible without the barriers broken on The Hill. This is television genesis and B-Mask's video is your best way in.
Excellent. A look back at the best show ever made. The characters were unbelievably good, it was a show of many laughs and quite a few tears too, not all with laughter. Thank you for this video.
I remember my dad watching this when I was very little...ff 40 years, I'm 41 and watching it on hulu, and it may be the greatest show I've ever seen.
My all time favourite TV Show and you did it justice. Thank You!
Completely outstanding breakdown of one of the greatest TV shows ever made. Well done, sir! :-)
Well said friend x
I was a Reserve Police Officer in the 80's and 90's and I think Hill Street Blues is still the best police show ever made. It was the first cop show that portrayed the officers as having flaws which affected their performance. It also showed officers getting injured during confrontations which I don't recall ever seeing before HSB. Most episodes did not have a happy ending and many cases were never resolved, which is the reality of police work. The show was not politically correct and dealt with issues such as race relations. It also had a wicked sense of humor which modern police shows lack. Subsequent police shows focus too much on detectives and ignore uniformed officers.
St. Elsewhere was one around the same time that closely resembled Hill St Blues style. Loved both shows.
A well done review of one of the very best programs ever produced for American network television.
This was and still is the best cop series ever. I grew up with Hill Street blues followed by cheers and they where the best shows in the 80ies!
I just finished watching (binging) every episode and I grieved afterwards. I wanted more! Such an amazing show.
The crazy thing about the show was the frankly WEIRD humour!
I just watched the entire series over the summer and it's now one of my all time favorites.
I grew up on this show, I didn't realize how great it was, just like all in the family was a great comment on the social struggle.
Well over 40 yrs has gone by since I watched this wonderful show here in the UK on a Monday night. The beautiful theme music always brings a tear to my, as I recall with nostalgia some great TV and my youth.
Parents watched this when I was a kid, I never cared, always dug the theme song though. Started watching it this week and I'm locked in.
Going back in time....watched this show back then...still at an impressionable age thinking that cop shows were action packed & starred cool cops...this show keeps you grounded & makes you deal with reality. 2022 & still enjoy the show!
Excellent depiction of life on the Hill. I used to video this show every week and whatever I had to do in life was put on hold religiously, nothing would interfere with the street, my house being on lockdown with no exits or entrances for one solid hour. No talking was permitted, even during the adverts, lol. Seriously though, in my mind, the show has never been beaten. It gave a repertoire of emotions that would relate to everyday life and fill a gap in the way food fills you when hungry. Thanks so much for this video.
Hill Street Blues is my favorite series of all time. B-Mask, you did an awesome synopsis of the acting, characters, & story lines. This must have taken a very long time to compile. Thanks for sharing this overview and taking us all down memory lane. The writing in this show, especially during the Boccho years, was superlative. The theme song's bittersweet sound is iconic. I do miss seeing these actors so regularly. Michael Warren and Bruce Weitz still show up occasionally. Shout out to them, and the others who made our Thursday nights worthwhile.
I’ve recently started watching HSB again - as an adult. So good! Thanks for this great breakdown! 👍🏻🕊
Hill Street Blues and St Elsewhere set the standard for cop and medical dramas for me. I don't think either have been bettered.
I had happy memories watching Hill Street Blues in the 80s that aired on Southern Command Network, an affiliate of AFRTS (for military viewers). This was a world wide phenomenon back then, and still is. Brilliant television not seen today unfortunately. Awesome retrospective...many thanks!
Best TV program ever made - nothing even comes close even all these years later.
GREAT show!
Right up there in '80s TV writing quality with the fantastic _Moonlighting_
The absolute madman threw his effort into something he truly cares about. You're one of a kind, B-Mask.
This was a great show.
I'm glad some of these episodes are available on YT.
I started watching Hill Street Blues in high school on Hulu then now on Amazon prime. I enjoyed seeing the day on the job and personal life of the men and women who serve and protect us. Fun fact Dick Wolf who is famous from Law and Order, SVU, Organized Crime, Chicago PD, Fire, Med, and The FBIs for CBS worked on Hill Street Blues as a writer in Season 6
I remember hill street blues came on uk tv on channel 4. Back in the 1980s it was a great program and still is got the dvd box sets. Thanks for the upload.
Me too mate. Mondays 8pm, or was it 9pm?
I loved Hill street blues its was BRILLIANT
The Rockford Files is my all time favourite show, James Garner was wonderful and, let’s admit, drop dead gorgeous. But, Hill Street Blues eclipsed all the preceding shows. It was and still is Awesome.💕💕🇨🇦💕🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
James Garner and Michael Conrad are both great and gorgeous!
A GREAT SHOW!!!!!! GOD BLESS TEAM ALL !!!!!!!
Loved this show. I don't know why the replays aren't on any stations. Excpt Hulu
here in the year 2023 we look back on this wonderful show it was difficult to watch at the start the first year 1981 it was all over the place but after the first series ,we looked forward to the rest of the series here in the UK then afterwards we all looked forward to all the episodes it never has any big name actors , to start with but we all got used to all these actors in all these roles
Thank you so much for this.
I’m surprised there aren’t more Hill Street Blues retrospectives. To younger viewers, Hill Street may look dated or even primitive, but it would be difficult to overstate how thematically, creatively and technically revolutionary it was in its time. At the risk of being cliché: every quality drama to follow it owes a debt to Hill Street Blues.
I would love to read the reactions of younger adults to first watches of entire episodes of the series. Good “starter episodes”: Season 1, Episode 1: Hill Street Station; Season 1, Episode 2: Presidential Fever; Season 2, Episode 18: Invasion of the Third World Body Snatchers; Season 3, Episode 1: Trial by Fury.
Well as a 27 year old who recently found the show I will tell you that I'm in love. Not the biggest fan of most dramas especially one note cop procedurals but Hill Street, Homicide: Life on the street and In the heat of the night are gold standards of the genre and can't be topped.
Thanks for the commentary Sir Gay
MY all-time #1 TV Show ! On Thursdays , right after " Family Ties " , Mary & I would cuddle on our couch, & just enjoy great, great, TV. Those were, looking back now, some of the happiest times of my life. ------------------MJL, 77 y/o
Damn, that suicide scene got me again, 40 years later....and wiser.😢 thanks for this great retrospective on one of the best or maybe even the best shows that ever was. Please make the same about Cheers. Tia. 👍
finally got around to watching this and wow that was one of the best things Ive ever seen on this platform
Big part of my early teens in Finland, incredible show.
Huh, I can see why this video took so long, with its length and the dedication you clearly placed into it. I'm definitely happy that it's out now, but I also appreciate you taking the time to make your points understandable and convincing. I will have to watch the show at some point, especially being an inspired writer myself!
It should be required watching for any writer as well as many other classic shows not just for learning purposes but anyone who just wants to be entertained by damn great television.
And, did you watch it?
Thank you for this very well produced trip down memory lane. 💜
The best TV show with the best theme tune ever.
I love this show and I´m watching it again on DVD. I think it has a lot of "Naked City", the great show from the 60s - personal dramas and all the stories we can see on the streets of big cities. I remember the young Dan Travanti in "Lost in Space", 3rd season. Thanks for the video. Greetings from São Paulo, Brazil.
Thank you for the upload. This was before my generation as well.
Year of B-Mask confirmed.
I went from ambivalent to fascinated in 10 minutes, and there was still 40 of them left.
Thank you very much for this well thought out retrospective. Just now revisiting this show having been there for the originals. I particularly appreciate the mention of Breaking Bad. I have always remembered that Hill Street made me feel the need to be in front of a television each week for the original shows. Not again until Breaking Bad did I feel that same urge. Hill Street Blues: seminal impactful show.
Amazing video! Hill Street Blues is one of a kind because it was different, groundbreaking and rooted in realism.
That RL Bronx Borrough Commander was surprisingly perceptive, AND wonderfully articulate with his thoughts - A side you *definitely* don't often get to see! 2:47
Thank you for mentioning my friend Jon Cypher as the, now what did you call him, oily Chief Daniels. Loved this retrospective. An amazing hour to sit here and have a big ole smile on my face. Thank you so much for focusing in on a special time in television. In answer to your question at the end, no there will never be another "Hill Street Blues" because there's no will to write and cast such an amazing show. The way you covered all aspects including "Fletch The Leach" was a work of art. Thanks again.
Thank you so much! Jon is a personal hero of mine, as both an actor and as one of the best characters on the show- I hope through this video more people can find it and experience just how wonderful his character was. Really glad you felt I did justice to the show generally, that means a lot =)
You're more than welcome. Like I said I spent a good hour reliving the reasons why this show will never be paralleled in my eyes. And yes, Jon is a friend. I wrote him and we became "pen pals" of a sort. I have a website dedicated to him if you would like to visit: joncypher.org I would love to feature this video in a post, if you don't mind. Jon checks out "his site" as he calls it. He'll likely see it there. I just loved though how you referred to him as "oily". I think the only time I ever saw him change briefly was in the episode where Frank was shot and he was talking with Joyce outside the hospital room. After he was back to same ole, same ole. Real "class" act Daniels was, right down to sexual harassment charge Mayo filed against him. The only thing you didn't mention was that Mayo and Daniels ended up together. Talk about irony that. Again, thanks for a stroll down memory lane. I had a ball.
The tryst with Patsy is something I really wanted to go into, among even more details I ended up leaving out. Maybe in the future I'll be able to revisit the show on other points.
I'd be more than happy for you to feature this! I've actually visited your site before, an absolutely brilliant resource so I have to thank you again for that. Would of course be delighted for Jon to know how much his work and the show are still appreciated.
I'm glad you mentioned Daniels at all and showed some of my favourite scenes with him. There would be the proclivity for some not to mention a relatively non-contract player. Daniels was the main antagonist of The Pizza Man so I was happy you did put him in there. As for the feature, I'll be posting it sometime today. I've told Jon how much people love him. I've had many emails come through the site that I've passed onto him. He's very thankful. He's now in retirement, but it all means so much to him. He loved working on "Hill Street Blues" and loved Daniels so much. He also loved working with the cast and crew of the show so I know he'll be thrilled to take a skip down that memory lane. Once again thank you so much for the lovely experience. You're aces.
Cypher is phenomenal. But for me, it was Patsy's date with Furillo in 5-1 that really stands out. I wish that romance had played out a bit more.
This is amazing.
One of the Best shows ever! Forget that, The Best!
How in the world, when going over the highlights of this amazing show, do you forget to include Season 3's opener, "Trial By Fury" which is one of the most amazing episodes of television every aired.
Really appreciated! I watched HSB from start to finish in the UK,taping most on VHS. Not watched properly for years as Dvd issues seem to have edited shows,including the pilot and even some which were in full on retail VHS tapes. Quite frankly my favourite show of all time. It wasn't until the advent of the internet that I discovered much of the back story to Hill Street, although there was a marvellous MTM book here in the UK around '84. Joyous to watch this, put a real smile on my face just now! Thanks again.
Thank you for sharing. Casting, characterization, acting and dialogue, were brilliant in this series. Humor, drama, action, suspense, with realistic slices of life circumstances embedded within it. How could you top that?
I've just finished watching the whole thing. Easily my favourite TV of all time. I'd watched the first series maybe 3 times before and a bit of the second series and loved it but I finally finished it and want to go again. It does change a lot over time and I miss the more overarching narratives across episodes that they had in the earlier series, as you had shown. But it was still great, and Buntz was a brilliant additional character. It had me in tears and laughter often within moments of each other.
"Let's Be Careful Out There." - Sgt. Phil Esterhaus
Never missed one episode, was in hospital and my husband fetched a small tv in so I could watch it . It ended up with a the girls on the ward watching in the dark in the day room . Magic!!!
This was an invigorating watch. Gonna check the show out.
You did an amazing job with this video. I remember watching this show when I was too young to ever understand it, but I watched it with my dad - rare moments chilling in a busy world. I'm looking forward to finding it streaming if I can.
Best show ever!
I heard of this show from a interview by legendary comic writer Peter David who was inspired by this show to basically do a run of spectacular spider-man which is a classic run especially with the storyline the death of Jean dewolfe
the theme .What a theme .If i play that now people cheer
Bless you for your fine work on this retrospective, it's a wonderful tribute. This is my favorite cop show of all time and the best theme song of any TV show EVER. I still watch the re-runs on You Tube. Well done sir!
HILL STREET BLUES WAS A TRUE ONE OF A KIND!
Always wanted to watch Hill Street but I think after this I'm definitely going to check it out
Great, I used to video the show (without the adverts) then watch the latest episode again (at least once) during the week.
I really appreciate that you put such effort into analyzing such an obscure show. I'm sure you knew it wouldn't be the most popular video you put on this channel but you had something you wanted to say about a show you're passionate about. That stands out in the fame driven culture on youtube nowadays. It gives an air of genuineness you don't see enough of anymore.
The video itself was excellent. Though I've never heard of the show, I watched the whole video. Entertaing and well scripted.
Idk, I feel like I'm gushing but I really do have respect for the consistently high quality of the videos on this channel.
ProjectJ This Show was among the thirty top-rated shows for almost six of its seven seasons, critically acclaimed throughout its run, and it won armloads of Emmys for years. It’s not all that obscure.
“Obscure”?? No.
Obscure? Hell it inspired almost every tv drama from Law and Order to Homicide to The Sopranos, The Shield, Breaking Bad, The Wire, Blue Bloods etc. it's almost like no quality television drama, especially cop drama since Hill Street came out would be here without it.
@@kendallrivers1119 ok ok I stand corrected lol. People have already let me know I was wrong years before you did.
@@xxProjectJxx lol yeah the wrath of fans can be deadly.
Thank you so much for doing this retrospective. Its fantastic.
I am discovering this series on Disney+ and I am loving it! I love watching content that was done before CGI screens were common… when there was an actual set with designers, good actors with real talent. Definitely a series I’m gonna watch more than once!
Am on season 2 what a show 10/10
Dayum this was a GREAT DOCUMENTARY about the best Cop Show EVER!
unforgetable show
Thank you for this video. Idk how I watched the whole thing. You crushed it man. Hill Street made it that much easier to make a retrospective because it is so compelling. Again, great video. Time to watch some Hill Street Blues.
Hill street blues hill street blues blues I've got those hill street blues
This was great. I am currently marathoning the show. Was a favorite of mine when I was a kid.
This video was so detailed, well structed and edited! I can only guess how many hours you put into it. Thank you :)
NYPD Blue never held a candle to this show. Nothing ever did.
Agreed. LA law and NYPD Blue were good but not in the class of HSB.
Great video! I really want to give this show a watch now
Tony Bouza, the police officer in the documentary at 03:18, only died on 26 Jun 2023. He was 94. He became chief of police in Minneapolis in 1980, retiring from policing in 1989.