Hill Street Blues, revisited

[ftg]

We are currently watching an episode a night. Gotten to early season 4.

The low bar for acting was set by Ed Marinaro in his early episodes.

For it’s time, it had a huge cast with a lot of stuff going on. I think this might have lead to corners being cut which affected the acting.

Take one of my favorites: Charles Haid/Renko.

Haid is the highlight of my favorite scene from one of my favorite movies: Altered States. The rant he gives when backed into a corner and ends up reciting his resume is classic. (NSFW language)

YouTube

He does a much better job in AS than at any time in HSB. The jokey Texas drawl is tiring.

And what kind of PD doesn’t have the city name anywhere on their uniforms or cars?

[Penfeather]

@cochrane

Yes, WordMan posted that in post #8, back in 2010.

I missed that :smack: Still good enough to mention twice, though.

[ftg]

One of the weak points we noticed early on is the character of Fay, Frank’s ex.

She shows up at the wrong time, whines, annoys Frank, etc. And her subplot rarely connects to anything else. Seemed like a nearly pointless character with no real purpose.

Then I looked on IMDb. Oh … Bochco’s then-wife. So her scenes do have a purpose: get the missus on screen and throw some salary her way.

He also had his son on twice as Frank Jr. and his daughter on once.

Don’t make casting and story decisions based on family. (Ozzie and Harriet would have been much better if a real actress played Harriet.:))

[Little_Nemo]

@ftg

One of the weak points we noticed early on is the character of Fay, Frank’s ex.

She shows up at the wrong time, whines, annoys Frank, etc. And her subplot rarely connects to anything else. Seemed like a nearly pointless character with no real purpose.

Then I looked on IMDb. Oh … Bochco’s then-wife. So her scenes do have a purpose: get the missus on screen and throw some salary her way.

He also had his son on twice as Frank Jr. and his daughter on once.

Don’t make casting and story decisions based on family. (Ozzie and Harriet would have been much better if a real actress played Harriet.:))

Bochco cast her again in his next series, Hooperman, a comedy-drama police series starring John Ritter. Bosson played the precinct captain. It was a different character than she played in Hill Street Blues and, as I recall, she handled it well.

[Clothahump]

@It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery

I bought my wife the DVDs for Season 1 of Hill Street Blues, and have been watching some of them with her.

One thing I’ve noticed - the acting mostly sucks! Other than Travanti and Hamel, everyone is obviously reading lines from a script. Shatner could outact most of these. I’m figuring the acting MUST improve later on; wasn’t this considered the best drama on TV through the 1980s?

The writing is pretty melodramatic; most current shows seem to have much better scripts.

Also, it’s interesting to see all the smoking, drinking, and sexual harassment that occurred onscreen. Those days are gone.

Loved HSB. And don’t forget its predecessor, Police Story. The Joseph Wambaugh one, not the Jackie Chan one.

[mikecurtis]

@ftg

. . .She shows up at the wrong time, whines, annoys Frank, etc. And her subplot rarely connects to anything else. Seemed like a nearly pointless character with no real purpose. . .

I always felt that was the purpose of the character; that sometimes your non-work life intrudes in seemingly non plot advancing ways in your work life. The opposite of the usual tv trope of work life intruding in the home life.

mc

[BobArrgh]

@Little_Nemo

Bochco cast her again in his next series, Hooperman, a comedy-drama police series starring John Ritter. Bosson played the precinct captain. It was a different character than she played in Hill Street Blues and, as I recall, she handled it well.

Don’t forget that she was also in Cop Rock. Wow, that was a real stinker of a show. I actually liked the first 1 or 2 episodes I saw, but the break-into-song routine grated after a while. If I want to watch a musical, I’ll watch something by Rogers & Hammerstein, thankyouverymuch.

[WordMan]

@Little_Nemo

Didn’t Ha used to post on this board?

It was Xander Cannon who used to hang out here.

[glee]

I love the theme tune, composed by Mike Post.

[Saintly_Loser]

@glee

I love the theme tune, composed by Mike Post.

Post wrote a lot of theme songs for television shows. My favorite was the theme from The Rockford Files.

[cochrane]

@glee

I love the theme tune, composed by Mike Post.

@Saintly_Loser

Post wrote a lot of theme songs for television shows. My favorite was the theme from The Rockford Files.

The Who are big-time Mike Post fans.

Mike Post Theme

[Elendil_s_Heir]

I loved HSB back in the day! A great gritty cop drama with a terrific ensemble cast. It definitely got better as it went on.

@Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker

And keep your eye on the pickpocket that Belker is constantly busting. Usually he shows up in one scene at the beginning of the ep, and he gives Belker a fake punny name.

My favorite is when Belker busts him for stealing some skiis. The detective rolls the arrest report into his battered old typewriter, glares at the perp and snarls, “Name?”

The perp says unconcernedly, “Killy, Jean-Claude.”

Jean-Claude Killy

@Mean_Mr.Mustard

I came in here to mention Howard, my favorite character.

I still remember his line from an episode where he was watching the squad practice for an upcoming charity basketball game: “Judas Priest, I’ve seen better free throw mechanics from the gol-darn Vietnamese!”…

I have been known to mutter, when disgusted, “Judas Priest, Frank…”

[Robot_Arm]

@Elendil_s_Heir

My favorite is when Belker busts him for stealing some skiis. The detective rolls the arrest report into his battered old typewriter, glares at the perp and snarls, “Name?”

I liked the one where he arrested a mime.

[Kent_Clark]

@ftg

Don’t make casting and story decisions based on family. (Ozzie and Harriet would have been much better if a real actress played Harriet.:))

Not to mention if real actors had played Ozzie, David, and Ricky.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Robot_Arm

I liked the one where he arrested a mime.

Remind me what happens (although I can imagine)?

[Robot_Arm]

@Elendil_s_Heir

Remind me what happens (although I can imagine)?

I couldn’t begin to do the scene justice, but it’s on youtube, although someone cropped it (presumably to avoid detection for copyright infringement) and the scene suffers for it. Belker is undercover in a chicken costume trying to attract customers into a restaurant, and a mime has been mocking him all day.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Robot_Arm

I couldn’t begin to do the scene justice, but it’s on youtube, although someone cropped it (presumably to avoid detection for copyright infringement) and the scene suffers for it. Belker is undercover in a chicken costume trying to attract customers into a restaurant, and a mime has been mocking him all day.

Ah, yes - thanks. And check out a young Tim Robbins as a cop at 29:11!

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

@ftg

[Charles Haid] does a much better job in AS than at any time in HSB. The jokey Texas drawl is tiring. . . .

He’s a drug store cowby. In one of the first several eps, Renko comments that he’s from. . . New Jersey!

[The_Peyote_Coyote]

I recently watched an episode, and I think it holds up well. In fact, I would call it one of the best shows ever. I was a young party animal back in the '80’s, yet I was always home on Thursday nights to watch that show.

[Kent_Clark]

@ftg

One of the weak points we noticed early on is the character of Fay, Frank’s ex.

Bear with Fay for a couple of seasons until they finally give her character something to do other than nag Frank. At some point Joyce encourages Frank to see things from Fay’s point of view, and his relationship with her gets a little more civil. Finally, Joyce and Fay will find a moment to bond.

That doesn’t mean I think either Veronica Hamel or Barbara Bosson was a great actor. The two most consistently good performance in the show were Travanti and James B. Sikking.

And anytime Barbara Babcock shows up, you’re in for a real treat!