Hill Street Blues

[Dan Gould]

Used a holiday gift card to purchase the first season DVD, and finally set aside some time this weekend to watch a few episodes. What a terrific show that was. Too bad I don't think sales were strong enough to justify subsequent seasons being released - would be great to see Dennis Franz again in the role that jump-started his career. But Belker, Sgt Esterhauz, Hill and Renko, had a great time revisiting them all.

And I have to note that Veronica Hamel starred in quite a few dreams when I was 16 - and that I still love that theme song, so simple yet so affecting.

Any other fans?

[Jason Drake]

typewriters banging away, smoking in the office, saloon bars that have the blues playing in the background.....

When I re-watched the Season One DVD last year I was surprised how the show made the right wing militarist policeman, Lt Hunter, so cartoonish/bufoonish and quite beyond the pale. If I remember he was made more human as the series progressed thereby diluting the quite explicit liberal stance. In fact, the whole programme became more mainstream as the ratings grew...although I think that comment could apply to a few other programmes as well...............

[Hardbopjazz]

Even Netflix doesn't have Hill Street Blues to stream. As you said Dan, after season one, no other seasons were released.

[Daniel A]

Actually, I believe season two was released as well. It was a very good show, especially during the "Esterhaus period".

[cliffpeterson]

Dennis Franz actually played two different characters at least one season apart. A great show.

[Dan Gould]

Yes, he was first cast a corrupt cop and he impressed so much they brought him back in a new role written for him.

[Dave Garrett]

Actually, I believe season two was released as well. It was a very good show, especially during the "Esterhaus period".

Season two was indeed released on DVD - Amazon currently has both seasons one and two for $9.99 each. They also have season three streaming on Amazon Instant Video, which I was unaware of until just now.

[Dan Gould]

The fact that Season 3 is available to stream, though hardly my preferred viewing method, at least gives me hope that other seasons will be made available.

Oh, and I forgot to mention in my initial post - I hated Fay Furillo then, and I still hate her now. Her one-note character was grating from the get-go.

[gmonahan]

Fans have been requesting the whole series on dvd for a long time. Seasons 1 and 2 have been available for years, season 3 for streaming relatively recently. One can only hope the rest of the series will finally make it onto disc. It was a helluva fine show.

[JSngry]

And I have to note that Veronica Hamel starred in quite a few dreams when I was 16

Was it my imagination, my changing tastes, or a reality that she lost weight/got skinnier as the series progressed?

[Dan Gould]

And I have to note that Veronica Hamel starred in quite a few dreams when I was 16

Was it my imagination, my changing tastes, or a reality that she lost weight/got skinnier as the series progressed?

Don't remember but if she did, the weights come back with a vengeance. I just finished watching the featurette on the series, and I'm not sure if she still qualifies as attractive, the cosmetic work done is just too obvious. Charles Haid has had a lot of work done, but he wasn't too attractive to begin with.

FWIW, Season 3 doesn't have to be streamed for $1.99 an episode. Hulu.com has each episode, and you could watch all the episodes for $7.99 for a month's membership. Or if you can devote the time, you could use their one week free deal.

[paul secor]

Here's a relatively recent photo of Veronica Hamel. I don't understand this "youthful forever" thing. If we live long enough, we'll all get old. Why have surgery that makes you look like a humanoid?

Edited February 17, 2013 by paul secor

[Chuck Nessa]

True.

[JSngry]

An old humanoid at that.

[Dan Gould]

Wow. She looked much more human in 2002 when the featurette was filmed. A tad heavier and actually still human-looking just unnaturally younger than she is/was. Now she just looks hideous.

[TedR]

Here's a relatively recent photo of Veronica Hamel. I don't understand this "youthful forever" thing. If we live long enough, we'll all get old. Why have surgery that makes you look like a humanoid?

Are you sure that's not Bo Derek?

[paul secor]

The photo was listed on a website which identified it as Veronica Hamel. Checking properties, it does come up as Bo Derek. My apologies to Ms. Hamel and her fans.

Here's another photo which is supposed to be Veronica Hamel. Not quite as bad a plastic surgery job, but still much the same.

[Quincy]

Here's a relatively recent photo of Veronica Hamel. I don't understand this "youthful forever" thing. If we live long enough, we'll all get old. Why have surgery that makes you look like a humanoid?

Are you sure that's not Bo Derek?

So you at least occasionally glanced Bo's face in those wonderful movies of hers. It is a relief to get this clarified as it would have been one of the more startling plastic surgery brow lift - eye job etc. if that was Veronica.

[ghost of miles]

Bumping this after referring to the theme song in another thread, just to mention that the complete series did eventually come out on DVD via Shout Factory, God bless 'em:

Hill Street Blues: The Complete Series

... I'm only a few episodes into season 1, but it's holding up nicely in almost all respects.  The series debuted when I was a teenager, and I, my dad, and my mom (who was a prosecutor) all became instant fans.  Didn't see it as regularly after I left for college (no cable TV in the dorms in those primitive years! and beyond my meager student means when I moved to an off-campus apartment), so there's a lot I missed from the show's final years.

Edited February 23, 2022 by ghost of miles

[Ken Dryden]

Her cheeks look way too puffy, she had a striking look back when the series aired, though I’m sure smoking didn’t help her skin.

I always found the captain’s ex-wife so annoying that I kept hoping she would be written out by getting killed off. She added nothing to the show.

[Patrick]

Was that Barbara Bosson, then wife of show creator Steven Bochco? No chance she was getting written off the show. 

[gmonahan]

On 3/6/2022 at 9:37 PM, Patrick said:

Was that Barbara Bosson, then wife of show creator Steven Bochco? No chance she was getting written off the show. 

Yep, that was the case. But I'm with Ken on that character.

 

 

gregmo