Tag: HLOTS

Are you old enough to remember 1993? 

 I remember it well.  

My daughters were in 11th grade, exploring the excruciating process of growing up.  

We had a big year at our theatre, producing Assassins, Evita and The Music Man. I can’t imagine tackling such a demanding schedule now. 

The Toronto Blue Jays repeated as World Series champions, becoming the first team outside the US border to win baseball’s highest prize.

William Jefferson Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd President of The United State on January 20. 

And on January 31, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills by a score of 52 to 17. The victory would begin a ’90’s dynasty for the Cowboys. The game also represented the third consecutive Super Bowl loss for the Bills, who would go on to lose a fourth the following year.

But this post is only incidentally connected to any of the above. 

Following the presentation of the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Jerry Jones…and the celebration that followed, the NBC television network launched the debut of a new police drama….Homicide: Life on the Street. That show would have a profound impact on me which has continued to this day. 

It was based on a book written by David Simon, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets.  In this book, Simon journaled his first hand experiences having been embedded with the Baltimore city police. 

Simon sent his book to film director and Baltimore native, Barry Levinson, in hopes it might be adapted to a motion picture. But Levinson thought the multiple aspects of the work might make it more suitable as a television drama. It portrayed police differently than television had previously rendered. Cops displayed character complications which might be intense, emotional or hysterically funny.  Levinson sought the services of screenwriter Paul Attanasio to adapt the many characters in Simon’s book to a manageable series pilot episode

So on that Super Bowl evening in 1993, Attanasio’s creation (directed by Levinson) hit the airways.  I remember watching and loving it that night, along with my wife Carolyn who was equally affected.

The series featured a strong ensemble cast, including:

Andre Braugher, as Detective Frank Pembleton, a brilliant but intense investigator.

Kyle Secor, as Detective Tim Bayliss, whose personal struggles added depth to the show.

Richard Belzer, as Detective John Munch, a sardonic detective who later became a mainstay on Law & Order: SVU

Yaphet Kotto, as Lieutenant Al Giardello, the head of the unit.

Clark Johnson, Melissa Leo, Daniel Baldwin, Ned Beatty, Jon Polito and many others also played key roles throughout the series.

 

Tom Fontana was the show-runner and chief writer throughout the program’s seven year run.  

HLOTS addressed issues such as race, gender, mental health, and corruption, often without clear resolutions, emphasizing the ambiguity of justice. This was quite different from the usual cop show. 

Much of Homicide was shot with hand-held, shaky cameras and faded colorings resulting in a gritty, realistic quality. It depicted real, human police detectives cracking jokes at gruesome murder scenes instead of solemnly vowing justice; serialized stories that arced over several episodes; and heart-rending killings that would got unsolved. It was a criminal justice program without gun battles or car chases.  The show was filmed mostly on location in Baltimore.  And I absolutely loved it.

DVDs of each season were released following the conclusion of the show’s run in 1999.  I, of course, purchased all seven seasons.  I have the episodes faithfully ripped to my Plex server and have watched and re-watched many times. 

So, why was this prestigious police drama never made available for streaming?  No one will really say, although it’s been hinted that clearing the music rights was a huge issue.  Musicians! Grrr!

Well, say “hallelujah!” Because this past August, the Peacock service released Homicide: Life on the Street  to its video subscribers.  Now…..I have not been a Peacock patron. I am annoyed that so many different platforms have their hands out for my dinero every month.  But….it’s Homicide….for crying out loud…..Homicide!!!. …in HD and with enhanced audio.  C’mon!  So last week I bit the bullet and subscribed.  And, I’ve gotta say, so far, I’m glad I did. Although the reviews of the Peacock refresh have been decidedly mixed. (Image cropping has been criticized and much of the music we loved is gone (double grrr!) Still, I find it a wonderful gift. To me both the video and sound are fantastic. It’s like discovering the gang all over again. 

Then I received yet another pleasant surprise. Would you believe there is not one, but two accompanying podcasts to the show?  I’ve already experienced the aptly titled Homicide:Life on Repeat. It is hosted by Reed Diamond, who played Detective Mike Kellerman and Kyle Secor, who portrayed Detective Tim Baylis.  Now, as you may know, I love to listen to podcasts.  And, believe me….this is a good podcast. The hosts are personable and entertaining. They also bring great insider insights to the show. Yup….great! 

A second podcast, Homicide: Life on the Set, is hosted by Susan C. Ingram and Chris Carr, lesser known entities but still eagerly anticipated.

So….if you were too young in the ’90’s or simply never got around to it, I highly recommend you check out Homicide: Life on the Street.  And while you’re at it, why not give a listen to Homicide: Life on Repeat and/or Homicide: Life on the Set.  You can find both podcasts on the YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.  Enjoy!