"Hill Street Blues" (1981) TV series 1981-1987

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Creators:

Steven Bochco
Michael Kozoll
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

15 January 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The lives and work of the staff of an inner city police precinct.

Plot Keywords:

Inner City | Police | Cult TV | Gang Warfare | Policewoman

Awards:

Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 51 wins & 95 nominations

Cast

Daniel J. Travanti	...	Capt. Frank Furillo (101 episodes, 1981-1987)
Bruce Weitz	...	Sgt. Mick Belker (101 episodes, 1981-1987)
Betty Thomas	...	Officer Lucy Bates / ... (101 episodes, 1981-1987)
Michael Warren	...	Officer Robert 'Bobby' Hill (100 episodes, 1981-1987)
Taurean Blacque	...	Det. Neal Washington (100 episodes, 1981-1987)
Kiel Martin	...	Officer John 'J.D.' LaRue (100 episodes, 1981-1987)
Charles Haid	...	Officer Andrew Renko (100 episodes, 1981-1987)
Veronica Hamel	...	Joyce Davenport (100 episodes, 1981-1987)
James Sikking	...	Lt. Howard Hunter (99 episodes, 1981-1987)
Joe Spano	...	Det. Henry Goldblume (99 episodes, 1981-1987)
Barbara Bosson	...	Fay Furillo (88 episodes, 1981-1986)
René Enríquez	...	Lt. Ray Calletano (88 episodes, 1981-1985)
Ed Marinaro	...	Officer Joe Coffey (82 episodes, 1981-1986)
Robert Hirschfeld	...	Officer Leo Schnitz / ... (80 episodes, 1981-1985)
Michael Conrad	...	Sgt. Phil Esterhaus / ... (71 episodes, 1981-1984)
Jon Cypher	...	Chief Fletcher Daniels (46 episodes, 1981-1987)

(more)

Series Directed by
Christian I. Nyby II		(12 episodes, 1983-1987)
Gregory Hoblit		(9 episodes, 1981-1984)
David Anspaugh		(9 episodes, 1981-1983)
Thomas Carter		(8 episodes, 1982-1984)
Robert Butler		(6 episodes, 1981)
Georg Stanford Brown		(5 episodes, 1981-1982)
Randa Haines		(4 episodes, 1981-1983)
Arthur Allan Seidelman		(4 episodes, 1983-1984)
Rick Wallace		(4 episodes, 1983-1984)
Stan Lathan		(4 episodes, 1985-1987)
Corey Allen		(3 episodes, 1981-1984)
Arnold Laven		(3 episodes, 1981-1982)
Jeff Bleckner		(3 episodes, 1982-1983)
Alexander Singer		(2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Ben Bolt		(unknown episodes, 1985)
Scott Brazil		(unknown episodes)
Mark Frost		(unknown episodes)
John D. Hancock		(unknown episodes)
Ken Lavet		(unknown episodes)
Edwin Sherin		(unknown episodes)
Michael Switzer		(unknown episodes)
Don Weis		(unknown episodes)
Dale White		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Steven Bochco		(54 episodes, 1981-1987)
Jeffrey Lewis		(45 episodes, 1981-1987)
Michael I. Wagner		(34 episodes, 1982-1984)
Anthony Yerkovich		(31 episodes, 1981-1983)
David Milch		(31 episodes, 1982-1987)
Michael Kozoll		(24 episodes, 1981-1987)
Mark Frost		(17 episodes, 1982-1984)
Karen Hall		(15 episodes, 1982-1984)
Robert Crais		(3 episodes, 1981)
Roger Director		(3 episodes, 1984)
Lee David Zlotoff		(2 episodes, 1981)
Dennis Cooper		(2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Darrell Ray		(2 episodes, 1983)
Alan Toy		(2 episodes, 1983)
Jacob Epstein		(2 episodes, 1984-1985)
Dick Wolf		(2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Walon Green		(2 episodes, 1985)
David Black		(2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Gregory Hoblit		(1 episode, 1981)
Steve Bello		(unknown episodes)
Jerry Patrick Brown		(unknown episodes)
Floyd Byars		(unknown episodes)
Marjorie David		(unknown episodes)
Michael Duggan		(unknown episodes)
Neil Eglash		(unknown episodes)
Terry Curtis Fox		(unknown episodes)
George Goldsmith		(unknown episodes)
Barry Jay Kaplan		(unknown episodes)
Elia Katz		(unknown episodes)
Brad Kern		(unknown episodes)
Ron Koertge		(unknown episodes)
Jonathan Lemkin		(unknown episodes)
John Mankiewicz		(unknown episodes)
Jeff Melvoin		(unknown episodes)
Jerome Portman		(unknown episodes)
Frank Saperstein		(unknown episodes)
Robert Schlitt		(unknown episodes)
John William Sel		(unknown episodes)
Duncan Smith		(unknown episodes)
Frank South		(unknown episodes)
David Stenn		(unknown episodes)
David Stern		(unknown episodes)
Darrell Vienna		(unknown episodes)
Robert Ward		(unknown episodes)
Christian Williams		(unknown episodes)
Bob Woodward		(unknown episodes)
Russ Woody		(unknown episodes)
Jody Worth		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Gregory Hoblit	....	co-executive producer / supervising producer / ... (71 episodes, 1981-1984)
Steven Bochco	....	executive producer (69 episodes, 1981-1984)
Scott Brazil	....	supervising producer / associate producer / ... (57 episodes, 1981-1984)
David Anspaugh	....	producer / associate producer (50 episodes, 1981-1983)
David J. Latt	....	associate producer / co-producer (37 episodes, 1982-1984)
Anthony Yerkovich	....	producer / supervising producer (35 episodes, 1981-1983)
Jeffrey Lewis	....	producer (21 episodes, 1983-1984)
Sascha Schneider	....	producer (20 episodes, 1983-1984)
Michael Kozoll	....	executive producer (15 episodes, 1981)
Ellen S. Pressman	....	associate producer (13 episodes, 1983-1984)
Walon Green	....	co-producer (unknown episodes)
James C. Hart	....	associate producer (unknown episodes)
Robert Ward	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Christian Williams	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Mike Post		(66 episodes, 1981-1984)
Velton Ray Bunch		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
John C. Flinn III		(38 episodes, 1981-1984)
William Cronjager		(27 episodes, 1981-1982)
Terry K. Meade		(3 episodes, 1983)
Ron Vargas		(unknown episodes)
Jack Whitman		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Ray Daniels		(21 episodes, 1981-1984)
David Rosenbloom		(13 episodes, 1981-1982)
A. David Marshall		(8 episodes, 1981-1983)
Joe Ann Fogle		(7 episodes, 1983-1984)
Andrew Chulack		(6 episodes, 1981-1982)
Clay Bartels		(5 episodes, 1981)
Tom Stevens		(5 episodes, 1981)
David Saxon		(5 episodes, 1983-1984)
Jonathan Pontell		(unknown episodes, 1987)
Susan B. Browdy		(unknown episodes)
Tony de Zarraga		(unknown episodes)
Paul Dixon		(unknown episodes)
David Handman		(unknown episodes)
Susan Heick		(unknown episodes)
Alicia Hirsch		(unknown episodes)
Geoffrey Rowland		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Lori Openden		(52 episodes, 1981-1984)
Deborah Rosen		(18 episodes, 1981)
Geri Windsor		(14 episodes, 1981)

Series Production Design by
Ned Parsons		(unknown episodes, 1983-1987)
Jeffrey L. Goldstein		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Jeffrey L. Goldstein		(34 episodes, 1981-1982)
Ned Parsons		(19 episodes, 1983-1984)

Series Set Decoration by
James Cane		(50 episodes, 1981-1983)
Bruce A. Gibeson		(23 episodes, 1984-1985)
Rochelle Moser		(5 episodes, 1983)

Series Makeup Department
Bob Westmoreland	....	makeup artist (2 episodes, 1981-1984)

Series Production Management
Ted Rich	....	post-production supervisor (68 episodes, 1981-1984)
Sascha Schneider	....	unit production manager (47 episodes, 1981-1984)
Abby Singer	....	executive in charge of production: MTM Enterprises / executive in charge of production (47 episodes, 1981-1983)
Burt Bluestein	....	unit production manager (22 episodes, 1984-1985)
Cal Naylor	....	unit production manager (21 episodes, 1981-1982)
Bernard Oseransky	....	executive in charge of production (18 episodes, 1983-1984)
Carol Himes	....	production manager (15 episodes, 1981)
Penny Adams	....	unit production manager (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dale White	....	second assistant director / first assistant director (43 episodes, 1981-1984)
Jack Philbrick	....	second assistant director (36 episodes, 1982-1984)
Jim Charleston	....	second assistant director (19 episodes, 1983-1984)
Rick Wallace	....	first assistant director (16 episodes, 1981-1983)
Stephen Lim	....	first assistant director (16 episodes, 1981-1982)
Herb Adelman	....	first assistant director (16 episodes, 1982-1984)
Sam Epstein	....	second assistant director (12 episodes, 1981)
Cal Naylor	....	first assistant director (5 episodes, 1981)
Conrad Irving	....	second assistant director (3 episodes, 1983)
Paul Deason	....	first assistant director (2 episodes, 1981)
Marsha Gutierrez	....	second assistant director (2 episodes, 1983)
Scott Printz	....	dga trainee (unknown episodes, 1984)
Matthew Hintlian	....	second assistant director: 1985 (unknown episodes)
Babu Subramaniam 'T.R.'	....	second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Willie J. Thompson	....	property master (65 episodes, 1981-1984)
Dave DeGaetano	....	construction coordinator (2 episodes, 1981-1984)
Carrie Harris	....	assistant property master (unknown episodes)
Kirk S. Heinlen	....	assistant property master / property master (unknown episodes)
Timothy W. Tiedje	....	property master: Chicago (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Paul J. Diller	....	sound effects editor (80 episodes, 1981-1985)
Sam Horta	....	sound editor (66 episodes, 1981-1984)
Peter Reale	....	sound re-recording mixer (22 episodes, 1986-1987)
Bill Marky	....	production sound mixer (12 episodes, 1983-1984)
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist (7 episodes, 1984-1985)
David Schneiderman	....	production sound mixer (6 episodes, 1984)
John Asman	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Ken Beauchene	....	cable person (unknown episodes)
Ken Brocious	....	cable person (unknown episodes)
Don Cahn	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Jim Cook	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Bob Cornett	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Tim Drury	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)
Donald W. Ernst	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
William Gazecki	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Joseph Geisinger	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)
Tom Gerard	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Robert W. Glass Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Avram D. Gold	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Robert L. Harman	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Denise Horta	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Eileen Horta	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Ron Horwitz	....	supervising sound editor (unknown episodes)
Scott D. Jackson	....	supervising foley editor (unknown episodes)
Constance A. Kazmer	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Gary Krivacek	....	sound editor (unknown episodes)
Itzhak Magal	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Mark L. Mangino	....	sound effects editor (unknown episodes)
Sunny Meyer	....	sound mixer (unknown episodes)
Bill Nicholson	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)
Howard Wilmarth	....	sound re-recording mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Wayne Beauchamp	....	pyrotechnician (1 episode, 1981)
Ted Allen	....	special effects (unknown episodes)
Martin Bresin	....	special effects coordinator (unknown episodes)
Richard Ratliff	....	special effects coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Visual Effects by
Bill Kent	....	animation camera (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
John Escobar	....	assistant stunt coordinator (55 episodes, 1981-1987)
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts (3 episodes, 1981-1984)
Gardner Doolittle	....	stunt actor (3 episodes, 1983)
Phil Adams	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Charlie Brewer	....	stunt double (unknown episodes)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Thomas Dewier	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Tom Elliott	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Debbie Evans	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Peter Horak	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Monty Jordan	....	stunt double (unknown episodes)
Kim Kahana Jr.	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Fred Lerner	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Ray Lykins	....	assistant stunt coordinator / stunts (unknown episodes)
Buck McDancer	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Alan Oliney	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Ron Oliney	....	stunt double (unknown episodes)
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (unknown episodes)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
John C. Moulds	....	first assistant camera (12 episodes, 1981)
Patrick Fennell	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1981)
John Burnett	....	assistant camera: second unit, additional photography (unknown episodes)
Vincent Contarino	....	electrician (unknown episodes)
Paul Ferrara	....	key grip (unknown episodes)
Chris La Fountaine	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Karen Hudson	....	costumer: women (3 episodes, 1981-1984)
Robert M. Moore	....	costumer: men (2 episodes, 1981)

Series Editorial Department
Alec Smight	....	assistant editor (6 episodes, 1986-1987)
Gloria Gunn	....	assistant editor (4 episodes, 1981)

Series Music Department
Allan K. Rosen	....	music editor (65 episodes, 1981-1984)
Jim Weidman	....	music editor (13 episodes, 1981)
Bradley Carow	....	assistant music editor (unknown episodes)
Andy D'Addario	....	music scoring mixer (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver / production driver (28 episodes, 1981-1987)
Gina August	....	driver (22 episodes, 1985)
Frank Khoury	....	driver (2 episodes, 1981)

Series Other crew
Scott Hamilton	....	field publicist (129 episodes, 1981-1987)
Rich Sephton	....	car modifications (29 episodes, 1981-1982)
Craig Wyrick-Solari	....	production assistant (18 episodes, 1986-1987)
Maria Lease	....	script supervisor (8 episodes, 1983-1984)
Mimi Leder	....	script supervisor (7 episodes, 1983-1984)
Jesse Brewer	....	technical advisor (3 episodes, 1981-1984)
Marilyn Fiebelkorn	....	assistant to producers (2 episodes, 1981-1984)
Abby Singer	....	production consultant / production executive: MTM Enterprises (2 episodes, 1981-1984)
Terri Redman	....	assistant to producers / production assistant (2 episodes, 1981)
David Milch	....	executive story editor / story editor (2 episodes, 1982-1984)
Michael I. Wagner	....	executive story editor / story editor (2 episodes, 1982-1984)
Geri Windsor	....	executive in charge of talent (2 episodes, 1982-1984)
Jim Carberry	....	location manager (unknown episodes)
Adam Hill	....	shophand/set detail caster: CBS/MTM Studios (unknown episodes)
Jeffrey A. Humphreys	....	studio utility (unknown episodes)
Mark Rodney	....	stand-in (unknown episodes)

Series Thanks
Michael Conrad	....	in memory of (1 episode, 1983)

Production Companies

• MTM Enterprises
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1981-1987)

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox Television
• MTM Enterprises
• More4 (2005-) (UK) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1981-1987) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Special Effects

• Makeup Effects Laboratories

Runtime:

60 min (146 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

MTM Enterprises

Trivia:

Original plans were for this series to be shot with hand held 16mm cameras only and in black and white.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the opening credits when the police cars pull out of the garage, one of them has the overhead light bar on backwards. You can see that the others have the siren speakers between the lights facing front, while one as it facing to the trunk.

Quotes:

Sergeant Stan Jablonski: In light of the ongoing personnel shortage, I will be riding with Officer Bates today.
Sergeant Stan Jablonski: [Squadroom erupts in laughter] Hey, hey' They recommissioned the Wisconsin didn't they?
Detective J.D. La Rue: [laughing] Hey, and it sunk!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet: No Sex Please, We're Brickies (#2.7)" (1986)

Best show of its time - by a long way.

In the days of E.R and NYPD Blue, it's hard to remember just how ground-breaking a show HSB was. Nothing like it had ever been seen before. The quality of the acting and writing, the documentary look and feel, the seedy broken down environment, the brutally frank situations and language (for the time), the fact that the "bad" guys got away with it as often as not, the huge ensemble cast, the long one-take scenes, the unhappy endings etc. etc.

Needless to say, the American people wanted nothing to do with such quality at first - until it won a record number of Emmys and they couldn't ignore it anymore. If nothing else, this series proved to the networks that quality can sell soap after all.

If you like your E.R. think a kind thought for Hill Street Blues - the series that made it all possible.