Homicide: Life on the Street 

A police homicide investigation unit investigates violent crimes in the city of Baltimore.

Creator:

Paul Attanasio

Stars:

Richard Belzer, Clark Johnson, Yaphet Kotto

Top Rated TV #160 | Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 21 wins & 82 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Richard Belzer	...	John Munch 122 episodes, 1993-1999
Clark Johnson	...	Meldrick Lewis 122 episodes, 1993-1999
Yaphet Kotto	...	Al Giardello 122 episodes, 1993-1999
Kyle Secor	...	Tim Bayliss 122 episodes, 1993-1999
Andre Braugher	...	Frank Pembleton 100 episodes, 1993-1998
Melissa Leo	...	Kay Howard / ... 77 episodes, 1993-1997
Reed Diamond	...	Mike Kellerman 69 episodes, 1995-1998
Sharon Ziman	...	Naomi 51 episodes, 1993-1999

Storyline

A one-hour drama inspired by David Simon's acclaimed non-fiction book "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets." It is at once a mundane yet compelling look in and around a Homicide unit of the Baltimore Police Department, a group of determined individuals who are committed to their grim job at hand.

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Plot Keywords:

social commentary | justice | violence | police station | based on real people | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 January 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Homicide

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Baltimore Pictures, Fatima Productions, MCEG/Sterling Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min (122 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jon Polito originally read for the part of Detective Lewis but requested to be cast in the part of Crosetti. The character was not named Crosetti in the original script but the name was changed to reflect Polito's Italian heritage.

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Goofs

Throughout the series, the Homicide department is shown as being divided into two shifts of detectives. At the time, the department was divided into three shifts, with each shift covering eight hours of the day.

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Quotes

[Pembleton needs the clothes of a brain-dead child for evidence]
Det. Frank Pembleton: I need you to give me these clothes.
Joan Garbarek: I can't.
Det. Frank Pembleton: You have to!
Joan Garbarek: I *have* to? Let me tell you what I *have* to do today, okay? I have to go in there and I have to watch the doctors pinch Patrick's legs. I have to watch them stick pins at the bottoms of his feet. I have to watch them pour cold water, first in his right ear, then in his left, to see if his eyes moved today. And I have to hear them tell me that they don't. His eyes don't. I...

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Connections

Referenced in Love and a Bullet (2002)

User Reviews

one of the best cop shows if not THE best

Sorry Law and Order, but there's just something special about this show and there's more of a place for it in my heart, and it has nothing to do with the fact it takes place in my home state (well OK, that's does have something to do with it). It had an unconventional style different from that of L & O, but there were times I found it to be more intellectual.

There was never a bad episode, and the casting was all good, especially Andre Braugher, Yaphet Kotto, Kyle Secor, and Richard Belzer. It's too bad that some cast members left earlier than they should of (Ned Beatty, Jon Polito), but they were ably replaced.

It's really a shame that more people didn't watch this show which led to its cancellation, and appreciate it more with some of the crap that's on TV these days, which is a sad commentary on TV viewers as a whole. Oh well, there's always the reruns on Court TV.