Brooklyn South

I am a Cop, a Big City Cop. At least I was one for nearly 35 years, which was just about all of my adult life. So, just because life doesn't require sitting through at Roll Calls, patrolling the streets, nor attendance in various Court Rooms, from Traffic Court to Felony Courts and the Grand Jury; the identity is still the same, a Cop.

And, being that the Statute of Limitations have now run their course, the time is ripe. They say that Confession is good for the Soul, so it must be that time. It's high time to get all of this off my chest. So please, bear with me. Thank you.

I like Cop Shows, good Cop Shows, that is. Certain Series such as : "ADAM 12", "POLICE STORY", "HILL STREET BLUES" and the perennial NBC Favourite, "LAW & ORDER" and its family, these are programs that combine a certain level of realism, blended in with high entertainment value.

Sometimes, the public forgets that Policemen are just like any other grown-up boys, only more so. Cops like their toys and they like their fantasies. When DIRTY HARRY with Clint Eastwood hit the Screens in 1971, it was all Clint Eastwood for America's Cops. So we saw Dirty Harry type haircuts, Harry like sport jackets and the like. And there wasn't a Smith & Wesson, Model 29, .44 Magnum Calibre Pistol left for sale in any gun shops in these United States.

So a little make believe can go along way, for anyone, even the Police.

In "BROOKLYN SOUTH" we have a Stephen Bochco Production that has quite a Family Tree. It's a cousin of "NYPD BLUE" and is also distantly related to that most prolific progenitor, the Abraham of Cop Shows, "HILL STREET BLUES".

Like all the previous efforts from Mr. Bochco, quality reigned supreme. The writing, the cinematography, costuming, color work and cast were all tops. A fine group of actors, both veteran and youthful, formed a sort of repertory company of NY City Police. Among those featured, my own favourites were: "HILL STREET" veteran, James B. Sikking as Captain Jones, Michael DeLuise as Officer Phil Roussakoff and the very underrated and unappreciated Gary Basaraba as Desk Sgt.Richard Santoro, who got promoted to Lieutenant during the short, 22 episode run of "BROOKLYN SOUTH".* Mr. Bochco and Company were attempting to do what is most difficult, and that is namely, to do a successful series not about the 'Big Heat' Detectives; but rather one dealing with the 'grunts', the infantryman of the Police Department, the Uniformed Patrolmen.

NOTE: * We see that the entire series is available on DVD. Quick, someone tell my family! Christmas is just a little more than 2 weeks away.