Amazon.com Essentials:
Hill Street Blues was a pivotal show
in television history. It was a move away from the larger-than-life
cop action shows such as S.W.A.T. and Starsky and Hutch,
although it was still stylistically a while before the gritty realism
of NYPD Blue or Law and Order. Hill Street Blues
was more down-to-earth: cops could get shot, relationships were
difficult, characters you loved could be killed (remember that painful
moment of silence for the beloved Sergeant Esterhaus?). But there was
also the occasional surreal moment that gave each episode a rare
energy.
The Very Best of Hill Street Blues showcases the magic of the
long-running series: the wonderful ensemble cast headed by Daniel Travanti
and Veronica Hamel, the consistently excellent writing, and the multi-episode
plot lines, which were engaging and significant. The moving force behind
the magic was Steven Bochco, whose ingenious concept for the look and the
feel of the show changed the way television was made. This seven episode
series is a testament to just how good a TV drama can be. --Brendan J.
LaSalle
