Revolutionary cop drama with multiple long-running storylines acted by a big ensemble cast. Early example of liberal politics played out in a cop show
Hill Street Blues is a US inner city police drama serial from the 1980s, revolutionary and influential in several ways. The show deconstructs the `hero' cop common in much police drama from the 1950s onward, going so far as to mock the influence of the iconic High Noon, and suggest that Gary Cooper, and hero cops in general, act out of some primitive male hormonal need, rather than the needs of their community.
Replacing the Anglo, superman hero, the show gives us a sizeable core ensemble cast and an emphasis on teamwork by a racially diverse set of officers. Storylines play out among different groups of cops, often over 4-8 episodes. Reverse racism is a key element here: all of the Anglo officers are overly entitled and are either comically gung ho right-wingers (Hunter), have personal problems (JD & Renko), or get killed through there own arrogance and stupidity (Harris).
The writers are keen to show their audience the benefits of Liberal Enlightenment working on inner city streets. Thus, assimilated Italian-American, Captain Furillo, is presented as a universally respected wise man, who negotiates the peace with gang leaders, who tries to save young hoodlums from a life of crime or an early death, and who is not afraid to stand in harm's way to achieve such noble ends. At the precinct, Furillo is polticially bordered to the left by the erudite & idealistic Jewish lieutenant Goldblume. Furillo's reward at the end of a hard day is the comfort of pretty public defender, Hamel. She, being even more liberal than he, allows Furillo to appear measured and practical, by comparison.
Down in the trenches, the troops are led by the tall, handsome, & charming Sgt Esterhaus, who acts as liaison with Furillo and father figure to the patrolmen. Each episode begins with Esterhaus leading morning rollcall, which serves as a recap, a preview of later action, and a little ceremony for the viewers. Esterhaus always ends by warning his troops, `Let's be careful out there,' before the titles roll and we hear the superlative piano theme tune.
Out on the streets, cases are worked by two ebony & ivory partnerships: Hill & Renko, JD & Washington, as well as by solo undercoverman, Belker. The early episodes are a bit misleading in their attempts to develop character: Washington is initially a little camp and flamboyant, and Belker is presented as almost a wild dog, but they become far more professional later. JD is initially presented as an attractive ladies' man, but soon becomes a boozy loser. Renko claims to be from New Jersey, but his accent clearly hails from south of the Mason-Dixon line. This plays into how far his black partner, Hill, is justified in assuming Renko is a closet racist. Despite these minor teething issues, all these characters seem fairly true to life, and one can forgive a little early overacting.
Overall, we get a picture of postwar, liberal, inner-city policies carried out by caring, brave cops and public defenders. To the writers, the caring is key, since if one cares, surely one is doing the best possible for one's community. However, the American electorate were tired of 30 years of failed liberalism and rising murder statistics. Even before the first episode aired, they had elected the hard-line, right-wing Reagan as president. As the 80s evolved, it was right-wing, zero-tolerance policing which helped make inner city streets safe again, admittedly at the cost of increasing the number of those in jail. Thus, although the gung ho Lt Hunter is ridiculed, it is he who is on the right side of history, not Furillo. Nonetheless, it all makes for very entertaining drama, and a template for future cop and hospital dramas down to the present day.
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Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
