Hill Street Blues (TV Series) Hill Street Station (1981) User Reviews

It Had to Be Done

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 4 July 2021]

I know that for some this wasn't a cohesive episode. One guy throws out the entire series because he doesn't like the pilot. What we have here is a couple hours to give us a glimpse of the characters that will continue in one of the finest shows ever on television. The problem is that once can't begin to get some depth. Furillo is a masterful leader, but the business with Faye diminishes him. She is too much in this episode. Hill and Renko are but a shadow of what they will be. LaRue, the leach is one dimensional. Howard Hunter is former military and had absolutely no compassion or real intelligence., He is untrustworthy. Henry Goldblum is weak and ineffectual. Joyce Davenport is the love interest and at this time treated like a piece of meat by those in the precinct. Ray is a dullard. Michael Conrad's Phil is consistent but too cute at this point. Then, of course, we have the gangs and their leaders, led by Trinidad Silva's Jesus. We don't even meet Betty Thomas or other female police officers. Belker is so ridiculous as to be laughable with the biting. He is caricaturing himself. The point is that all these characters and more will become interesting and the plots will develop. There will be sadness, loss, elation, humor, confrontation, fairness, unfairness, and so on. I was working two jobs when this show began. I had one night a week off, Thursdays. I never missed this show fpr the six years I was in that situation. On my top ten list. Plan to watch as many as I can for a second time.

Outstanding pilot for the terrific TV series

[Woodyanders · 10/10 · 23 July 2010]

The acclaimed and award-winning show that revolutionized the cop drama by showing the emotional consequences of police work starts off with a bang with this strong and impressive pilot: Firm and diplomatic, but harried and stressed-out Captain Frank Furillo (splendidly played by Daniel J. Travanti) has his hands full dealing with his bitter ex-wife Fay (Barbara Bosson working wonders with a potentially irritating character), a tense hostage situation, and the shooting of two of his best officers. All the sterling hallmarks of the series are present and accounted for here: restless and agile cinematography, a gripping and literate script, sharp, slangy, overlapping dialogue, a welcome and refreshing emphasis on stark realism over sappy sentiment, moments of comedy that are effortlessly blended with the basic gritty drama, stories that take place in a single day, characters who are utterly believable warts'n'all real life people (even the so-called villains are presented as human, as evidenced by the lovely moment when Trinidad Silva's fearsome gang leader Jesus Martinez requests that Furillo provide a police escort for his ailing mother who needs to go to the hospital every Tuesday for cancer treatment), rundown and dangerous urban locations, long unbroken takes, Mike Post's lovely and gently melodic score (the theme is quite haunting and beautiful), and startling outbursts of sudden brutal violence (officers Robert "Bobby" Hill and Andy Renko both get shot by dope pushers when they inadvertently stumble into a drug deal in progress). The super and seamless ensemble cast portray the colorful and engagingly flawed characters with admirable skill and conviction, with especially stand-out work by Michael Conrad as the bluff and avuncular Sgt. Phil Freemason Esterhaus, Michael Warren as the easygoing Bobby Hill, Bruce Weitz as the fierce and animalistic Sgt. Mick Belker, Kiel Martin as the slick and cocky John LaRue, James B. Sikking as the gung-ho Lt. Howard Hunter, Joe Spano as the compassionate Detective Henry Goldblume, and Charles Haid as loud and rowdy good ol' boy cowboy cop Andrew Renko. Special kudos are in order for Veronica Hamel, who completely hits it out of the ballpark with her fiery portrayal of fetching and aggressive no-nonsense public defender Joyce Davenport (in a fantastic climactic reveal we find out that she's romantically involved with Captain Furillo). Essential viewing for fans of the show.

Nostalgia and childhood memories

[llewellynf1974 · 10/10 · 1 April 2020]

I used to watch this as a kid when it first aired in 1981, I was 7 years old and living in Malaysia.

30 years on, I now live in The UK and I'm watching it again and it's both strange but refreshing in a funny sort of way to see how these cops (fictionally and in real life) functioned & worked everyday without the use or aid of computers, WiFi, faxes, mobile phones - all the things we take for granted today.

I guess in 30 years from now, things will be even more different and the items we use today will seem dated 3 decades on.

In tribute to the late Steven Bochco, I'm reviewing the series that made his reputation "Hill Street Blues"

[tavm · 10/10 · 4 April 2018]

After I found out TV maverick Steven Bochco died a few days ago, I've been looking online at info about the series that made his reputation, this one. I then looked on YouTube to see if any eps of it was on there. So it was with that that I finally got to watch the pilot that started it all! As with subsequent eps, it begins with the Roll Call in which Sgt. Esterhaus mentions various items. From there, Capt. Frank Furillo has to deal with a holdup at a store and the gangs involved as well as his ex-wife complaining about a bounced check and their son's condition! That ex, Fay, was played by Bochco's wife at the time, Barbara Bosson. I'll stop and just say Steven and his then-writing partner, Michael Kozoll, created such a dramatically stirring as well as humorously entertaining mix of stories here that served them well during the show's 7-year run. I can't wait to watch subsequent eps on YT and then reviewing them on this site...

Let's be careful out there.

[Hey_Sweden · 10/10 · 20 September 2019]

The excellent, landmark TV cop show 'Hill Street Blues' began here, and it was a landmark show because it didn't try to glamourize this profession. It attempted to be as truthful and realistic as possible (while still indulging in some dramatic licence, to be sure). Here, the ongoing professional and personal lives of the officers and detectives at Hill Street Station begin with a bang.

You have to give a lot of credit to the weary but dedicated Captain Frank Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti), who kept a level head while being handed a steady diet of chaos. Among the story threads here: high-strung Renko (Charles Haid) and easygoing Hill (Michael Warren) enter into a dangerous situation after their car has been stolen, the fairly shady LaRue (Kiel Martin) tries to win the hand of feisty public defender Joyce Davenport (Veronica Hamel), a hostage situation develops inside a liquor store, and Franks' ex-wife Fay (Barbara Bosson) makes the first of her appearances wherein she nags at him in front of everyone.

Also making the first of his appearances is a hilarious Nick Savage (Ali in "Friday the 13th Part III") as a pickpocket, who always gives a different name to the grizzled tough guy Belker (Bruce Weitz), who will then typically get an annoying phone call from his mother. Yes, 'Hill Street Blues' had a healthy amount of humour to go with its very serious drama, which just made it more endearing of a series.

Travanti is excellent, but the entire ensemble cast shines, as this pilot introduces the aforementioned characters as well as people like Sergeant Esterhaus (Michael Conrad), whose roll calls begin each episode, James B. Sikking as the hilariously gung-ho SWAT team leader, Joe Spano as Lieutenant Goldblume, Taurean Blacque as Detective Washington, and Rene Enriquez as Lieutenant Calletano. Guest starring are other familiar faces such as Panchito Gomez, Trinidad Silva, Gary Grubbs, and Vernon Washington. Andy Garcia and Steven Bauer (the latter uncredited) have bit parts.

To this date, that main musical theme by TV veteran Mike Post never fails to move this viewer.

10 out of 10.

One and Done

[LittleStorpingInTheSwuff · 1/10 · 27 May 2018]

I didn't watch this show when it originally aired and am I so glad! After suffering through this drivel I still can't figure out if this is supposed to be a crime drama acting as a sitcom, or a sitcom trying to pose as a police drama. The acting is mediocre, the plot was pathetic, the characters uninteresting.

It ran for seven years so somebody must have watched it back then. For me the pilot was more than I want to watch. It's one and done for this show.