"LET?S BE CAREFUL OUT THERE." So ends each roll call session at the Hill Street station house. As the cops and detectives head out to the streets, Captain Frank Furillo begins the delicate balancing act of providing enough... more » protection for the law-abiding citizens without inciting the neighborhood gangs and local criminal elements who are openly hostile towards any police presence. Yet as dangerous as his inner city precinct can be, Furillo's biggest battles often involve protecting his own cops from the Public Defender's office, self-serving bureaucrats, and even each other.« less
William J. (billystan3) from AUBURN, NY Reviewed on 11/10/2013...
Watching these DVD's brought with it some wonderful memories, memories of having some grand playtime with my children. We would play a board game and watch this show and all three of us enjoyed those times together.
The DVD's themselves were very good and true to the original ideals the show was trying to portray I give it a five out of five. HOOOOOOOOOOOOrah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Dwight M. from RUTLAND, MA Reviewed on 10/27/2008...
Hill Street Blues is a terrific TV series. Long before NYPD Blue or any of the other newer cop shows - this series set the bar VERY HIGH for acting, great story lines and shear entertainment value. Even though the years have passed since Hill St. was a hit series in the 80's, it still hits the mark consistently, and is an attention grabber. Do yourself a favor - and check out Hill Street Blues now.
3 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Hold It Right There Dogbreath!!!
C. Freeman | San Leandro, CA United States | 10/15/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I loved this show when it premiered and watched it eagerly every week. I was in the Air Force then and remember this show being one of the absolute best on television. To those who are quick to forget, Hill Street Blues set the precedent for cop shows to come. By killing off key characters occasionally the show had a sense of stark, gritty realism that made most of the cop shows of it's time seem like 'Car 54'. This show was in the forefront of bold, daring originality. True, when Michael Conrad died there WAS a decline in the show because he was such a well-loved character, but the show retained it's greatness nonetheless. In MY book Hill Street will always be remembered as the show that all other cop shows, and even non-cop shows, tip their hats to.
"
A real classic: Finally on DVD
C. Fernandez | Madrid, Spain | 11/13/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Fans of this show wanted it so badly that the VHS release that was published a few years ago goes for as much as $200 in the amazon sellers (original price was around $30).
Anyway, it's been worth the wait, as this promises to be a real good DVD set: Not only the episodes are there (of course), but also commentary tracks, deleted scenes, a roll call featurette...
So...anyway, was this a good season? For starters, it was a short one: Only 17 episodes. But what episodes! Worth every minute! I won't spoil them for you though, whether you are an old fan who don't remember the show or someone who heard so much about it that are going to get the DVDs to watch the show for the first time.
Even if you aren't a Hill Street fan, you might want to pick this set just for the incredible guest star list... people that a few year later became real stars, with their own shows: Ken Olin (thirtysomething), David Caruso (NYPD Blue), Dwight Schultz (A-Team), Mimi Rogers (lots of things)."
Musings from the SALOON-DRO-MAT (thank you, J.D.)
Derek Flint | BROOMALL, PA USA | 07/19/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When this series was first on in the '80's, it was pre-VCR for me. I loved it so much that I carried a portable TV with me in the car (ran off the cigarette lighter) to be able to catch each episode up until it's finish because I had to be in work at the hospital at 11:00p.m., which was when HSB finished for the evening. Also because I was such a fanatic for the show, I made little notes in a pad about dialogue snippets, plot elements, etc.
Time passed and because I never saw the show in reruns, I mostly forgot about it, except for a vague memory that I loved it dearly.
Then Season One comes out on DVD and my love affair starts all over again!!! I've seen very few dramas that combine such superb writing, acting and editing skills as HSB. The characters are immortal and stay with you long after. If you're a fan from the original broadcast run like I was, you'll have a great time having your memory rejogged by all the teriffic supporting characters and situations from the first time you saw them.
I just finished Seasons 1 & 2 and I couldn't be happier with the extras included, the transfer quality and the more-than-reasonable price for one of my TOP TEN TV SHOWS OF ALL TIME!!!
Can't wait for Season #3!"
Finally! One of the Great Drama Series Ever!
John Capute | Atlanta, GA USA | 12/04/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow! My question is why did it take so long? You could get Beverly Hillbillys, Petticoat Junction, Space 1999, and God knows what other awful television shows now for years, but not this, perhaps the most groundbreaking dramatic series of the past twenty years. Sure, compared to The Sopranos, The Shield, Deadwood, and earlier, Homicide, and of course, NYPD Blue, this is pretty tame stuff. But put in the context of its time, and given that without it, the shows mentioned above wouldn't exist, the fact that Hill Street Blues may come across as a little dated does not alter one iota its brilliance. I still remember watching the first episode, the pilot, and my jaw dropping open in the opening, soon to become regular, moment of the show, the roll call, when Sgt. Esterhaus (the great Michael Conrad) asks the assembled morning shift to dispose of unauthorized weapons. And out come an assemblage of guns, knives, brass knuckles, etc., to make any law-and-order believing cop lover cringe. Two minutes into the series and you knew you weren't in the world of any cop show you'd ever seen before. You knew you were about to see realism, at least in the television sense of it, taken to places you'd never known. The multi-plots, the gritty documentary visual style, the overlapping dialogue ala Robert Altman, the diverse cast, the characters who were defined by the imperfections, the view of law enforcement as an imperfect system driven by forces like politics, the relationship between the primarily white police and the mostly black and brown people it served, all was fresh and new and startling. Few network shows, then and now, dared to take the chances this show did. It's about time that we get to revisit the Hill Street Precinct again and its wonderfully quirky cast of beleaguered cops and their infinitely complicated, alterantivey funny and tragic lives. A must see for anyone who cares about the best of what television as a serious dramatic medium can do."
Another great classic to make the ranks!
David J. Ham | Sasebo, Japan | 10/16/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Oh THANK HEAVEN!!!!! Another great to watch whenever we want. I remember it being part of the "original" must see TV Thursdays. This is by far the best cop show that set the stage for other great dramas even if they aren't or weren't cop shows. The thing that made this show such a huge success was the fact that even though it was a drama, it also had realism and it had its funny moments. You could take a likeing not just for one character, but the entire cast. Hey, and remember, "Let's Be Careful Out There."