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The emergence of Buntz was one of the better parts of those final years of Hill Street. On old school DVDs and syndication which seemed to rotate back to the start they were not available
Well, they did raise him from the dead to take the role. (Franz played a dirty cop in an earlier season, who predictably ended up on a slab.)
One of the few shows in which the slow evolution of main cast was a positive and later characters were just as strong and intriguing as any they replaced.
Just got past the episode where Michael Conrad's character (Sgt. Esterhaus) died and the dialogue was as much about the fellow actor as the beloved character. Tough ep to watch. (By the way, it was Conrad's request that his character "die in the saddle," and Bochco honored that request.)
Yep...one of the best cop shows to ever be aired. I also tried finding it over the years with no success, but iTunes now sells the complete series for $40. It's in my collection.
I've thought about that. I am watching a 40-year old show, which I watched in original runs.
When I first watched TV in the 1960s, old-old-old TV shows were about 15 years old. And pretty much unwatchable, being the stuff that was still defining and shaping TV. But a show almost three times as old now is still... current.
Hill Street is probably my all time favorite show. All the seasons are now available on CD.
Most of the leads didn't do much after the show ended, Travanti did a lot of guest shots and a couple series but nothing like the lightning that Hill Street Blues was. The rest of the cast, except for Franz, sort of disappeared. Well Jurasick was on Babylon 5.
Most of the leads didn't do much after the show ended, Travanti did a lot of guest shots and a couple series but nothing like the lightning that Hill Street Blues was.
Pretty narrow-range actor, to be honest. He was born to shape that role, but there wasn't much call over the next 20 years for that ultra-reserved personality.
Which is why one of my favorite scenes is the opening where the goon has Joyce in a headlock and he positively ghosts around the room, collecting a nightstick and then unleashing utter hell on the guy. Just about the only time he did more than raise his voice, and even that was rare. But he was always totally in control of things.
In its day, it was a fine show in its own right. Who could forget Michael Conrad's classic line: "Hey, hey......., let's be careful out there."? Can't believe it's already been about forty years since its NBC-TV debut.
Hill Street is probably my all time favorite show. All the seasons are now available on CD.
Most of the leads didn't do much after the show ended, Travanti did a lot of guest shots and a couple series but nothing like the lightning that Hill Street Blues was. The rest of the cast, except for Franz, sort of disappeared. Well Jurasick was on Babylon 5.
Joe Spano, who played Henry Goldblum, when on to play FBI agent Fornell on NCIS.
Well, they did raise him from the dead to take the role. (Franz played a dirty cop in an earlier season, who predictably ended up on a slab.)
I didn't remember that. I do remember that Andy Renko died in the pilot and then was brought back to life when the series actually started. Good choice--great character.
I didn't remember that. I do remember that Andy Renko died in the pilot and then was brought back to life when the series actually started. Good choice--great character.
Yeah, Franz played a character much like Buntz, but genuinely dirty, in the third season. Beat up Renko, got beaten up in return by Hill, ended up cornered and shot himself. I am waiting to see how they reintroduce him - if they allow any small bit of fun with him being the same actor.
Yeah, the series is full of zombies. By some accounts, both Renko and Hill were supposed to die in the pilot; both tested so well they were saved. (Partly because Charles Haid had a prior commitment fall through.) Then Joe Coffey was killed after three episodes - body outline on the ground and everything - and at the last minute they edited the dialogue and made him continuing. (Then he was thought killed again in one episode, and of course bought it eventually in a totally random event.) I think I'm missing one more resurrectee, too...
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