The original "ensemble drama," this is the story of an overworked, under-staffed police precinct in an anonymous inner city patterned after Chicago. We follow the lives of many characters, from the lowly beat and traffic cops to the captain of the precinct himself. This is the show that blazed the trail followed later by such notable ensemble dramas as "St. Elsewhere" and "L.A. Law."
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Hill Street Blues Ratings & Reviews
- flavo43November 24, 2025Hill Street Blues stands as a pinnacle of the police procedural genre—one of the first shows to portray not just crime, but the complex, messy personal lives of the officers behind the badge. It set the bar for every police drama that followed. The series wasn’t afraid to tackle controversial topics head-on, from racism and corruption to addiction, mental health, and systemic failures. What made it truly groundbreaking was its large, diverse ensemble cast, something far ahead of its time for network television. Each character felt layered, flawed, and genuinely human. I watched the series in syndication, since I was too young when it originally aired, and I made sure never to miss an episode. Its gritty realism, overlapping storylines, and documentary-style atmosphere created a world that felt authentic long before “gritty” became a TV buzzword. Hill Street Blues remains one of the most influential police dramas ever made, and it still holds up remarkably well.
- Richard1d agoI watched this series on TV when it originally aired and it quickly became one of those shows I tried to catch every single week. No streaming, no recording, just making sure I was in front of the TV when the episode started. And honestly, that alone says a lot about how good it was. The show had a great mix of style, atmosphere and storytelling that made it stand out from everything else on TV at the time. Sure, some parts show their age, but the core of the series still holds up. The world, the tone, the characters… it all still works. It’s a reminder of a time when TV had a different rhythm and when a good series could genuinely become part of your weekly routine.
Hill Street Blues Trivia
Hill Street Blues has 7 seasons.
Hill Street Blues has 146 episodes.
The key characters in Hill Street Blues are Frank Furillo (Daniel J. Travanti), Robert Hill (Michael Warren), Mick Belker (Bruce Weitz).
Hill Street Blues was directed by Gregory Hoblit, Christian I. Nyby II, David Anspaugh, Rick Wallace, Thomas Carter, John Patterson, Georg Stanford Brown, Gabrielle Beaumont, Scott Brazil, Robert Butler, Stan Lathan, Jeff Bleckner, Randa Haines, Arthur Allan Seidelman, Don Weis, Corey Allen, Alexander Singer, John D. Hancock, Bill Duke, Richard Compton, Michael Switzer, Jack Starrett, Robert C. Thompson, Edwin Sherin, Bob Kelljan, Mark Frost, Oz Scott, Rod Holcomb.
Hill Street Blues was produced by David Anspaugh, Sascha Schneider, Anthony Yerkovich, Grant Tinker, Michael Vittes, David Milch, Gregory Hoblit, Scott Brazil, David Latt.
The original "ensemble drama," this is the story of an overworked, under-staffed police precinct in an anonymous inner city patterned after Chicago. We follow the lives of many characters, from the lowly beat and traffic cops to the captain of the precinct himself. This is the show that blazed the trail followed later by such notable ensemble dramas as "St. Elsewhere" and "L.A. Law."
Hill Street Blues is rated TV-14.
Hill Street Blues is a Drama, Crime, Mystery show.
Hill Street Blues has an audience rating of 8.8 out of 10.
Hill Street Blues episodes are 49m long.
No, this show was canceled after 7 seasons.