“Hill Street Blues,” one of the most innovative and critically acclaimed cops shows, debuted on NBC.
The “Hill Street Blues” formula was simple. The series was set in the Hill Street precinct in the tough part of an anonymous industrial city in the northeastern U.S. Each episode began with the 7 a.m. roll call led by Sgt. Phil Esterhaus who sent his troops out onto the streets with his trademark, “Let’s be careful out there.”
The show revolutionized the television drama. The show resisted formula and introduced the ensemble cast. Whereas early cop shows like “Dragnet” and “Adam-12” focused on a couple of officers who always got their man, the regulars on Hill Street Blues rarely resolved cases in a single episode.
When “Hill Street Blues” ended in May 1987, the show had set the records for most Emmys won in a single season and most nominations in one year.
