NYPD Blue starring Dennis Franz, David Caruso, Jimmy Smith and Kim Delaney

WEBVTT

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Calaroga Shark Media. When it comes
to iconic crime dramas, few can rival

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the impact and success of NYPD Blue. This groundbreaking television series, created by

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Stephen Botchko and David milch first premiered
in nineteen ninety three and quickly became a

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cultural phenomenon. Set against the gritty
backdrop of New York City, NYPD Blue

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offered viewers a raw and realistic portrayal
of the men and women who serve as

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the city's finest The debut of NYPD
Blue in nineteen ninety three was marked by

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significant controversy, primarily due to its
then unprecedented levels of nudity, language,

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and graphic content for a network television
show. NYPD Blue pushed the boundaries of

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what was acceptable on network television with
its partial nudity and explicit sex scenes.

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The show's use of such content was
a departure from the norm and sparked debates

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about decency standards on teen television.
The portrayal of such adult themes on a

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show that aired during prime time was
particularly contentious. The show's use of strong

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language, including curse words, that
were rarely heard on network TV at the

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time, added to the controversy.
While it contributed to the show's realistic depiction

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of police work, it also raised
concerns about the coarsening of language on public

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airwaves. The controversy led some advertisers
to pull their ads from the show,

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and several ABC affiliates initially refused to
air it. Notably, WLOX, an

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affiliate in Mississippi, stood out for
its stance. Along with all other ABC

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affiliates in Mississippi, WLOX refused to
air NYPD Blue due to concerns over the

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show's decency. However, wlox's decision
was more definitive than others, as it

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never aired the show during its entire
twelve year run. Another ABC affiliate,

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WSILTV, initially joined the group of
stations, refusing to air NYPD Blue during

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its first season in nineteen ninety three
to nineteen ninety four. The station's management

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cited similar concerns about the show's content. WSILTV revised its decision and began airing

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NYPD Blue from September nineteen ninety four, acknowledging that the show's content had been

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toned down since its pilot episode.
Despite the uproar, the network stood by

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the show and the controversy eventually subsided
as NYPD Blue went on to become a

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critical and commercial success. In season
one of NYPD Blue, detectives John Kelly,

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David Caruso, and Andy Sippowitz Dennis
Franz navigate personal and professional challenges in

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Manhattan's fifteenth Precinct. Kelly deals with
his divorce and starts an affair with Officer

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Janis Lecalsi Amy Brenneman, who is
entangled with the mob. Meanwhile, Sippowitz

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battles alcoholism and recovers from a near
fatal shooting. The season is marked by

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a mix of complex investigations and personal
drama, leading to twenty six Emmy nominations.

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Crusso's departure from the show after season
one was a significant moment for NYPD

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Blue. Caruso left to pursue a
film career, creating a notable shift in

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the show's dynamic. His character,
John Kelly was replaced by Jimmy Smits as

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Detective Bobby Simone, who became Sippowitz's
new partner from season two onwards. This

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change marked a new chapter for the
series, maintaining its success and critical acclaim

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despite the major cast alteration. Smits
left the show after eighty nine episodes in

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season six, episode five. His
departure was driven by a desire to explore

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other work opportunities. Fans were aware
of his impending exit, as it was

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announced beforehand and foreshadowed in the show
through Simone's development of a bacterial infection.

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Smits reflected positively on his time on
the series, proud of the impact his

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role had. The episode depicting Simone's
death, influenced by the real life experience

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of co creator David Milch's father's passing, is remembered as a standout moment in

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nineties television. Rick Schroeder joined NYPD
Blue as Detective Danny Sorenson, replacing Smit's.

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His character, Sorenson was portrayed as
a young, somewhat impulsive detective who

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faced the challenge of filling the shoes
of the much respected Simone while partnering with

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the veteran Andy Sippowitz. This casting
decision marked a significant shift in the show's

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character dynamics and continued to explore complex
themes within the precinct. His character,

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Detective Danny Sorenson, left the show
under dramatic circumstances, paving the way for

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a new character to join the series. Schroeder was replaced by Mark Paul Gosslar.

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Andy went through a lot of changes
over the twelve years. Starting off

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as a volatile and racially biased cop, he eventually grew into a more empathetic

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and compassionate individual, battling his own
demons along the way. Andy experienced a

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series of tragic events and personal hardships
throughout his journey. Perhaps the most devastating

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tragedy Sippowych's life was the death of
his young son, Andy Junior, who

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was killed during a drive by shooting. Andy's marriage to his first wife,

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Katie, faced significant challenges due to
his alcoholism and erratic behavior. Following their

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son's death, the couple eventually divorced, adding another layer of personal loss to

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Sippowych's life. Sippowitch battled alcoholism throughout
the series, and his addiction often led

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to destructive behavior and strained relationships with
his colleagues and loved ones. His struggles

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with sobriety were a recurring theme in
the show and were depicted with raw honesty.

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In addition to his personal losses and
battles with addiction, Sippowych also faced

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health challenges. He was diagnosed with
prostate cancer during the series, further adding

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to his burdens. One of the
most memorable storylines was the relationship between Andy

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and Assistant District Attorney Sylvia Costas,
played by Sharon Lawrence. Their complex and

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often tumultuous romance became a central focus
of the series and added a layer of

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emotional death depth to the show.
The powerful performances of Franz and Lawrence brought

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this relationship to life, making it
one of the most memorable aspects of NYPD

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Blue. She too wound up dying, adding to Andy's misery. Throughout its

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run, NYPD Blue received critical acclaim
and numerous awards. The series was nominated

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for an impressive eighty four Primetime Emmy
Awards, winning twenty of them. NYPD

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Blue not only resonated with viewers,
but also earned the respect of the industry,

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cementing its place in the pantheon of
great television series. In August twenty

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eighteen, it was revealed that ABC
was working on a reboot of NYPD Blue.

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The new series was intended to be
a sequel to the original and was

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described as a continuation that would follow
the other son of Andy THEO. The

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announcement generated buzz and curiosity as fans
wondered how the show would balance paying homage

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to the original while introducing a new
generation of characters. Ultimately, in May

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twenty nineteen, ABC decided not to
move forward with the project, leading to

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the cancelation of the reboot. Until
next time, Keep the remote close and

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the snacks closer. I'm Journey Joe
Mitchell, and I'll be watching TV in

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the basement.