[mkleesma]

(CNN) -- "Sopranos" fan? "Breaking Bad" binge-watcher? "Mad Men" admirer? Take a moment to thank "Hill Street Blues." "There is no 'Sopranos' without 'Hill Street Blues,' " says Syracuse University pop culture professor Robert Thompson, who wrote a book tracing "Hill Street's" influence. "Matt Weiner ('Mad Men') and Vince Gilligan ('Breaking Bad') and David Chase ('The Sopranos') and all these people ought to wake up every morning and send a note to 'Hill Street Blues.' " Graphic: The children of 'Hill Street' The entire seven-season run of the groundbreaking series comes out on DVD Tuesday. It wasn't a success that could have been predicted. When it premiered on NBC in January 1981, "Hill Street" was unlike anything else on American television. It was a serialized mixture of drama and comedy featuring diverse, colorful and three-dimensional characters -- the policemen and policewomen of the rundown Hill Street Station. It was well-written, boldly directed and creatively revolutionary. Still, initial ratings were poor and audiences were confused. It stayed on through a combination of key corporate support, determination and a little bit of luck. The result? Two decades of dominance for the Peacock Network -- "Hill Street" was the first cornerstone of its Thursday lineup -- and the bounty of novelistic TV series we see today. "It just changed the rules of TV," its producer, Steven Bochco, said in an interview.

[PapaNew]

I guess my partial claim to fame is I grew up around the corner and went to high school with Charlie Haid. Back then he seemed like kind of a hard guy.

[Gay State Conservative]

M*A*S*H*

[left that other site]

Great theme song too!

[RIghtwardHo]

One of the great shows for sure.

[MattinNJ]

Loved Hill Street Blues. The high point was when the counselman fell out the window and landed on the SWAT van.

[ken5050]

Oh, man..thanks....just what I need for my stocking for Christmas..gotta start dropping hints now...

Veronica Hamel was gorgeous back then...reminds me of Brigit Moniyan on "Blue Bloods. Loved the way she'd call Furillo.... "Pizza Man"...

[Hegewisch Dupa]

[oh8eleven]

"Hill Street" was unlike anything else on American television.
It was a serialized mixture of drama and comedy featuring diverse, colorful and three-dimensional characters
Oh yeah, for sure THAT had never been done before. Sheesh.
And as far as "most influential" - anyone ever hear of All In The Family? Seinfeld?

[ExTxMarine]

I have to admit, Hill Street Blues was a very good, edgy show that showed the ups and downs of everyday life for police officers. I mean, it really showed everything: deaths, drugs, good cops, bad cops, and even “good cops” doing things that were “in the gray area” of legal.

I would rate it right up there with M*A*S*H, as a “Must See” TV series.

[MrEdd]

Never watched it.
Do like the theme song though. It used to get some radio play.

[Chickensoup]

bttt

[iowamark]

I remember Daniel J. Travanti doing fundraisers for the Democrats.

[Responsibility2nd]

Hey, Lets be careful out there.

[Kartographer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je2fGzKiqRM

Hill Street Blues Theme 1981 - 1987

Never saw Breaking Bad or Mad Men and never had the desire to.

Funny thing the the City of Albuquerque had a fit when the Bernalillo County Sheriff Ok’ed the TV show COPS to do ride-alongs and film for their show. They were up in arms over how it would make Albuquerque look bad, yet the embrace Breaking Bad?

To me comparing Hill Street Blues to Breaking Bad or Mad Men makes about as much sense as comparing the 1957 version of 3:10 to Yuma to the 2007 Homo-erotic-sadist version.

[andyk]

In a nod to “The Street”, many of our morning scrums end with an admonition to “be careful out there”. :)

[MarineBrat]

Best show ever on American TV was The Waltons. It should be played on every TV in America 24x7. Our nation would benefit from it.

[kidd]

I’m a big fan of Hill Street Blues. Innovative. Creative. Great acting.

But most influential? Hardly, it didn’t have the ratings. St. Elsewhere launched more careers, if that’s the measure.

The most influential would have to be The Honeymooners or All in the Family.

[petitfour]

Never watched it.

[Kartographer]

Amazing the number of far leftwing shows that appear to be among FReepers favorites? All in the Family? M*A*S*H? and so on.....

[Eric Pode of Croydon]

"Hill Street Blues" was the best cop show ever.

Until "Homicide: Life On The Street" took the genre and turned it up to eleven.