NYPD Blue's writers skillfully navigate both single-episode criminal cases (ranging from tense procedural sequences like Kelly slowly drawing a confession out of a man who killed a cab driver, to lighter cases like a stolen Oscar statuette) and storylines that stretch dizzily across the entire season. These sustained plots are the real meat of the show: Kelly's hardline ethics are humanized by watching him clumsily come to a professional relationship with his ex-wife Laura (Sherry Stringfield) and work through an affair with Officer Janice Licalsi (Amy Brenneman), who is herself entangled with mobsters; while Sipowicz's near-death in the pilot has repercussions that crop up throughout the series, threatening his sobriety and his developing relationship with a lawyer (Sharon Lawrence)--and then there's his tense relationship with African American Lt. Fancy (James McDaniel), which affords some trenchant looks at racism inside and outside the department. The writing, directing, and acting only gets more subtle and complex as the show goes on, making this set a must for any fan. --Bret Fetzer

Description
RIDE ALONG WITH THE BOYS IN BLUE. It was the groundbreaking series that broke all the rules and triggered what may be the biggest mutiny in TV history when some station affiliates across the country refused to carry the show. Some viewers also complained, but the majority loved what was being touted as TV's first R-rated series. Now in its tenth year, NYPD Blue has garnered an amazing 86 Emmy Award(r) nominations and 21 wins. So if you missed all the excitement back then, don't miss it now! Take a ride back to 1993 and join the cops of the 15th Precinct for the first season of NYPD Blue.