NYPD Blue FAQ - Last modified October 28, 1995 ============================================== Originally compiled by Dave Chapman (dave@cheers.demon.co.uk), now maintained by Alan Sepinwall (sepinwal@mail.sas.upenn.edu) Please email me any corrections, improved answers or suggestions for additional questions (along with answers if possible), and I will add them to this document. Thanks to the numerous Internet users who were the source for most of the answers in this document, either directly via email or via their Usenet postings which I have plagiarized without permission. Any changes that have been made (be they new questions or modified ones) have been marked with an asterix. Here is an listing of people who have contributed significant information to this document, or previous versions. Thank you. If I have missed your name out, drop me an email message. John Lavalie Mike Craven Arthur L. Lortie Paul Reiser Lynn Van Scoyoc Frank Giarratana Pamela Pon Ross Brown Kendall Clark Matt Messina (messina@umich.edu) Martin Jukovsky (martyj@yankeegroup.com) Ramaswamy (Ramaswamy@vos.stratus.com) This document is (C) Alan Sepinwall 1995. It may be freely distributed unmodified as long as no charge is made beyond the cost of the media it is distributed on. Please give away copies of this document. Contents of FAQ: ---------------- 1. Series/Character Information 1.1. What exactly is NYPD Blue ? *1.2. Who are the regular characters on the show ? *1.3. Who are the recurring characters on the show ? 1.4. Who were the former characters on the show ? 2. Other Sources of Information 2.1. Is there an Episode Guide ? 2.2. What is the name of the NYPD Blue newsgroup ? 2.3. Is there a mailing list ? 2.4. Is there a drinking game ? 2.5. Is there an ftp site ? *2.6. Are there any scanned pictures available ? 2.7. Are there any scripts available ? 2.8. Is there a WWW site ? 2.9. Help! I missed an episode! How do I find out what happened? 3. Actor Information 3.1. What films/TV series has XXXX been in ? 3.2. Why did Sherry Stringfield leave the show ? 3.3. Why did Amy Brenneman leave the show ? 3.4. Why did David Caruso leave the show ? *3.5. Who is Nicholas Turturro related to ? 3.6. Who played XXXX in episode YYYY ? 3.7. How many different roles did Dennis Franz play on Hill Street Blues ? 3.8. What is Simone's ethnic background ? 3.9. Did Ross from "Friends" used to be on NYPD Blue ? 3.10. Which actors have appeared nude on the show? 4. Misc 4.1. Is there a soundtrack CD ? 4.2. What other merchandise is available ? 4.3. What connections are there to Hill Street Blues ? 4.4. What connections are there to other shows ? 4.5. Where is NYPD Blue set ? 4.6. Why so many reruns ? 4.7. What do real NYPD cops think of the show ? 4.8. What awards has the show won ? 4.9. Is the show filmed in NY or LA ? 4.10. Do the cast and crew know about us ? 1. Series/Character Information ---------------------------------- 1.1. What exactly is NYPD Blue ? ---------------------------------- NYPD Blue is the latest contribution to the TV police drama genre by Emmy award-winning producer Steven Bochco and his frequent writing partner David Milch. It focuses on the personal and professional lives of the members of the detective's squad in the New York Police Department's 15th Precinct. Before it premiered in the fall of 1993, the series got a lot of publicity because of its daring use of nudity and profanity - men's buttocks, women's breasts, and the word "asshole" all appeared for the first time in an American prime-time series on NYPD Blue. However, people who actually bothered to watch the show (and not protest it blindly) discovered that there was a lot more to it than just tits, ass, and swear words. It's a dark, moving series about trying to hold onto your morals and ideals in a corrupt and evil world. *1.2. Who are the regular characters on the show ? ---------------------------------------------------- The series currently features nine regular cast members. These nine characters are: DET. ANDY SIPOWICZ (Dennis Franz): Sipowicz is a recovering alcoholic who's just learning how to be a good cop and a good human being again after years of living in a bottle - years that cost him his marriage and nearly his badge. A big bear of a man, he's easily enraged by the horrors he sees on the job everyday, but underneath the coarse exterior is a kind, good-hearted man with very high morals and very low self-esteem. The only person who's managed to pierce that exterior is his new wife, ADA Sylvia Costas, whom he loves more than life itself. Andy has begrudgingly accepted his new partner, Bobby Simone, after years of riding with John Kelly [see 1.4]. Andy's only off-duty activity (other than Sylvia) is raising saltwater tropical fish. DET. BOBBY SIMONE (Jimmy Smits): Simone is, if anything, even more moral than Sipowicz, but his easygoing demeanor masks a lot of his discomfort, both with the job and with the recent death of his wife. He's started to overcome the latter, and has involved himself with two beautiful women recently (though not at the same time, of course). Simone's good looks and relaxed attitude around suspects led Andy to question his detective skills early on, but Bobby has proven to be a dogged investigator who will work a case to the limit. He enjoys raising homing pigeons on the roof of his Brooklyn apartment. LT. ARTHUR FANCY (James McDaniel): Fancy rose through the department ranks very rapidly, either (depending upon whom you ask) because or in spite of his being an African American. He's acutely aware of the scrutiny he's placed under by his superiors, and plays things close to the vest - though he does lose his temper on occasion. Despite the fact that he's younger than several of the detectives on his squad, Art commands everyone's respect and loyalty because he treats his squad the same way. He's happily married with two daughters and a newborn son, Art Jr. DET. JAMES MARTINEZ (Nicholas Turturro): Originally assigned to the detective's squad as a temporary fill-in after Sipowicz was shot two years ago, Martinez demonstrated great enthusiasm for the job and willingness to learn, and quickly earned his detective's gold shield. James is usually very shy and eager-to-please, except when it comes to interrogating suspects, where his "aw, shucks" persona is quickly replaced by a very forceful, angry Bad Cop. James is partnered up with Greg Medavoy, and has recently taken up boxing in his spare time. DET. GREG MEDAVOY (Gordon Clapp): Medavoy is a walking bundle of neuroses disguised as a police detective. Cursed with a sometimes uncontrollable stammer and an abundance of allergies, Greg used to be the butt of a lot of jokes among the squad. However, he's a pretty good investigator and good researcher who has managed to earn the respect of his coworkers despite all his personal problems. He left his shrewish wife Marie to have an affair with Donna Abandando, but since she broke things off for good (due mostly to Greg's immaturity), Greg went back to his loveless marriage for the sake of his daughters. ADA SYLVIA COSTAS (Sharon Lawrence): An elegant, beautiful assistant District Attorney and a balding, overweight, slovenly cop getting married? It's not an obvious match, to be sure, but Sylvia saw the decent, caring human being underneath Andy's gruff exterior and fell in love with him. She's been very supportive of his attempts to stay sober, which probably has something to do with the fact that half her family members appear to be alcoholics. She's very confident on the job, and has been known to wield an acid tongue when cops' procedural errors blow her cases. DONNA ABANDANDO (Gail O'Grady): The first thing you need to know about the lovely Miss Abandando is that she holds a special place in her heart for the NY Rangers, which means she loves lost causes (which the Rangers were until last year). That also explains why she agreed to take a relatively thankless job as the receptionist (or, in NYPD parlance, "PAA") for the 15th detective's squad, and why she fell for nebbishy Greg Medavoy. Their affair was complicated by his marriage, her trampy sister Dana, and an old flame of Donna's who used to play for the Rangers. Eventually, the stress of it all proved too much, and she broke things off with Greg, took a long vacation, and returned to the job looking and feeling better than ever before. DET. ADRIANNE LESNIAK (Justine Micelli): An ardent feminist and no-nonsense detective, Lesniak was transferred to the 15 after an office romance in a Bronx precinct went public. That experience - and her ex-lover's subsequent descent into stalker territory - soured her on relationships with fellow detectives, so when Martinez expressed interest, she politely brushed him off. Since then, she's softened up a bit, and asked James to go to Andy and Sylvia's wedding with her. Whether this is the start of something romantic or just a case of Adrianne not wanting to go alone remains to be seen. DET. DIANE RUSSELL (Kim Delaney): Russell spent too many years working as an undercover cop, which led to a lot of screwed up values on her part and may have caused her drinking problem. While working a case in tandem with Simone, they realized an attraction for one another and became lovers - a situation that became complicated when she got transferred to the 15th squad. Bobby broke up with her after realizing the extent of her alcoholism. Diane spent the last three months going to AA meetings, and she and Bobby have tentatively resumed their romance. *1.3. Who are the recurring characters on the show ? ------------------------------------------------------- In addition to the nine cast members, the show features a number of other actors who appear on a semi-regular basis. In fact, Greg Medavoy, Sylvia Costas and Donna Abandando were all recurring characters in the first season who got added to the main cast in the second. Some of the people listed below may or may not return this season, but considering their characters' relationships with the series regulars, the prospect is likely. CAPT. CLIFFORD BASS (Larry Joshua): Bass spent his entire career in uniform before becoming the Manhattan Borough Commander in charge of detectives (and Fancy's immediate superior). Because of that, he didn't really have much idea how detectives do things, and rubbed a lot of people the wrong way in his first few days on the job. He's since found his footing, and has proved to be a pretty fair guy - and certainly better than his predecessor, the devoutly racist Capt. Haverill. Bass usually only shows up to supervise major investigations. DA MAURY ABRAMS (Charles Levin): The Manhattan District Attorney, Abrams generally only handles cases that he hopes will boost his would-be political career. MIKE ROBERTS (Michael Harney): Roberts was one of Fancy's detectives, but definitely not one of his favorites. He was forced to leave the NYPD after a scandal involving his informant (who later turned out to be his lover) dying of a drug overdose that Roberts neglected to report. Since quitting, Mike has started up his own private investigation/bodyguarding firm, occasionally doing side work for his ex-co-workers (and occasionally employing them), but is sleazier than ever - and his clients have a tendency to die in his care. JOHN IRWIN (Bill Brochtrup): When Donna went on her vacation to get away from Greg, John filled in for her. An open (and fairly effeminate) homosexual, John tended to clash with the politically incorrect Sipowicz, but when the time came for him to move onto his new temp job, he proved his attachment to the entire squad by getting everyone a farewell card. He has since gotten the PAA job in the Anti-Crime squad (on the floor right above Fancy's squad), and still talks with Sipowicz and Simone sometimes. John is dating a uniformed cop who has yet to come out of the closet, which has caused some problems (including one gay-bashing incident). VINNIE GRECO (Joe Pantoliano): Vinnie was Fancy's snitch when Art was working his way up the ranks, and in fact gave Fancy the tip that led to his receiving his detective's gold shield. Vinnie spent the last few years in Florida as part of the Witness Protection Program, but the warm climate (and lack of scam opportunities) apparently didn't agree with him, so he returned to New York, where he occasionally gives Fancy some good tips. Despite being a major league sleazeball and con man, Vinnie has a surprising amount of loyalty to Fancy. OFFICER REGGIE FANCY (Michael Jai White): Imagine Arthur Fancy without the incredible self-restraint and you have his kid brother Reggie, a uniformed cop with a world-class chip on his shoulder. He's a loudmouth who sees racism in every white man he works with, whether it's there or not. Reggie's often right (his sergeant, for example, was a major bigot), but his bluster and hot temper usually make him look like the bad guy. Though he and Art don't get along too well, Lt. Fancy still looks out for him. ANDY SIPOWICZ JR. (Michael DeLuise): One of Andy Sr.'s biggest regrets about his years of drinking is the wedge it drove between him and his son Andy Jr. Without much of a father figure to look up to, Andy Jr. appeared to be on the fast track to nowhere. But after his father helped get him out of a bogus drug-dealing charge, they reconciled, and Andy Jr. decided to straighten out his life by joining the Air Force. 1.4. Who were the former characters on the show ? ------------------------------------------------------ Three of the original six cast members have since left the series [see questions 3.2-3.4 for more details]. Their characters were: DET. JOHN KELLY (David Caruso): The moral center of the series, Kelly was a throwback to a day when the NYPD was loaded with red- headed Irishmen who were more concerned with the spirit of the law than the letter. Kelly could be extremely self-righteous and a real buttinsky, but he was a good man and a very good cop. His relationship with Janice Licalsi eventually led to his dismissal from the force. DET. JANICE LICALSI (Amy Brenneman): Licalsi was a uniformed cop who had barely been at the 15th Precinct for a week before she was approached by Mafia kingpin Angelo Marino, who ordered her to murder John Kelly - or else he would turn in Licalsi's policeman father, who had been on Marino's payroll for years. Janice reluctantly agreed, but as she got close to John, she fell in love with him, and instead of killing him, she killed Marino and his chauffeur. The guilt of her crime ate away at her until she finally confessed to it months later. Kelly hired her a slick mob lawyer, and Janice is currently serving a 2-year (parole in six months) sentence for manslaughter. LAURA KELLY (Sherry Stringfield): The match between Laura, a high-powered yuppie attorney, and John, a blue-collar cop, didn't last very long once Laura realized what an incredible control freak John could be. She bounced around several jobs after her divorce, eventually settling in with the Manhattan DA's office. She worked as a riding DA in the 15th Precinct for a while before transferring out, probably to put some distance between herself and John. 2. Other Sources of Information -------------------------------- 2.1. Is there an Episode Guide ? --------------------------------- Yes. Dave Chapman has compiled an episode guide that contains full guest star listings (with character names) for all the first season episodes. Dennis Kytasaari has also written a guide. Both guides are available from the ftp site [Q2.5] and both www sites [2.8]. Since Dave vanished from the Internet community, Jeff Knapp graciously agreed to pitch in and he wrote an episode guide to cover the second season. It's also available on my web-site. 2.2. What is the name of the NYPD Blue newsgroup ? --------------------------------------------------- It is called alt.tv.nypd-blue and was created on Feb. 9, 1994. Note however, that many sites don't carry the full range of alt.* newsgroups, so you may be unlucky and not be able to receive it. If you can't access it, you could try politely asking the person in charge of news at your site to try and get it. There is also a small amount of NYPD Blue discussion on rec.arts.tv. 2.3. Is there a mailing list ? ------------------------------- No. To my knowledge there is no mailing list devoted to NYPD Blue. 2.4. Is there a drinking game ? -------------------------------- Yes. With suggestions from a lot of people on alt.tv.nypd-blue and rec.arts.tv, I came up with the NYPD Blue Drinking Game, which is now up to version 2.1 (the first to include Detectives Simone and Lesniak). That version and ]an older one (with rules for John, Janice and Laura) are available on the U.S. website [2.8]. I haven't modified the game or reposted it in a while, but if there's a great demand for it, I'll dust the old girl off and do it again. 2.5. Is there an ftp site ? ---------------------------- Yes. On the Tardis TV archive there is a directory devoted to NYPD Blue. It contains older versions of the episode guides, the drinking game, this FAQ, a list of other acting credits for the cast, and some scanned pictures. The NYPD Blue directory is called us/drama/NYPDBlue. However, the ftp site is maintained by the infamous Dave Chapman, which means it hasn't been updated in nearly nine months. All the files available on the ftp site are also on the US web-site. The Tardis TV archive contains lots of other guides and FAQs for TV programs. It is located on ftp.doc.ic.ac.uk in the directory /public/media/tv/collections/tardis. For details on how to get the files using ftp, gopher, WWW browser or email, send an empty message to tardis-faq@cheers.demon.co.uk 2.6. Are there any scanned pictures available ? ------------------------------------------------ Yes. The ftp site [2.5] has several, as does the England www site [2.8]. However, the US www site [2.8] has a larger selection of pictures, plus an ever-growing collection of screen captures from various episodes, provided by Francesca Wylde (ce45@dial.pipex.com). 2.7. Are there any scripts available ? --------------------------------------- Yes. StefHelg@megaweb.com recently posted information about a store in Los Angeles called Script City that has "T-shirts, mugs, caps, and a LOT of scripts for TV shows and movies, including NYPD-Blue." The address is: Script City 8033 Sunset Blvd., Suite 1500 Hollywood, CA 90046 U.S.A. Order telephone number is : 1-800-676-2522. *2.8. Is there a WWW site ? --------------------------- Yes. There are two. The more complete and up-to-date one is maintained by me. It's located at http://force.stwing.upenn.edu:8001/~sepinwal/nypd.html It features an html-ized version of this FAQ, scanned pictures, episode guides, cast biographies, the drinking game, and episode summaries [2.9.]. However, a lot of the stuff on it was obtained from Dave Chapman's NYPD Blue web-site in England, which is located at http://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/public/media/tv/collections/tardis/us/drama/NYPDBlue/ Unfortunately, Dave seemingly vanished from the Internet ether back in the spring, which left all the sites he maintained dormant; everything is months out of date. 2.9. Help! I missed an episode! How do I find out what happened? ----------------------------------------------------------------- I write a detailed summary/review of every single new episode of the show and post it each week, sometimes as early as Wednesday morning and no later than Thursday afternoon of that week. These summaries are also available at the US www site. 3. Actor Information ------------------------------ 3.1. What films/TV series has XXXX been in ? --------------------------------------------- See the file other-credits which is available on the ftp and www sites. This lists film and television roles for all the main actors. Steven Bochco and Mike Post have separate biographies stored in the directory "people/" at the top-level of the Tardis archive. These are maintained by Arthur L. Lortie . 3.2. Why did Sherry Stringfield leave the show ? ---------------------------------------------------- Essentially, she got sick of not being given anything to do in a given episode besides bumping into David Caruso on a staircase so he could ask her how she was doing. She's since found even greater success playing Dr. Susan Lewis on NBC's mega-hit "E.R." which airs Thursdays at 10. 3.3. Why did Amy Brenneman leave the show ? --------------------------------------------------- This is unclear, but various interviews with Amy suggest it wasn't her choice. Speculation is that some viewers were turned off to the fact that she got away with murder, which led to her confession at the end of season one and her trial at the start of season two. The fact that Caruso, who was essentially the only cast member she ever interacted with on-screen, was leaving probably also led to Brenneman's departure. At the time, Brenneman commented that she'd like to come back to the show at some point, especially since, according to her State Supreme Court Justice mother, "the evidence presented against Janice in her trial wouldn't have gotten anybody convicted." However, since then she's found a fair amount of success in films. She played Matthew Modine's ex-wife in "Bye Bye, Love" and is costarring with Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in the upcoming thriller "Heat." Something tells me she won't be back. *3.4. Why did David Caruso leave the show ? ------------------------------------------- Caruso asked for a major-league raise in pay for the second season, asking for $100,000 an episode (as opposed to the $20,000 per episode he was paid in the first season). The producers refused to go higher than $80,000 for fear of upsetting the rest of the cast, and eventually, a compromise was worked out: Caruso agreed to appear in the first four episodes of the second season to allow the writers to give John Kelly a graceful exit, at which point he would be freed from his contract to do films. The wisdom of his choice remains to be seen - his first two films as a leading man, "Kiss of Death" (which did get critical plaudits for Caruso's performance) and "Jade" have both tanked at the box office. Jimmy Smits, who was Steven Bochco's original choice to play the lead in the series, was tabbed to replace Caruso. The rest of the cast and crew considered Smits a major improvement over Caruso, who was viewed as a real prima donna. Smits' presence apparently had a lot to do with the series jump in ratings this year (from the 29th show overall to the 8th). *3.5. Who is Nicholas Turturro related to ? ------------------------------------------- His brother is John Turturro. John co-starred with John Goodman in "Barton Fink", and has appeared in many other films, including his recent turn as Herb Stempel in "Quiz Show." John and Nick appeared together in Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues" and "Jungle Fever", as well as "Men of Respect," and the John Turturro-directed "Mac." Their cousin(?) Aida also acts. She recently co-starred as Geena Davis's best friend Tina in "Angie". She and Nicholas both appeared in 1994's independent film "Men Lie." 3.6. Who played XXXX in episode YYYY ? -------------------------------------- Please refer to the episode guides [Q2.1] for full cast listings for each episode. 3.7. How many different roles did Dennis Franz play on Hill Street Blues ? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two. In the second season of the show, he appeared in a number of episodes as Sal Benedetto, a crooked, mean-spirited detective. Highlights of Benedetto's tenure on the Hill included beating up Renko for giving him a parking ticket (and subsequently being beaten up by Bobby Hill), attempting to hold up a bank, and, when Howard Hunter's EATers foiled the robbery, killing himself. Franz became a regular cast member at the start of season 6, playing Lt. Norman Buntz, an obnoxious, violent, but ultimately moral cop who clashed with everybody on the Hill except his snitch, Sidney Thurston. After HSB was canceled, Franz and Peter Jurasick (who played Sid) co-starred in a short-lived "dramedy" called Beverly Hills Buntz in which Buntz (who was kicked off the force in the HSB finale) and Sid moved to Beverly Hills to start a private investigation service. 3.8. What is Simone's ethnic background ? ----------------------------------------- French-Portuguese, revealed when he invited Sipowicz to "kiss my French-Portuguese ass" during the second season episode "Double Abandando." 3.9. Did Ross from "Friends" used to be on NYPD Blue ? --------------------------------------------------------- Sort of. David Schwimmer, who plays the neurotic Ross, appeared on the first four episodes of NYPD Blue's first season as Josh "4B" Goldstein, a lawyer with a crush on Laura Kelly who attempted to become a vigilante after he was mugged in his building's laundry room. 4B was shot and killed while attempting to break up a mugging on the subway. 3.10. Which actors have appeared nude on the show? ---------------------------------------------------- A better question might be, which haven't? Here's the rundown of regulars and semiregulars who have appeared in the buff at least once: David Caruso, Sherry Stringfield, Amy Brenneman, Dennis Franz, Jimmy Smits, Sharon Lawrence, Gail O'Grady, Kim Delaney. The only cast members to have never dropped trou are James McDaniel, Nicholas Turturro, and Gordon Clapp. Guest stars who have appeared naked include Debrah Farentino and John Wesley Shipp. 4. Misc ------- 4.1. Is there a soundtrack CD ? --------------------------------- Yes. The CD is entitled "Inventions from the Blue Line", it's by Mike Post and is published by American Gramaphone, 9130 Mormon Bridge Road, Omaha, NE 68152. The catalog number is AGCD 450 for the CD, and AGC 450 for the cassette. It contains the NYPD Blue theme, 5 other NYPD Blue tracks and 4 other Mike Post themes - Law & Order, Silk Stalkings, Renegade and Cop Files. In the US it should be available at any large record store. It has probably now got a UK distributor as it has been spotted for sale in various large stores in London without an "Import" sticker on it. Any large record shop anywhere in the world should be able to order it for you from the US if you give them the above information. 4.2. What other merchandise is available ? ------------------------------------------- BMG Music Services sell NYPD Blue T-shirts with the badge logo, "15th Precinct", and a plain "NYPD Blue". They also sell a NYPD Blue baseball cap. BMG's phone number is +1 317 542 0414. See question 2.7. for more info on NYPDB-related merchandise. 4.3. What connections are there to Hill Street Blues ? ------------------------------------------------------- The strongest connection between NYPD Blue and HSB are producers and series' creators Steven Bochco and David Milch (Bochco created HSB; Milch wrote for it for several seasons). Several of NYPD Blue's actors have appeared on HSB. See question 3.7 for more info on Dennis Franz and HSB. David Caruso guest starred in some early episodes (including the one where the President was supposed to visit the Hill) as Tommy Mann, the leader of the Shamrocks (the Irish gang). James McDaniel (Fancy) guest-starred as a militant black patrolman in a seventh-season episode of HSB. "Buck Naked" was a quasi-recurring character on Hill Street. He was an old black guy who kept on flashing everyone while screaming "I'm Buck Naked!". He has appeared twice on NYPD Blue, but only said his trademark catchphrase the first time. Also, Charles Haid, who played Andy Renko on HSB, guest-starred on NYPD Blue as an out-of-control attorney, a friend of Kelly's in episode 1.20. Haid has also directed an episode or two of the series. Louis Giambalvo (Dom Bucci) appeared frequently on HSB as JD LaRue's sleazy used-car salesman brother-in-law. Dan Hedaya (who guested as Lou the Werewolf and got nominated for an Emmy for it), appeared several times in HSB's first season as a cop on the take named Phil Macaffee. Hedaya appeared again in the middle of HSB's run as a homeless man who beat up Belker, stole his clothes, badge, and gun, and left him handcuffed in the basement of a condemned building. Barbara Bosson, who is married to series creator Steven Bochco and has appeared in almost all of his various series (she was Faye Furillo on HSB and the precinct captain on Hooperman, among other roles) guested this season as the wife of a man who was molesting their teenage daughter. One connection that may or may not be intentional is that the two main characters on NYPD Blue are named Andy (Sipowicz) and Bobby (Simone), which were also the first names of two of HSB's more notable characters, uniformed partners Andy Renko and Bobby Hill. 4.4. What connections are there to other shows ? ------------------------------------------------- See the other-credits file at the www site for other TV series in which individual cast members have appeared. 4.5. Where is NYPD Blue set ? ------------------------------ NYPD Blue is set (of course) in New York City, New York, U.S.A. The detectives work in the 15th precinct. An old precinct map of New York City from the 1977 New York Times Index shows there is no 15th Precinct: Borough Precincts: ______________ __________________________________________________________ Manhattan 1, 5-7, 9-10, 13, 17, Midtown South, Midtown North, 19-20, Central Park, 23-26, 28, 30, 32, 34 The Bronx 40-48, 50, 52 Brooklyn 60-63, 66-73, 75-79, 81, 83-84, 88, 90, 94 Queens 100-114 Staten Island 120, 122-123 The Precinct numbers increase going north, except Staten Island, where the 120th is northernmost. Manhattan's named precincts fall geographically more-or-less in the order above. There's no actual 15th (or 12th) listed, but if they fit in this pattern, they'd be in midtown to downtown, south of the park. During the first season, this explanation seemed to fit - most cases seemed to take place in midtown - but this year, the precinct locale seems to have been pushed further downtown, with trips as far downtown as Chinatown and the South Street Seaport. [Ross Brown's theory on the location of the 15:] Judging from the locations and addresses cited in the show, the 15th Precinct appears to cover an area known as the East Village, roughly defined by East Houston Street, Broadway, East 14th Street, and First Avenue, with occasional forays into Alphabet City east of First Avenue (fertile territory for crime-busting). The NYPD stationhouse exterior for the 15th Precinct is really the 9th Precinct house on East 5th St. between 1st & 2nd Ave., which is the same one that was used on the 70s cop series Kojak and is a real precincthouse in New York City. Note that the series producer and frequent writer Burton Armus worked as a producer on Kojak. 4.6. Why so many reruns ? -------------------------- There are 52 weeks in a year. There are 22 episodes in a season of NYPD Blue. This means that for 30 weeks each year, there either has to be a rerun of the show or ABC has to air another program in its place. And because most networks try to stretch out each season until the end of May (which, along with November and February, is one of the "sweeps" months that determines advertising rates for the next year), there will inevitably be a lot of reruns in the middle of the season (particularly in non-sweeps months like December or January). Some drama series counter this by producing more episodes per season (ER, for example, had 25 episodes this year, and Beverly Hills 90210 often has been known to put out 30+ episodes a season), but unfortunately, NYPD Blue isn't one of them. 4.7. What do real NYPD cops think of the show ? ------------------------------------------------ According to a tabloid news show, many NYPD cops watch the show, and appreciate the performances of Franz and Smits. Members of the NYPD have been known to lurk on alt.tv.nypd-blue. 4.8. What awards has the show won ? ------------------------------------ "Favorite Television Dramatic Series" - 20th Annual People's Choice Awards. The show was nominated for a record 26 Emmys for it's first season, and won 6, including Best Actor for Dennis Franz, Best Writing (Steroid Roy) and Best Direction (Tempest in a C-Cup). The previous record for most nominations was 21, set by Hill Street Blues in 1980. The show's Emmy nominations fell to a mere 12 this year, though that was still the second best showing of any series (after ER). While the show did poorly in the early goings of the ceremony, it did pull a bit of an upset by beating strong favorite ER for Best Drama Series. Some have speculated that it was an "apology award" from the Academy to make up for Blue losing to Picket Fences the year before. 4.9. Is the show filmed in NY or LA ? -------------------------------------- Both, actually. The bulk of the filming is done in Los Angeles, but the cast and crew fly out to the Big Apple a few weeks a season to shoot some exterior shots. While the exterior of the 15th precincthouse is actually a real buidling [4.5], this year a mock-up of it was built in LA to allow more exterior scenes to be shot. Unless you see a recognizable landmark (the FDR Drive, Washington Square Park, the New York Post building), assume that you're seeing footage filmed in LA. 4.10. Do the cast and crew know about us ? ---------------------------------------------- The crew does. Supervising Producer (and frequent director) Michael Robin reads the newsgroup regularly, as do several other members of the crew. I've been told by one behind-the-scenes person that posts on the newsgroup are treated much like fan mail. I don't believe that any of the cast takes the time to read the group, but they're probably at least aware of it. -Alan Sepinwall -sepinwal@mail.sas.upenn.edu -http://force.stwing.upenn.edu:8001/~sepinwal/ (Non)RANDOM QUOTE: "Why don't you give that ass guy a call?" -Dennis Franz, "NYPD Blue"