Homicide: Life on the Street - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (1993) (4-Disc Set)

The best show on TV that nobody watched...

By Al  Jun 5, 2003 | 4 out of 4 found this Homicide: Life on the Street - The Complete Seasons 1 & 2 (1993) review helpful

I got hooked on Homicide when I watched the heavily advertised episode with Robin Williams as a grieving husband, following the senseless murder of his wife just outside Camden Yards, which was aired late in Season 2.

I'm still in awe of the incredible cast -- Yaphet Kotto as "Gee," Andre Braugher as Pembleton, Clark Johnson, Jon Polito, Daniel Baldwin -- 9 in all, forming one of the best ensemble casts to ever be in a TV series. Over 7 seasons, there'd be many changes, but the show always retained it's integrity, grit, sense of humor and ability to shock. Based on Baltimore newspaperman David Simon's novel "Homicide: A year on the Killing Streets," the TV show stayed true to itself and to it's viewers, even as it seemingly over-feminized in the last 2 seasons. Simon is now writer and technical advisor on HBO's crime drama, "The Wire" which also takes place on Bal'mores mean streets.

Homicide was one of the first cop shows to integrate the music of some national stars with that of local Baltimore talent as a sparingly used backdrop for some of the shows more intense and beautifully captured scenes.

How this show ever got cancelled, while Law & Order got to stay, is beyond me. Not that L&O is a bad show...on the contrary, Homicide & L&O did a couple of shared 2 hour shows (which is why Munch is now on Law & Order: SVU).

For my money, producer/director Barry Levinson (Diner) gave us a show for the ages. I'm just so damned happy that it's finally made it on to DVD -- and all shows are in the order in which Levinson felt they should have been. Unfortunately, it didn't always work out that way for the TV schedule.

If you've never seen "Homicide," and it's for rent at your local shop -- check out the DVD with the show titled, "Three Men and Adena." If that doesn't grab you and make you want to see the whole series, nothing will -- until the episode named "The Train," which is either in season 3 or 4. If that doesn't grab you, then you just don't like a good cop show.

So, hurry up NBC and A&E and get the rest of the shows out!!!