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| Courtesy of ABC Rick Shroder looks to fill Jimmy Smits' shoes in "NYPD Blue."
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Perhaps ABC isn't in a sharing mood because of the mystery surrounding the new season of "Blue." The sixth season features the departure of Jimmy Smits' Detective Bobby Simone after the first few episodes of the season. So, for the second time since its stellar debut in 1993, "Blue" has to replace its leading man.
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Both "Blue" creator, Stephen Bochco, and ABC hope the show will improve its ratings with the appearance of Schroder. Last season, which was atypically weak in both content and ratings, saw Bochco focus his attention on his atrocious "Brooklyn South." This season, however, Bochco is back, and that can only mean good things for "Blue" and the show's fans.
Bochco, the genius behind "Hill Street Blues," "LA Law" and "Murder One," has helped define TV in the '80s and the '90s. Without Bochco, shows like "Homicide" and "Law and Order" would never have been possible. With "Hill Street Blues" (one of television's greatest series), Bochco redefined the cop show, shifting the focus from action to morality. In Bochco's cop shows, there are no good guys and no bad guys - there are just flawed human beings trying to get by. Sometimes the "good" guys, the cops, do the wrong thing; sometimes the "bad" guys, the criminals, aren't so evil.
"Blue" operates in this gray area. Yes, Bochco does glamorize police work, but he's not above infusing his cops with a dark side.
For its entire run, Dennis Franz's Detective Andy Sipowicz has anchored the show. When "Blue" premiered, Sipowicz was a drunken racist set on destroying his career. After being shot by an underworld figure, Sipowicz found himself on the path to recovery. He stopped drinking and his natural ability as master detective resurfaced. Along the way, Sipowicz has struggled with sobriety, reconciled with his estranged son, saw his son die from gun violence, got married, had a son and survived a battle with cancer.
While two time Emmy-winner Franz has held the show together, "Blue" has seen leading men come and go. First was David Caruso as Detective John Kelley, who left after his popularity skyrocketed during the show's first season, to do movies. Though there were rumors from entertainment sources that Caruso might reappear and replace the departing Smits, these rumors proved way off mark. It was well publicized that Caruso left "Blue" on not-so-swell terms, and his return would be unlikely.
But the fact of the matter is "Blue" was never as good after Caruso left. Starting with the show's daring and controversial pilot - still the show's best episode and one of TV's finest moments - Caruso and Franz had an on-screen chemistry that Smits and Franz could never match. That's not to say that the Smits episodes lacked quality, just that they could not touch the first season.
Still, "Blue" under Smits generated some of the series' best episodes. The story arch involving the death of Sipowicz's son has a special place in the show's pantheon of great story lines.
Since ABC didn't feel generous, that can be said about "Blue"'s season premiere is what "TV Guide" and ABC Web pages have printed. The most important parts of the season premiere are the setting up of Bobby Simone's departure and his stabbing at the hands of a murder suspect. Since Smits and Schroeder will never share any screen time, it will be a while before Smits leaves for good. Smits' fans will see "Blue"'s resident heartthrob throughout the month of November, until Schroder takes over in December.
At its best, "Blue" is amazing. Hopefully with the return of Bochco and the appearance of Ricky the "Blue" will recover from a mediocre fifth season and restore itself to its former glory.
Tonight at 10 p.m.
ABC
NYPD Blue
10-20-98
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