NYPD Blue

Police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwined several plots involving an ensemble cast.

NYPD Blue (1993-2005) is an American network police procedural created by David Milch and Steven Bochco for ABC. The series follows the fictional Fifteenth Precinct in Manhattan, centering on hard-drinking veteran detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) as he pursues killers, thieves and corrupt colleagues while wrestling with his own demons. Around him, partners and fellow detectives including John Kelly (David Caruso), Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) and Diane Russell (Kim Delaney) juggle heavy caseloads, tangled personal lives and the pressures of the job. Each hour typically braids several unrelated investigations together, so a homicide, a blackmail scheme and a domestic dispute might unfold side by side, with no case resolving neatly in a single episode. The show runs for twelve seasons and 261 episodes, a long serialized saga in which personal histories accumulate alongside the casework. Its tone is gritty, wry and emotionally raw, with a documentary-style New York texture and an interest in institutional corruption and the moral cost of police work. Fans of Hill Street Blues, Homicide: Life on the Street and The Shield will find much of the same street-level realism and ensemble intensity.

Viewers broadly regard NYPD Blue as a pioneering, well-written police drama with compelling characters and strong performances, with its later seasons rated highest.

• Hill Street Bluesshared gritty big city police procedural with ensemble precinct focus and multi-plot episodes
• Homicide: Life on the Streetshared police procedural tone with morally complicated detectives and urban crime
• The Shieldshared serialized police drama with personal struggles woven into case work

Created by

David Milch, Steven Bochco

Release Date

1993-09-21

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

7.8 / 10 (184)

What is NYPD Blue about?

A New York City police precinct ensemble drama that follows detectives' work cases alongside their personal struggles.

What is NYPD Blue like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of NYPD Blue as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is NYPD Blue violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in NYPD Blue as moderate.

What did critics think of NYPD Blue?

Viewers broadly regard NYPD Blue as a pioneering, well-written police drama with compelling characters and strong performances, with its later seasons rated highest.

Which shows are like NYPD Blue?

Shows with a similar feel include Hill Street Blues, Homicide: Life on the Street, and The Shield.

How long is NYPD Blue?

NYPD Blue: 12 seasons, 261 episodes.

Is NYPD Blue still running?

No, NYPD Blue has ended.

Where can I watch NYPD Blue?

In United States, NYPD Blue is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.