NYPD Blue: Difference between revisions

'''''NYPD Blue''''' is a [[Cop Show]] with [[Crime-Time Soap|Soap Opera elements]] that ran on ABC from 1993 to 2005. Originally a star vehicle for David Caruso (who left after the first season to pursue a movie career), the show evolved into an [[Loads and Loads of Characters|ensemble]], with Det. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) as the focus character.

The show courted controversy from the start with its [[Too Sexy for This Time Slot|liberal use of nudity]] (mostly sideboob and butts, with the occasional steamy love scene) and salty language (one of Sipowicz's first lines is calling A.D.A. Sylvia Costas a "pissy little bitch", and it was one of the first shows to use the word "shit" on network television). The [[Moral Guardians|Parents Television Council]] was formed primarily because of this show. It was also noted for resurrecting the careers of those (besides Caruso) who played Andy's partners ([[LAL.A. Law|Jimmy Smits]], and former child stars [[Silver Spoons|Rick Schroder]] and [[Saved by the Bell|Mark-Paul Gosselaar]]).

* [[A Death in the Limelight]] -: Simone.

* [[Death Is Dramatic]] -: Bobby Simone's death.

* [[Deus Angst Machina]] --: Sipowicz has had a dead wife, a dead son, two dead partners (and a third resigning in disgrace), and TWO cancer scares (his own and his youngest son's).

* [[Dropped a Bridge on Him]] --: Rick Schroder's character was murdered off-screen by his stripper girlfriend's ex.

* [[Earn Your Happy Ending]] --: Whilst the final episode makes it very clear that life and work will go on as usual for Andy Sipowicz, he is far better off at the end than he was at the beginning.

* [[Fair Cop]] --: Nearly all of the female detectives, with Baldwin Jones as a rare male example.

* [[Fan Service]] --: The show often pushed the boundaries of how much skin (or sexuality) you could show on network TV.

* [[Geodesic Cast]] --: Andy and his current partner, Medavoy and his, often a third female duo.

* [[Long Bus Trip]] --: Though it was never followed up, David Caruso's departure from the series was certainly open-ended enough that for a couple of seasons afterwards it wouldn't have been unexpected to have seen Detective Kelly walk right back through those doors.

** Particularly strange was his complete non-appearance at Sipowicz's wedding. Apparently the writing staff were tempted to [[Put on a Bus to Hell|put John Kelly on a bus to hell]] following the way Caruso had treated them, as a [[Take That]] to the actor. But ultimately they felt that whatever problems they had to deal with as far as the actor was concerned, the ''character'' of Detective John Kelly deserved more respect than that, so they allowed him to have a dignified departure with no repercusionsrepercussions.

* [[Media Watchdog]]: -- oneOne of their go-to targets.

* [[Noble Bigot with a Badge]] --: Sipowicz (Hehe gets better).

* [[No Ending]] --: Done deliberately.

* [[Not Even Bothering with the Accent]] --: Dennis Franz's Chicago accent coming from Brooklyn boy Sipowicz.

* [[Not in Front of the Parrot]] --: Sgt. Gibson's obnoxious parrot. (Mademade more obnoxious by Andy secretly training it to say nothing but "douchebag").

* [[Pet Homosexual]] --: John.

* [[Pointy-Haired Boss]] --: Blatantly unqualified Sgt. Gibson (though it was made clear that it was temporary and by default, due to a shortage of qualified Sergeants and Lieutenants).

* [[Rabid Cop]] --: Sipowicz (again, he gets better).

* [[Radar Systems]]: -- theThe show was frequently rapped for its language and nudity, but rarely for the just as frequent violence.

* [[Watershed|Safe Harbor]] -: One of the few shows on network TV to exploit this.

* [[Seven Dirty Words]] --: Used four or five of them regularly.

* [[Sexy Secretary]]: Donna.

* [[Soap Opera Disease]]: {{spoiler|Bobby Simone}} had a a terminal case.

* [[Ugly Guy, Hot Wife]] --: Sipowicz. ''Twice'' (at least Sylvia was his age).