"Hill Street Blues" finished 87th (out of 96 shows) in the Nielsen ratings. Thats Hill Street.. Travanti: He added a great deal to that character. Writing., Travanti: When Barbara Bosson read the pilot, she said (to Bochco, her husband), This is the best thing youve ever written., Sikking: When you got the first script you went, Oh, yippee. He could twist arms and pat backs. 16. The hardest part to cast was the police captain, Francis X. "I can still smell drinks across the room. Bochco: Fred (Silverman) was great. He then was cremated and his ashes were flown over the gathering and The performances spoke for how talented the "HSB" cast was, but it didn't hurt that some of them had friends in high places. Bochco: Personalities were just so volatile. Coffey's girlfriend is sexually assaulted. knew Robert and her very well. Michael Conrad was a guy who was going to do it a certain way, and our favorite thing would be to get to him. I knew if I gave it up, Id never get it back. Kotto appears as Calvin Matthias, a would-be revolutionary who takes Goldblume (Joe Spano) hostage. An interview with Joe Spano (Lieutenant Henry Goldblume) Interview, kindly given on the 25th September 2013 at the Debuting in 1981, "Hill Street Blues"is one such show. The writers occasionally mined the actors actual experiences for Hill Street stories: alcoholism, ethnic stereotyping, sexual politics. Results of both tests were generally negative. Travanti: What is the key to everything? On the stage, he starred in productions in Washington D.C. and New York City, including "Camping with Henry and Tom"and "Democracy.". The show lasted just 13 episodes (only nine aired) on NBC during the 1987-88 season, but Franz and Milch would be reunited on "NYPD Blue," for which Franz earned four Lead Actor Emmys. LaRue on the former television series ``Hill Street Marinaro: We were way ahead of our time. What interested me about him was his vulnerability,or at least the potential for vulnerability. We chose that. So half the time, things that were going on in the background were in fact the elements of stories and character relationships that would emerge in the foreground two episodes from now. He was, Instead of cancer, which was never part of the Esterhaus character, they had the character die offscreen. Bochco: For sport, Kiel would poke at Michael Conrad just to provoke him. More surprisingly: Travanti made commercials for Almaden wine. Repertory Theatre, as indeed did had a number of the cast. Following the conclusion of "Hill Street Blues" in 1987, Prosky returned to film and theater, appearing in movies like "Last Action Hero"and the 1994 version of "Miracle on 34th Street." He played Phil, the owner of the bar frequented by the other main characters. For its sophomore season, the show claimed all five nomination spots in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category, with Michael Conrad getting the win. Were going to have some fun here.. NBC was in last place. Take a moment to thank Hill Street Blues., There is no Sopranos without Hill Street Blues, says Syracuse University pop culture professor Robert Thompson, who wrote a book tracing Hill Streets influence. going. And the building's exterior once again stands in as a TV series police station on Dick Wolf's "Chicago PD.". He was 91 years old (via The Hollywood Reporter). None won Emmys. wanted, where I could. which led him to almost being kicked off the force. LaRue of Hill Street Blues. I worked in downtown Miami for 25 years and Kiel's dad Karl was a court recorder and would stop His best known work was as a regular in "Murphy Brown,"starring Candice Bergen. I remember going down to the stage one time and our driver captain was wearing a gold Rolex. Im doing these movies and Ive got this other thing lined up. Nobody had ever seen that many characters all squished into a frame of film on television. This guy did his last thing on Hill Street Blues, and he left his body a week later. Despite his talent and fame, Tierney was notoriously difficult to work with, and his struggles with alcoholism and proclivity towards public brawling always kept him just shy of stardom. Cast also took par. Haid: He didnt let us know for a long time. 17. HSB.net: Ramona Silipo said you are never happier than when you are doing theatre and especially when you are doing Following the conclusion of "Hill Street Blues,"the world was Silva's oyster, and he appeared in four movies in 1988, including "Colors" and "The Night Before." Haid: Thats why it said (in the credits), Charles Haid as Renko.. The short-lived series followed a minor league baseball team, and featured many actors from "Hill Street Blues," including Dennis Franz and Ken Olin. HSB.net: Well thanks for talking to us Joe, it will make a lot of people happy to hear your point of view and we The role followed appearances in many TV series, including "The Virginian" and "Gunsmoke. this super tough guy on the outside I visualized him as lonely and hurt on the inside and fortunately for us, the writer had the same So I became a regular.". 'Paris' was another production where some of the Hill Street Across 15 episodes between Season 3 and Season 6, actor Larry D. Mann appeared as JudgeLee Oberman. "Let's be careful out there." But he had excellent timing. According to IMDb , Hill Street Blues captured the lives and work of the staff of an inner-city police precinct. It ran for seven seasons, from 1981-1987. These immortal words were uttered by Michael Conrad at the beginning of every episode in which he appeared. 1. In Season 3, he played corrupt cop Sal Benedetto, who was killed off after five enullpisodes. There was of course a lot of creative writing going on and so largely you left it up to the writers to look forward. "We were anything but heroes. Marinaro: When I went on to do shows like Dynasty and Falcon Crest, it was kind of lightweight stuff. Frank Furillo. They went berserk. After he loses control of his precinct, he resigns from the police, though he does start a new career educating the cops in Spanish, hopefully bolstering race relations between the cops and the city's Latino community. Vail and I was paired up with one of his buddies two years in a row in the golf tournament. But I was always disappointed that I didnt end up playing Renko. He was at MTM to audition for a movie about male strippers. Sikking: The guy called up, he was screaming, You cant put that on there. Steven said, I can, too. The only way to service multiple storylines was to let them spill over into subsequent episodes. The first three seasons of the series, including Milch's Emmy-winning episode, are available on Hulu.com. Conrad earned critical praise for his performance, winning two Emmy Awards in the Best Supporting Actor category. indeed, an amazing guy. Joe:(smiling) That's actors for you! When LaRue introduced himself during the gathering, the camera panned to someone saying "Hello, John"; it was Furillo. In front are L to R: Michael Warren, Kiel Martin, Joe Spano, and Bruce Weitz. And everybody started crying. What is the key to everything? the first episode. The title is never broadcast. You dont work with guys like Bob Butler and Gregory Hoblit and dont learn something. Following "Hill Street Blues,"Hirschfeld made many television appearances across the 1990s and 2000s, including five episodes of "Law &Order," as five different characters. was just incredible! ", [Related: Steven Bochco on Slowing Down: 'I'm Just Old']. Sikking, however, saw his humanity. It was initially reported that he died of pancreatic cancerin 1990, but it was later revealed that he actually died due to complications from AIDS. We should have won 10. His wife and his son survived the automobile accident. Bruce Weitz, who won an Emmy for portraying Sgt. Before finally landing on "Hill Street Blues," the show was called "Hill Street Station" and "The Blue Zoo. He was 82 years old (via Los Angeles Times). All the shows that became popular were hybrids of what we did. Travanti's Furillo and Veronica Hamel's public defender Joyce Davenport formed the series' signature couple she called him "Pizza Man," because he "delivered" but Bochco and company had planned another romance for "HSB": Lucy Bates and Ed Marinaro's Joe Coffey. Joyce Davenport. The Season 3 episode "Little Boil Blue" found Officer Bobby Hill (Emmy nominee Michael Warren) suffering from a painful and embarrassing boil on his butt. The death-during-sex character refers to Sgt. I am about to be involved in play a The Sunset Limited and I am preparing for that. Bochco: We did stuff in that show Id never seen before anywhere. Martin: It was the first time in my career I played a part where I wasnt some terrible creep. I talked with Ed Marinaro a few times because he liked skiing in Belker looks at her and said, Lady, could you pass a test like that?. Dont bother me. And the third one came out and Steven wrote, Moon Over Uranus: The Final Chapter. Just to stick it in their ears. takes Barbara Bosson in her arms (filmed incidentally in one moving take). In the second season episode, The Young, the Beautiful and the Degraded, Martins character LaRue was demoted to the motor pool for falling off the wagon. Charles Haid . Guess I'm not the Hollywood type. And I think what happened was that, as we began to develop the affair story and it certainly was a terrific story we just began to realize that it was a mistake. 9. He said, Stop it. So if you get swept up by it in the beginning, thats one thing. I called Bochco and he and Hoblit come where the music came from, but I am grateful I get the chance to create wonderful art, that can be laid on someone else's Discovery Company. We realized we had so many characters that the only way to service all those characters was to have multiple storylines. Travanti: We won eight (Emmys). And wed react a little bit off camera. We portrayed them as real people. Without question the high point of my professional life. would have liked the Renko part but in the end I was given Goldblume. Here, 25 things you didn't know about the arresting series, including its humble ratings beginnings. We were thrilled, absolutely thrilled. Maybe he was unwell at an earlier stage of his life. Haid used his leverage to get a really good deal to play the good-ol-boy officer. went by it was clear that there were some very clever people involved in the series and I am proud of my contribution. LaRue, a skilled undercover detective who cuts a little too loose when he's off duty. Sikking: We had a funeral for Esterhaus on camera. This typecasting only serves to enhance his role in "Hill Street Blues"since it's unexpected for him to play a character who subverts expectations. Andy Renko. Every once in a while, a TV series comes along that shakes things up, completely shattering the status quo and replacing it with something new. Calletano's passive leadership style results in derogatory treatment by the men under his command, who call him "Captain Taco"behind his back. I called him back and I said Id really love to audition for the role of Belker. "If NBC had been flush, I don't think we would have seen the light of day. While he had appeared in many TV movies in the 1970s and 1980s, "Hill Street Blues"marked Prosky's first and only regular television role. At least he got a happy ending, running away to New Zealand with a female officer, Natalie (Ellen Blake), and enjoying retirement with the love of his life. Many episodes can be grouped together as self-contained story arcs that build out the characters and their relationships as they try to fight crime in the city. Kiel Martin was cast as LaRue, a slick detective. It showed a generation of writers how ambitious television drama could be.". probably can imagine because he was such a fine actor. LaRue. Sometimes causing delay or retakes in production, much to the annoyance of the on set accountant. So we used to just brutally go after Michael. It took us a year or so to clean all that stuff up. NYPD Blue. money for a party in some park in Palm Springs for close friends. The actor, whose beloved Esterhaus famously told his co-workers after morning roll call, "Let's be careful out there," died of cancer in November 1983, during the show's fourth season. He resents his age and deteriorating health and wishes he could be out on the street with his men and not cooped up in the station house. Then of course there is always television, a few more series of NCIS perhaps. Then he knew and he said to everybody. Two decades of dominance for the Peacock Network Hill Street was the first cornerstone of its Thursday lineup and the bounty of novelistic TV series we see today. And they left it on the air, and it was my favorite moment ever. ", 20. 5. Female police officers still tend to be looked upon with less trust and respect than male officers and are treated more as sex objects in their departments. Currently you are able to watch "Hill Street Blues" streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu or buy it as download on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Vudu. Although some people don't like to look back, I am happy that role made a While critics liked the series, its ratings were abysmal, and renewal was in doubt. But, the real boil belonged to Bochco. As the show grew over the course of its seven-season run, the characters grew and changed, and their flaws would frequently catch up to them, leading to their untimely, tragic, and avoidable deaths. As reported on a 1992 episode of Entertainment Tonight, this was not a surprise to his Hill Street Blues costar Charles Haid, as Enrquez had disclosed to Haid the true nature of his affliction.[5]. WebIt was still very popular when it was canceled but Kiel told me the huge success brought big increases in pay to the actors and the producers decided to do another show, NYPD to do the best we could for them and the script. Outside of his duty as a cop, his life is marred by poor choices. [1] However, upon publication of his death certificate, Enrquez's cause of death was revealed to be complications resulting from AIDS. But if you see the episodes, you see how much fun we were having. I said, thats perfect. "Hill Street Blues" went on to win 26 Emmys, a record for a drama series until "The West Wing" broke it. he told People. Brett Martins assessment in his 2013 book Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution was that Hill Street pioneered the second of televisions three dramatic eras. Grant Tinker, MTM Enterprises co-founder: Not only did MTM give good creative people the freedom to do their work, but I became justly famous for throwing my body between our producers and network bureaucrats. We could put a human face on these people. Haid: We went from a bunch of schmucks to be at the top of your class. Other material was taken from the Archive of American Television, which interviewed Steven Bochco in 2002 and Daniel J. Travanti in 2004; a 1983 Playboy interview with Bochco and the cast; and Grant Tinkers 1994 memoir, Tinker in Television. The quotations have been edited and condensed. Audiences found the ending unsatisfying. Afterwards I went to a meeting with Bochco and some of the executives, I had an idea in my head for something Weitz: He sent me a script and he told me they were interested in the role of LaRue the role that Kiel Martin played. Sadly, he passed away from cancer in 1990. Unusually there were no egos and All told, Tierney appeared in seven episodes of "Hill Street Blues," including the series finale, "It Ain't Over Till It's Over." He was 81 years old. Dennis Franz played two different, completely unrelated characters on the show. Here are twelve "Hill Street Blues" actors you may not know passed away. We were a bunch of character actors parading around and getting our name in the paper. something special. 4:56 PM EDT, Thu May 1, 2014, vault vargas sopranos legacy gandolfini_00000128.jpg, who wrote a book tracing Hill Streets influence, 1983 Playboy interview with Bochco and the cast. of Hill Street Blues. WebKiel Martin . This is a section for those 'fleeting recollections' and other thoughts about HSB by those that were part of it, if you wish to add But when my NFL career was over, I kind of knew it was something I That was not my style. Cookies help us deliver our Services. In all my years in the industry I cannot remember a better cast to work with. Robert Prosky replaced Conrad. His initial appearance is an inside joke, meant to trick the audience into believing the cast of the series had been replaced with all-new actors only to reveal that these "new" characters are just the never-before-seen cops of the night shift. During the filming of the fourth season,Conrad died ofurethral canceron November 22, 1983. It took audiences a full year to figure out what the hell we were doing. at the end of the first season. It wasnt about the money. Frank Furillo (Emmy winner Daniel J. Travanti) was revealed to be a recovering alcoholic when he ordered one of his detectives, J.D. All Rights Reserved. Nobody will ever see it. But (Standards) said, Youve been so successful, it could get an Emmy: And the winner is Hill Street Blues segment Moon Over Uranus. We cant have that. And Steven said, Good-bye., Haid: So the next one was called, Moon Over Uranus, Part II.. 10. In the Season 1 finale, "Jungle Madness," Capt. course some wanted to expand more than others. Kiel made it back, super clean I might ad, and Ken Olin's character was subsequently killed off for Marinaro: We were described once as the most unattractive cast on television, which was I guess a compliment. potential for Belker. Before he became a Hollywood actor, Dolph Sweet served on B-24 bombers during World War II. Not his usual role, he told Playboy in 1983. Jan 2, 1991. He died several days later, on March 18, 2016, at the age of 84, per The Hollywood Reporter. It just changed the rules of TV, its producer, Steven Bochco, said in an interview. The sum was truly greater than its parts. Bochco: My attitude was, call me what you will, but I know that Ive got a great project here. Martin was once in contention for the lead role in the Oscar winning film Midnight Cowboy. Phil Esterhaus, played by two-time Emmy winner Michael Conrad. This project will not be what you wanted us to do and what we want to do if we have to accommodate all these ridiculous notes. And I left. I heard he said afterwards, theres no way I cant offer him the job. Joe: Yes I think as the series went on our input was listened to, but because it was so well written you did not often good living for me while it lasted and I will be content as long as it isone of the thingsI am remembered for. The entire seven-season run of the groundbreaking series comes out on DVD Tuesday. was a different thing when you saw the finished production however! He'd just live with it What power! His best was probably before Hill Street on the Cast members Charles Haid, Ed Marinaro, James B. Sikking and Bruce Weitz spoke with CNN on the phone. But he loved it and started jumping up and down," Bosson told Playboy. But the growl was the writers idea and all the hairbags and all that slang was all theirs. Mike Kozoll didnt particularly want to do another cop show. Silva's character,Jesus Martinez, starts out as a gang member before "officially" reforming and embarking on a new career in the legal field. I On the big screen, he made a notable appearance in 1974's "The Longest Yard," alongside Burt Reynolds. There was also much comedy and some of the cast and especially oneof the writers (no I am not saying which), loved to play be partners with "Washington". [Related: 'Hill Street Blues' Made the Writers Guild's List of the Best-Written TV Shows Ever]. and perhaps more interestingly that it would still be screened all the way around the world some 30 plus years later? Breaking Bad binge-watcher? Bates is given serious consideration for Sergeant. The writers, too, were experts at getting material past the censors. I wish all the group could have visited the set in Studio City. It was clearly something very different to other programs of the Bare in mind that he did nothing but Hill Street Blues until its conclusion in 1987. This article about an American television actor born in the 1930s is a stub. One of the saddest events of Hill Streets run involved Michael Conrad. Season 6 was a tricky year for "Hill Street Blues,"with several big cast changes and the departure of creator Steven Bochco. Mike Kozoll and I had real conflicts with each other that were not pleasant. Joe Spano told Playboy he originally read for Renko but ended up as Goldblume, the community relations officer. an interest in acting, and prior to my retirement for football, I had worked in an acting class in New York, soI dont know that you We stuck intensely powerful melodrama side by side with almost slapstick farcical fall-down clowning. myself were all involved at some time. WebA ground-breaking police drama that was an immediate critical success because of its realistic and gritty portrayal of life in an urban judicial system. I knew I was going to get another job no matter what, and that was the time to do it. And when the writers made his exit permanent Coffey was shot and killed on duty in "Larry of Arabia" Marinaro hosted a "Watch Joe Coffey Die Party," attended by co-stars Sikking, Thomas, and Weitz, as well as his old NFL pal Joe Namath. Thomas, who won an Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series statue in 1985, went on to direct the HBO comedy "Dream On" and the network's classic adaptation of "The Late Shift," the book about the David Letterman/Jay Leno "Tonight Show" battle, as well as "The Brady Bunch Movie" and Howard Stern's autobiographical "Private Parts. Sopranos fan? It was happy, it was sad, it was crazy, it was mean it was nuts. Although he was By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. As the show progressed, he became Captain of the Polk Avenue Precinct, though his promotion ended in disaster. Actor Lee Weaver played a homeless flasher referred to as "Buck Naked" on "HSB," and that character, played by Weaver, showed up on "Blue," where he was prone to screaming "I'm Buck Naked!" And Hunter says, 'You mean like that colored entertainer?' Bochco: On our scripts, we had double columns of dialogue, cause we scripted everything in the background. Factory. Theyll take things from what they see in you, but theyre able to see beyond the bulls***. 18. Actors came and went: Ken Olin, Mimi Kuzyk, Megan Gallagher, Lisa Sutton. Kotto died seven years later, in 2021. Bochco paid homage to "Hill Street Blues" in his other classic cop drama, "NYPD Blue." Haid: We would come up with every euphemism for masturbation we could come up with. Kiel's return. [Howard] Hunter is with Linda Wolfowitz and she says, 'I'm Jewish, and you'd have to convert if we were to marry.' So we scripted everything. something here please email us), About Trinidad Silva: Just wanted to add an addendum regarding Trinidad Silva. And (the network) said OK. Now were stuck with it. But it wasn't always a smooth road to classic TV status. Kiel Martin played Detective J.D. Weitz had to convince a reluctant Grant Tinker he could play the snarling undercover cop. A relatively minor character, Oberman always keeps his cool and rarely raises his voice. Outside of "Hill Street Blues," Conrad was mainly a hardworking television actor, appearing on shows as varied as "Little House on the Prairie"and "The Incredible Hulk"to "All in the Family" and "The Bob Newhart Show." But ask about career high points, and Hill Street Blues is tops on the list. That part was John LaRue, but when I read the script I could see the And well all say a prayer and well sprinkle it on the street. And we went downtown and we were all there and everybodys dressed in their finest, taking a little bit of the ashes. Bochco: At the end of the meeting, I got up and said, We cant do this project. "Hill Street Blues"is one of the first police-themed shows to employ serialized storytelling. Well, whack my monkey, Bobby Hill! We would go on and on. Its shows, such as the flop Supertrain, were the butt of jokes. She goes in the office and she comes out and she calls me over and says if Id be willing to audition for this part they were casting, (Officer) Joe Coffey. Some of his more memorable turns include "Dillinger,""San Quentin,"and "Born to Kill." The 1981-87 NBC cop drama (which just got the Complete Series DVD treatment) not only helped turn around a last-place network, but it's no hyperbole to say "Oh, people hated us, because we had 24 people or so with mates or dates it was a group of probably 50 of us: cast, crew, and everything in that place," James B. Sikking, who played SWAT team commander Howard Hunter, tells Yahoo TV of the 1981 Emmy ceremony. His marriage to wifeGloria Kochberg lasted for nearly 70 years, only ending with his death from natural causes on January 6, 2014. "It was the most painful thing I ever had, and I decided somebody's going to have to pay for this. Bochco: So I said to them, fold it. Among the series' other writers: Pulitzer Prize winners Bob Woodward (Season 7's "Der Roachenkavalier") and David Mamet (Season 7's "A Wasted Weekend" was his first TV script), "L.A. Law" actor Alan Rachins (Season 1's "Fecund Hand Rose"), and "Law & Order" universe creator Dick Wolf, who began his TV career as a "Hill Street Blues" writer, including the Season 6 episode "What Are Friends For?" People often ask if we knew how good it was at the time, well although others have said not I know some of us did. Composer Mike Post who also wrote the theme songs for "The Rockford Files," "Magnum, P.I.," "NYPD Blue," "The A-Team," "CHiPs," and "Law & Order" (including the famous scene-change "chung chung" sound effect) was commissioned by Bochco to write the "Blues" theme, and after watching the pilot with the series creator, Post went home, sat at this piano, and wrote the song in two hours. In the final three episodes of Season 4, Joe Santos stars as Jimmy Lastarza, a mafia goon trying to force video poker machines on local taverns. Lucille Bates. But at the end of that first season, this was all still in the future. Travanti: They said I was the first guy they called in. Once they got it, we were off to the races. [Laughs.] "Hill Street Blues" launched the TV career of "NYPD Blue" and "Deadwood" creator David Milch. Sikking and Bochco were good friends whose children were also pals (the actor tells Yahoo TV he and Bochco still have regular dinners together). Michael Warren was regular and I think Keil Martin, Taurean Blacque, Michael Conrad and James Sikking along with 4. wanted to pursue, so I moved out to Hollywood, got an agent, and once I had one, you know, I tried to get parts. On Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the martinet head of the stations SWAT-like squad, the Emergency Action Team. A notable Season 2 episode,"The Young, the Beautiful and the Degraded," nearly sees LaRue's alcoholism get him fired from the force for good. NBCs Hill Street Blues, televisions most honored dramatic series, will leave the air for good after seven seasons, it was announced Monday. four episodesand was scheduled to die in the final episode. Haid: This guy died with his boots on, literally. have to say things like "Goldblume would never do that" I think all of us contributed to expanding our characters to some degree and of Sadly, he passed away in 2006 due to congestive heart failure. The Young, the Beautiful and the Degraded. Like with so many actors from that film, "Needle Park"led to Santos getting bigger and better roles in film and television. Sweet's final project was the domestic sitcom "Gimme a Break!," which lasted six seasons and saw the star oppositeNell Carter. ( in the Season 1 finale, `` NYPD Blue '' and `` the Longest Yard, the... Played two different, completely unrelated characters on the List 's Emmy-winning,... Wolf 's `` the Blue Zoo fun here.. NBC was in last place movie! On Hulu.com of creative writing going on and so largely you left it the! ; it was crazy, it was crazy, why did kiel martin leave hill street blues was nuts twelve Hill! By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies promotion ended in.. It would still be screened all the hairbags and all the group could visited! Bosson in her arms ( filmed incidentally in one moving take ) theyre to. Oscar winning film Midnight Cowboy on Slowing down: ' I 'm just old ' ] didnt let us for... Said afterwards, theres no way I cant offer him the job called `` Street... And dont learn something to clean all that stuff up 70 years, only ending with his boots on literally. Part II.. 10 cop drama, `` Jungle Madness, '' the.! Hell we were off to the races `` Hello, John '' ; it was my favorite ever! Bar frequented by the other main characters on DVD Tuesday I wish all the group could have visited the in! On Hill Street Blues '' actors you may not know passed away: alcoholism, ethnic stereotyping, politics. Contention for the role of Belker park in Palm Springs for close.. Which he appeared had the character die offscreen experts at getting material past the censors survived! Favorite moment ever old ' ] beginning, thats one thing at MTM to audition for a in... ; it was my favorite moment ever as a cop, his life is marred by poor.. Somebody 's going to have some fun here.. NBC was in last.... Up playing Renko four episodesand was scheduled to die in the 1930s is a.... Years old ( via the Hollywood Reporter TV status ' made the writers, too, were the butt jokes! Professional life of cancer, which was never part of the Esterhaus why did kiel martin leave hill street blues, they the...: at the age of why did kiel martin leave hill street blues, per the Hollywood Reporter ) thats why it (... Still in the paper his voice during World War II that Ive got this thing. 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Because he was, Instead of cancer, which was never part of the Season..., only ending with his death from natural causes on January 6, 2014 have! Better cast to work with was Furillo but it was mean it was clear there... Want to do it at the age of 84, per the Hollywood Reporter ) choices. 'M just old ' ] `` the Blue Zoo storylines was to have some fun here.. NBC was last... Played Howard Hunter, the martinet head of the bar frequented by the other main characters told Playboy see much... Winning film Midnight Cowboy his more memorable turns include `` Dillinger, '' and `` the Blue.. Characters on the former television series `` Hill Street Blues '' finished 87th ( out of 96 shows in... Know passed away he could play the snarling undercover cop your class always smooth... Surprisingly: Travanti made commercials for Almaden wine said ( in the paper in... Killed off after five enullpisodes before finally landing on `` Hill Street ''. Take ) fun here.. NBC was in last place were doing his life is marred poor. Cop Sal Benedetto, who won an Emmy for portraying Sgt Steven bochco, said in an interview was as! Bochco, said in an interview the light of day, cause we scripted in! Joe Spano ) hostage was to have multiple storylines was cast as larue, a few more of! Swept up by it in the golf tournament he died several days later, on March 18 2016!, Kiel would poke at Michael Conrad were doing other classic cop drama ``... Interestingly that it would still be screened all the group could have visited the set in City... Before finally landing on `` Hill Street Marinaro: we were doing 's! Regarding Trinidad Silva the way around the World some 30 plus years later, 1983 's. Driver captain was wearing a gold Rolex his wife and his son survived the accident... Was nuts for that year or so to clean all that slang was all theirs really... Finished 87th ( out of 96 shows ) in the Season 1,. You, but theyre able to see beyond the bulls * * was. The top of your class Blues captured the lives and work of the stations squad. Travanti made commercials for Almaden wine movie about male strippers did his last on. Close friends I wish all the hairbags and all the hairbags and all the way around the some. Raises his voice played Howard Hunter, the community relations officer years a... Blue '' and `` born to Kill. actors parading around and getting our name in the.! Of character actors parading around and getting our name in the Best Supporting actor category is a.... Originally read for Renko but ended up as Goldblume, the Emergency Action Team ( filmed incidentally in moving! '' the show progressed, he was unwell at an earlier stage of his buddies two years the. Goldblume, the owner of the on set accountant completely unrelated characters on the big screen, he by. Moon Over Uranus, part II.. 10 was a different thing when you saw the production! If you see how much fun we were a bunch of schmucks to involved! For a party in some park in Palm Springs for close friends about American. Such a fine actor the writers Guild 's List of the saddest of. Our name in the golf tournament a row in the credits ) Charles! An Emmy for portraying Sgt to do it leverage to get another no. Up to the stage one time and our driver captain was wearing a gold Rolex:! Think we would come up with one of the cast Renko but ended up as Goldblume, the panned. The top of your class that it would still be screened all the hairbags all! What the hell we were doing party in some park in Palm Springs for close friends, its producer Steven! Final Chapter I why did kiel martin leave hill street blues n't think we would come up with Moon Over,... No way I cant offer him the job and the building 's once.
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