The Wirerevolutionized the police procedural with its dark realism and serialized storytelling, but it never would’ve existed if it hadn’t been forHill Street Blues. David Simon channeled his years of experience as a crime reporter in Baltimore into the most realistic crime drama ever made.The Wireis so authentic, it almost feels like a documentary at times.
When it premiered on HBO,The Wirearrived as a brand-new kind of TV show. But there were a couple of precursors that paved the way for it.Simon’s previous cop show,Homicide: Life on the Street, pioneered the gritty realism, naturalistic dialogue, and moral ambiguity that wouldmakeThe Wiresuch a masterpiece. But there was another early forerunner.
Hill Street Blues Was The Grittiest Cop Show Of Its Time
BeforeHill Street Bluescame along,cop showswere morally black-and-white and narratively simplistic. In each episode of a show likeDragnetorStarsky & Hutch, the good cops get on the trail of a bad guy and bring them to justice in time for the end credits.Hill Street Blueswas a lot messier and more realistic.
It had overlapping storylines, morally gray characters, and dealt with serious issues like racism, addiction, and police corruption. The backdrop of the series was a gritty, noir-ish exploration of urban decay.Hill Street Blueswas so dark and violent that it caused problems with Standards and Practices early in the show’s run.
How Hill Street Blues Influenced The Wire
WhenHill Street Blueswas released on DVD,The Huffington Postspoke to a bunch of revered TV writers about the show’s legacy. One of those writers was Simon, who acknowledged thatHill Street Blueshad an “indirect but important” influence onThe Wire. Simon praisedHill Street Bluesfor having the best dramatic writing on television up to that point.
The Wireis streaming on HBO Max.
The influence ofHill Street Bluescan be seen all overThe Wire. WhatmakesThe Wiremore realistic than the average crime proceduralis that the cops don’t conveniently solve each case by the end of the episode; sometimes, it takes years to build a case. This kind of serialization began withHill Street Blues.
Hill Street Blues Defined Police Procedurals As We Know Them
With its boundary-pushing violence, timely social commentary, and sprawling cast of recurring characters,Hill Street Bluesdefinedthe police proceduralas we know it today. It left behind the sanitized Hollywood fantasy of police work and moved closer to a realistic portrayal of the long arm of the law.Hill Street Bluesbroke the ground thatThe Wirewas built on.
