Homicide - Life on the Street - Season 1... on DVD (1993)

A customer from UK , 17/04/2005

Simply the finest TV series ever made.

Eschewing the cheap flashiness of NYPD blue and the cold police procedurals of CSI, Homicide instead opts for a far darker and more realistic view of life in the Baltimore City Homicide Department.

Based on the plots & charecters of the superb non-fiction book 'Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets' by David Simon, and utilising the gritty cinematography of Barry Levinson, Homicide focuses on the elite detective of the Homicide unit, and their struggles to turn the red scars of unsolved murder victims that sit under their names on the white board in the middle of the squad room, into the comforting black of a closed case.

Standout Charecters include Kyle Seccour as sensative newcomer Tim Bayliss, Melissa Leo as Kay Howard and Yaphet Kotto as inspiring half black/half Italian shift commander Lt. Al Geodello. In as much as the show has as star, its undoubtedly Andre Braugher.

As Det. Frank Pembleton he is a seeker after the truth. As he himself puts it ' We Speak for the Dead' 'What could we possibly do that matters more than this ?'. In the interrogation room no-one is as good as Frank. Witty, errudite and utterly merciless, Frank simply destroys suspects in the 'Box' of the interregation room, as easily as Braugher destroys any other actor he shares the screen with.

A tour de force that leaves other cop dramas looking like the dull pastiches they are.

Watch this now!

  16 out of 16 people found this review helpful

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TRS80 from Northwich [Highly rated reviewer] , 19/04/2008

I gave up halfway through the pilot episode as there was no structure to the story.Most characters seemed to be rambling on about matters irrelevant to the story line.Give me Hill St Blues any day.

  6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

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A customer from scotland , 14/07/2005

most of police/detective programs could loose color after a few years as methods change and everything is very much modern and hi-tec - but this is so much more than just any detective series : very intelligent deep and real

also great fun to watch!

Great acting!

  4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

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Jude H Pereira from London, UK , 04/05/2007

This show has real gem. The characters are all excellent. They are flawed but normal people trying to do their job. No one stands out as a super cop like Horatio Caine from CSI Miami.

I actually used to liked NYPD Blues until I found Homicide: Life on the Street. I will state that Homicide is by far better than NYPD Blues. I actually think its closer to Hill Street Blues. Those familiar with NYPD Blues must know the character Andy Sipowicz who is by far the best character in the program. In Homicide: Life on the Street you will find that ALL the characters are equal to that of Sipowicz character – all well written and clearly defined. Lastly, the show not only shows you how they solve the crime but also allows you to get into the characters so you can empathise with them with less techno lingo as found in NYPD Blues.

I like Homicide Life on the Street so much that I will be buying the Region 1 complete box set comprising of 35 discs, which includes all seven season and the link with Law and Order series.

RENT IT PLEASE!

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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TRS80 from Northwich [Highly rated reviewer] , 19/04/2008

I gave up halfway through the pilot episode as there was no structure to the story.Most characters seemed to be rambling on about matters irrelevant to the story line.Give me Hill St Blues any day.

  6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

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CRJS from Bath UK , 22/07/2007

A first class beginning to a gritty cop series conceived by David Simon before he developed The Wire. Fast tempo with seeds that will sprout in future episodes. Easy to see the origins from which the Wire itself grows. Under-rated and under-exposed in UK TV, this is worth exploring as the prequel to The Wire.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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