Phil Dean

Despite being over 40 years old, this series far exceeds the tepid, lame police dramas currently boring viewers on T.V. There have been one or two worthy series that capture and maintain interest, but in my opinion, only the British production, Whitechapel, compares to this excellent and thought-provoking police drama. Hill Street Blues is a visual companion to the novel you just can't put down. Yes, there are flashes of humour which are necessary to lighten some of the darker moments indicative of the time the series was filmed. In a world obsessed with political correctness and plagued by the lack of freedom of speech, it's a breath of fresh air to watch and even participate vicariously in the real world as we knew it. This series, for whatever reason, has never been shown since 1989 on British television. Perhaps that is due to the writer's legal or contractual wishes, or maybe it's simply been forgotten. Whatever has prevented the current generation from seeing this superb series is old news. Fortunately the Channel 4 streaming service has now seen this programme reborn and in its entirety for everyone to enjoy. Kudos Channel 4!!