Bay City Blues

Five years before Ron Shelton turned his script for Bull Durham into his directorial dbut, NBC aired Bay City Blues, which introduced millions of people to the pleasures, idiosyncrasies, and slightly desperate aura surrounding the minor leagues.  NBC’s prime...

Thursdays at 10

For nearly 30 years, from 1981 to 2009, NBC defined quality television programming in the 10:00 p.m. time slot.  Hill Street Blues debuted in 1981 and changed the production of television drama. Story lines became story arcs, lasting several episodes.  Moving cameras...

Furillo, Esterhaus, et al.

Hill Street Blues began NBC’s tradition of quality drama in the 1o:00 p.m. time slot on Thursday nights.  This tradition lasted nearly three decades, ending in 2009 when The Jay Leno Show occupied the hour. Premiering in 1981 to 1987, Hill Street Blues changed...

The Many Faces of Dennis Franz

Dennis Franz stayed with NYPD Blue for its entire run on ABC from 1993 to 2005.  But before he won Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Detective Andy Sipowicz, Franz starred in several television series.  Some may be long forgotten. In 1982, NBC debuted Chicago Story an...

A Cartoon Bible

Who was the voice of Harry Boyle, the father in Wait Til Your Father Gets Home? When did The Jetsons initially air? What was the name of the prime time cartoon series that Steven Bochco produced? The answers to these and just about any other cartoon questions can be...