Hill Street Blues/Spenser for Hire

"Let's be careful out there" was one thing you knew you would hear on each of the episodes of Hill Street Blues. You just didn't know how careful they needed to be. The episodes could be both comedic or dramatic and sometimes both in just one episode. Each character was someone you knew. There was Captain Frank Furilo who was in love with Joyce Davenport who was of course the Assistant DA. There always had to be a love interest.

Hill Street Blues was one of the first shows to have an ensemble cast. It was also one of the few shows that had more than that "one" minority member. From the moment the theme music came on, you knew you were in for a ride. I can still remember the most dramatic scene they had in all of the years they were on. I remember them walking into an apartment house and all hell breaking loose with everyone getting shot. Even after finding out who survived, we were taken on another ride as we saw how this incident had effected the entire cast of characters and the wonderful story lines that came from this. Hill Street Blues set the standard for cop shows.

Another one of my favorites was Spenser for Hire. You won't believe it, but that's where I learned how to pair wine with different foods. Heck, this show even taught me how to cook certain dishes. You have to remember that before and after Spenser caught the bad guys he was winning and dining Susan or Rita.

Then of course there was Hawk. Hawk was something else. He had the look--tall, dark and very handsome. He had the voice--deep baritone. He had the gun--big. Spenser and Hawk together had the perfect partnership. They complimented each other They were cool before Lethal Weapon.

These two shows were the beginning of some of the best writing on television. Kind of makes you wonder what has happened.