RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - Actor Kiel Martin, who played shady detective Johnny ``J.D.'' All Rights Reserved. Its absolutely the high point. It stayed on through a combination of key corporate support, determination and a little bit of luck. there is instant gratification from the audience's response to your work. Sergeant Belker (Bruce Weitz) takes the opportunity to go undercover and dismantle their extortion and gambling racket that turns out to be much more ruthless and violent than expected. he told People. Before finally landing on "Hill Street Blues," the show was called "Hill Street Station" and "The Blue Zoo. Joe: It has been a pleasure chatting to you guys and I promise I will put a good word in with those I am still in Director Rick Wallace Writers Michael Kozoll Steven Bochco (story by) Jeffrey Lewis (teleplay by) Before he became a Hollywood actor, Dolph Sweet served on B-24 bombers during World War II. only runs for a few weeks, but it will be fun. Take a moment to thank Hill Street Blues., There is no Sopranos without Hill Street Blues, says Syracuse University pop culture professor Robert Thompson, who wrote a book tracing Hill Streets influence. Stanislaus Jablonski, a rougher, more hard-edged foil to his predecessor. Bochco also wanted to cast Charles Haid. Mike Kozoll and I had real conflicts with each other that were not pleasant. Steven Bochco, co-creator: I didnt particularly want to do another cop show. According to IMDb , Hill Street Blues captured the lives and work of the staff of an inner-city police precinct. It ran for seven seasons, from 1981-1987. going. Instead of cancer, which was never part of the Esterhaus character, they had the character die offscreen. Many episodes can be grouped together as self-contained story arcs that build out the characters and their relationships as they try to fight crime in the city. I remember going down to the stage one time and our driver captain was wearing a gold Rolex. scene you are not going to get much feedback from them. Marinaro: We were way ahead of our time. an interest in acting, and prior to my retirement for football, I had worked in an acting class in New York, soI dont know that you I wish all the group could have visited the set in Studio City. probably can imagine because he was such a fine actor. LaRue, a self-styled ladies' man, on "Hill Street Blues." They had already brought in Ken Olin to replace Kiel and Sometimes causing delay or retakes in production, much to the annoyance of the on set accountant. HSB.net: Is it true that you were originally cast as Renko, but they thought you were not aggressive enough for I was a free agent again, and I auditioned for Hill Street Blues. His most famous teammate: Lew Alcindor, aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He's a figure of authority respected by all for his fairness, though he doesn't receive much characterization beyond his day-to-day role overseeing arraignments. Then of course there is always television, a few more series of NCIS perhaps. We portrayed them as real people. Award-winning show that it is, Hill Street still sank by roughly 10% in the ratings since its peak in 1982-83. In particular, his interactions with his partner, Detective Neal Washington (Taurean Blacque) see the two characters bring out the best in one another in a believable and realistic way. Following the conclusion of "Hill Street Blues,"the world was Silva's oyster, and he appeared in four movies in 1988, including "Colors" and "The Night Before." It just changed the rules of TV. You still have to do the work. And Emmy nominee Barbara Bosson, who played Fay, the ex-wife of Capt. We chose that. That's one dangerously sexy redhead, indeed. The result? Menu. Composer Mike Post who also wrote the theme songs for "The Rockford Files," "Magnum, P.I.," "NYPD Blue," "The A-Team," "CHiPs," and "Law & Order" (including the famous scene-change "chung chung" sound effect) was commissioned by Bochco to write the "Blues" theme, and after watching the pilot with the series creator, Post went home, sat at this piano, and wrote the song in two hours. His final role was in 2014's video game, "Alien: Isolation," in which he reprised his role as Parker in audio logs. Yet somehow out of this intense focus and energy and conflict and whatever, this show emerged, because I think all of us were at a moment in our lives where were all sort of an age where none of us had any significant success but all of us had had a lot of experience. WebKiel Martin was born on July 26, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Conrad died on November 22, 1983, during the series fourth season. Bruce's golf tournaments and had really nice conversations with them. Frank Furillo, was married to Bochco. It where the music came from, but I am grateful I get the chance to create wonderful art, that can be laid on someone else's Cocaine was rampant. It wasnt about the money. Cast members Charles Haid, Ed Marinaro, James B. Sikking and Bruce Weitz spoke with CNN on the phone. About Joe Coffey I had moved out to Los Angeles after my NFL career was over it was 1978 and I had developed a bit of meet you and find out more about it. I real don't know time, although of course that by no means guaranties success. Webmaster Andy Lambert with Joe Spano,Calabasas Commons, California. About Mick Belker:I had known Steven (Bochco) since we were at Carnegie Tech together and when he got the something here please email us), About Trinidad Silva: Just wanted to add an addendum regarding Trinidad Silva. Here, 25 things you didn't know about the arresting series, including its humble ratings beginnings. AP. HSB.net: Interesting that you say that Joe, because I get the impression that some of your fellow cast members are spread from the sky. NYPD Blue. The cremation canister was given to the stationhouse and everybody went by and shook it and did things like that. I would say, Well, stroke my bishop. idea. We were a ragtag group of characters, and that's what made the show unique and popular. Haid: I found out the series Id done had been passed on and Hill Street Blues had been picked up. And I knew I had something unprecedented in terms of that kind of control and I wasnt going to give it up. Sadly, he passed away in 2006 due to congestive heart failure. 14. It was still very popular when it In fact what happened was in Kiel's will he set aside some "Steven Bochco was on set that night, and he came to me and said, 'Joe Coffey's life is in the hand of your agents right now,'" Marinaro tells Yahoo TV. This typecasting only serves to enhance his role in "Hill Street Blues"since it's unexpected for him to play a character who subverts expectations. Joe: When Nancy ( Robert Hirschfeld widow) told me of your efforts in creating the website, I felt it would be good to There was of course a lot of creative writing going on and so largely you left it up to the writers to look forward. Granted, he uses forged documents to enroll in law school, but he still manages to become a successful paralegal, even if he continues to have a degree of influence over the Diablos gang. His best known work was as a regular in "Murphy Brown,"starring Candice Bergen. Frank Furillo (Emmy winner Daniel J. Travanti) was revealed to be a recovering alcoholic when he ordered one of his detectives, J.D. After the war, he became an actor and appeared in dozens of films and television shows, frequently playing lawmen. knew Robert and her very well. Bochco: My attitude was, call me what you will, but I know that Ive got a great project here. (For complete sourcing, see the contributor line at the bottom of this story.). The main characters were perceived as being not capable and having flawed personalities. When it premiered on NBC in January 1981, Hill Street was unlike anything else on American television. She goes in the office and she comes out and she calls me over and says if Id be willing to audition for this part they were casting, (Officer) Joe Coffey. I know her husband Steve was What happened was (Bochco) couldnt come up with a title, and theyd just done something at Cape Canaveral, and he said, Well call this Moon Over Uranus. And he sent it in and Standards and Practices called up, No, no, no., Steven said, Why do I have to change the title? HSB.net: When did you first meet Mr Bochco was it when you appeared on his TV Show Paris? But when my NFL career was over, I kind of knew it was something I It wasnt a success that could have been predicted. Haid used his leverage to get a really good deal to play the good-ol-boy officer. Many of us who were in the series, heard of the initial additions Because "Hill Street Blues" wasn't a typical cop show, the theme song wasn't the usual loud, hard-driving cop-drama theme song. A couple times people would go at each other, but it wasnt about drugs and alcohol, but about creative stuff. would call it a conventional route to a career in acting. Kiel made it back, super clean I might ad, and Ken Olin's character was subsequently killed off for So half the time, things that were going on in the background were in fact the elements of stories and character relationships that would emerge in the foreground two episodes from now. Then he knew and he said to everybody. contact with. "Hill Street Blues" went on to win 26 Emmys, a record for a drama series until "The West Wing" broke it. The pilot of Hill Street Blues was tested both at the ASI Theater and on cable. Mann enjoyed a career that lasted for decades, dating back to the early 1950s. 'Paris' was another production where some of the Hill Street When I got into the room, I jumped up on Grant Tinkers desk and went after his nose. When LaRue introduced himself during the gathering, the camera panned to someone saying "Hello, John"; it was Furillo. Joe: Yes Bob and I were friends for a long time before his tragic death because of course we both came up through I know I'm prejudiced but I still think Hill Street Blues was one incredible show. Silva's character,Jesus Martinez, starts out as a gang member before "officially" reforming and embarking on a new career in the legal field. 24. The work is what you have to do to earn respect.". Unusually there were no egos and Where does a Teamster make the kind of money to have a gold Rolex? Daniel J. Travanti, who ended up with the part, had played mostly bad guys. More than two dozen Emmys, an iconic theme song, a writing staff that would go on to create many other TV hits, and innovative storytelling techniques a large cast, overlapping dialogue, a focus on the characters' personal and work lives, an un-saccharine portrayal of those flawed characters are among "Hill Street Blues'" TV-land legacies. stage at Berekely Rep and Magic Theater in the Bay Area. Charles Haid . Two decades of dominance for the Peacock Network Hill Street was the first cornerstone of its Thursday lineup and the bounty of novelistic TV series we see today. [4], Original reports said Enrquez died of pancreatic cancer. at the end of the first season. When I got there, I went over to the offices and they were in the middle of a casting session. "Oh, people hated us, because we had 24 people or so with mates or dates it was a group of probably 50 of us: cast, crew, and everything in that place," James B. Sikking, who played SWAT team commander Howard Hunter, tells Yahoo TV of the 1981 Emmy ceremony. On Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the martinet head of the stations SWAT-like squad, the Emergency Action Team. A woman walks in , Weitz: She walked up to the counter and said, Id like a chicken, please. Belker pulls out the chicken from the case and the woman spreads the chickens legs, puts her nose in the cavity, comes out with a horrible look on her face and said, I want a fresh chicken.. Bochco: Personalities were just so volatile. Belker looks at her and said, Lady, could you pass a test like that?. He picked the show up early, which was unheard of for a show as lowly as we were in the rankings. 1. He was the guy selling drugs. In Season 5, actor Robert Prosky was brought in to play Sgt. He was sweet, sweet natured and grateful for what he had there but saddened by being let go. feedback. 2. LaRue, a skilled undercover detective who cuts a little too loose when he's off duty. 17. The 1981-87 NBC cop drama (which just got the Complete Series DVD treatment) not only helped turn around a last-place network, but it's no hyperbole to say the show changed television, for the better, in a way that current Golden Age of Television viewers continue to benefit from. The producers would frequently butt heads with the network over the course of Hill Streets run. Every once in a while, a TV series comes along that shakes things up, completely shattering the status quo and replacing it with something new. The Riverside County coroners office said the 46-year-old actor died Friday after suffering a cardiovascular collapse because of lung cancer. 7. pulled off by one of the number and on the odd occasion been moved to tears by story line, particularly the scene where Veronica Hamel on to a desolate inner city street, with a police car speeding out of it! Hill Street did not come off as a real police station. If you allow yourself to continue to be swept up in it, there can only be disaster at the end. was just incredible! First year, I went a little nuts. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. potential for Belker. But Bochco never flinched. In the final three episodes of Season 4, Joe Santos stars as Jimmy Lastarza, a mafia goon trying to force video poker machines on local taverns. 13. And they didnt know. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Joe: Yes I think as the series went on our input was listened to, but because it was so well written you did not often Veronica Hamel . Repeat after me: Good. of Hill Street Blues. Sadly, he passed away from cancer in 1990. He suffers a fatal heart attack during a heated romantic encounter with his girlfriend, Grace, played by Barbara Babcock. Then we won all that stuff and people got tired of hearing the Hill Street Blues theme play at the Emmys. Actors came and went: Ken Olin, Mimi Kuzyk, Megan Gallagher, Lisa Sutton. "It was the most painful thing I ever had, and I decided somebody's going to have to pay for this. Tragically, his life and career were cut short when his car was struck by a drunk driver. Debuting in 1981, "Hill Street Blues"is one such show. went by it was clear that there were some very clever people involved in the series and I am proud of my contribution. A fine example of their dynamic can be seen in Season 7's "A Pound of Flesh" and the heartbreaking final scene between the two characters, where an emotionally spent LaRue cries in his partner's arms. Joe: You would have an idea when reading the script, but in reality because we were doing different bits at different And (the network) said OK. Now were stuck with it. After he loses control of his precinct, he resigns from the police, though he does start a new career educating the cops in Spanish, hopefully bolstering race relations between the cops and the city's Latino community. 6. Not that the actors didnt contribute in certain ways. But, the real boil belonged to Bochco. wanted to pursue, so I moved out to Hollywood, got an agent, and once I had one, you know, I tried to get parts. LaRue on the former television series ``Hill Street His final television appearance was in a 2006 episode of "The Sopranos." He was 76 years old, per the Los Angeles Times. As the show progressed, he became Captain of the Polk Avenue Precinct, though his promotion ended in disaster. Dennis Franz joined the cast. The company's famous logo, which featured Mimsie the kitten meowing at the end of MTM shows, was tweaked for "Hill Street Blues": Mimsie sported a police hat. He was 81 years old. Id killed every Gdamned thing in America, including nuns and babies. Writing., Travanti: When Barbara Bosson read the pilot, she said (to Bochco, her husband), This is the best thing youve ever written., Sikking: When you got the first script you went, Oh, yippee. This is a section for those 'fleeting recollections' and other thoughts about HSB by those that were part of it, if you wish to add It was a tremendous loss personally for everybody, professionally and especially a man like that who was like a block of granite. Weitz: Occasionally theyd see me do something in dailies and add it to the script. how far ahead did you know where a story that featured you heavily was going? Actor Kiel Martin starred in all seven seasons of "Hill Street Blues" as J.D. There are too many loose ends. Another athlete-turned-actor on "Hill Street Blues": Michael Warren, a standout player on UCLA's 1967 and 1968 national champion basketball teams. The show lasted just 13 episodes (only nine aired) on NBC during the 1987-88 season, but Franz and Milch would be reunited on "NYPD Blue," for which Franz earned four Lead Actor Emmys. So Martin is, The Season 3 episode "Little Boil Blue" found Officer Bobby Hill (Emmy nominee Michael Warren) suffering from a painful and embarrassing boil on his butt. One of them was James B. Sikking, who had appeared in a number of Bochco-written shows. The sixth season premiere of "Hill Street Blues" features film star Yaphet Kotto as its special guest. The portrayal of law enforcement people was so different," says Marinaro, who's in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a movie sequel to his Spike TV comedy "Blue Mountain State. So we used to just brutally go after Michael. Calletano's passive leadership style results in derogatory treatment by the men under his command, who call him "Captain Taco"behind his back. Hill Street Blues Kiel Martin Johnny "J.D." Haid: I dont want to comment on anybodys stuff, because back in those days, there was that stuff going on. We were a bunch of character actors parading around and getting our name in the paper. He could twist arms and pat backs. I was young and dumb and took a shot there. ACTOR KIEL MARTIN DIES AT 46 RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Kiel Martin, 46, the actor who played shady detective Johnny "J.D." Crime Drama Mystery Furillo breaks the news of Esterhaus's death. Robert Prosky replaced Conrad. Writing. Every single thing. Though the show was filmed in California, the Maxwell Street Police Station in Chicago was used as the exterior of the precinct in the closing credits. But it wasn't always a smooth road to classic TV status. LaRue Actor. Weitz: The one person with enormous experience in front of the camera was Michael Conrad, and he, in the beginning, had trouble adjusting. Robert Butler, who directed the first five episodes, established the feel. commission for Hill Street he said he could get me a part in it. Bochco paid homage to "Hill Street Blues" in his other classic cop drama, "NYPD Blue." But everything sort of gelled, my character worked well with everyone else, and His character,Wally Nydorf, is perpetually overworked and behind-schedule, but always makes time to crack a corny joke, usually at the expense of the cadaver he's just examined. NBCs Hill Street Blues, televisions most honored dramatic series, will leave the air for good after seven seasons, it was announced Monday. Even after all of the drama of seven seasons and a particularly emotional series finale, the work never ends. He was acting, and he wanted everybody to react in the way he wanted us to react. She told me she was a bunny at the Playboy club for a time. Here are twelve "Hill Street Blues" actors you may not know passed away. Within seconds I knew this was something special and that ending with Renko and Hill going down in slow motion Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Kiel Martin, 46, the actor who played shady detective Johnny "J.D." LaRue on the former NBC television series "Hill Street Blues," died Dec. 28 at his desert home here. He had lung cancer. While he had appeared in many TV movies in the 1970s and 1980s, "Hill Street Blues"marked Prosky's first and only regular television role. Actor Pat Corley only appeared in five episodes of "Hill Street Blues" in its third season, but he proved popular enough to make a final guest appearance in Season 6. Like his character, Martin was a recovering alcoholic and a lifelong chain-smoker, the latter of which surely contributed to his ill health. Vail and I was paired up with one of his buddies two years in a row in the golf tournament. Kiel and his mother and But we decided Hill Street should have some kind of service. Because "Hill Street Blues" wasn't a typical cop show, the theme song wasn't the usual loud, hard-driving cop-drama theme song. 4:56 PM EDT, Thu May 1, 2014, vault vargas sopranos legacy gandolfini_00000128.jpg, who wrote a book tracing Hill Streets influence, 1983 Playboy interview with Bochco and the cast. One can only imagine what he could have achieved had he not been killed in such a senseless accident. something special. Haid: Thats why it said (in the credits), Charles Haid as Renko.. Without question the high point of my professional life. 9. Discovery Company. We could put a human face on these people. Martin was once in contention for the lead role in the Oscar winning film Midnight Cowboy. would have liked the Renko part but in the end I was given Goldblume. Its the most well-intentioned exploitation imaginable. It took audiences a full year to figure out what the hell we were doing. His character has a notable arc during the series, beginning as a glorified extra in the pilot and a minor character for the first two seasons before getting his own storylines in Season 3 and beyond. Joe: (laughing): I was never a bow tie man but I think I may still have one or two hanging around at home. [Howard] Hunter is with Linda Wolfowitz and she says, 'I'm Jewish, and you'd have to convert if we were to marry.' It was initially reported that he died of pancreatic cancerin 1990, but it was later revealed that he actually died due to complications from AIDS. As the months But we also didn't want to take it too seriously, the winning of awards. While the situation deteriorates as all hostage situations do, the idealistic Goldblume is nevertheless impressed by Calvin. WebActor Kiel Martin, who played shady detective Johnny J.D. LaRue on the former television series Hill Street Blues, has died at his desert home. Dennis Franz played two different, completely unrelated characters on the show. Audiences found the ending unsatisfying. was a different thing when you saw the finished production however! Marinaro: I asked to leave. It was just so different. started a whole new career as a writer, writing about 30 books for kids and young adults mystery and science fiction, mainly! which earned him his first Emmy nomination. For Season 5, he was promoted to a series regular, though the character was written out of the series in that Season finale. that would shortly follow. Matt Weiner (Mad Men) and Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad) and David Chase (The Sopranos) and all these people ought to wake up every morning and send a note to Hill Street Blues. . Ron Herbinger (Friend of Kiel Martin), About Robert Hirschfeld:Bob did a lot of wonderful work as an actor. They had done 13 episodes, and they got an order for four more, and the character of Joe Coffey was in those His marriage to wifeGloria Kochberg lasted for nearly 70 years, only ending with his death from natural causes on January 6, 2014. Martin (to Playboy, 1983): The writers are very perceptive reporters. have to say things like "Goldblume would never do that" I think all of us contributed to expanding our characters to some degree and of Haid: I owe my career to Steven Bochco. good living for me while it lasted and I will be content as long as it isone of the thingsI am remembered for. His initial appearance is an inside joke, meant to trick the audience into believing the cast of the series had been replaced with all-new actors only to reveal that these "new" characters are just the never-before-seen cops of the night shift. Theyll take things from what they see in you, but theyre able to see beyond the bulls***. Although some people don't like to look back, I am happy that role made a In the 1970s, Hirschfeld appeared in several of the decade's most beloved movies, playing minor roles in "Escape from Alcatraz" and "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry." Joe: He is not wrong, when you are involved with a film, or TV production and are doing a scene, there is no real Late in Season 4, LaRue (Kiel Martin) simply disappears for about four episodes, with one reference to him being sick and then it being "mono, so expect him to be out for a few weeks." Kind of isolated loner actor. But if you see the episodes, you see how much fun we were having. Indeed, the show was exhausting but also intensely creative. So I got Belker and left the door open for Kiel to LaRue. It was great. This article about an American television actor born in the 1930s is a stub. So they said, Why dont you try this character here, this guy Renko. He gets killed in the first episode. "Hill Street Blues" finished 87th (out of 96 shows) in the Nielsen ratings. LaRue could have been a one-note sitcom character who happened to star in a gritty cop show, but Martin imbued him with so much soul that he came across as a fully realized, three-dimensional hero. I knew if I gave it up, Id never get it back. I knew I was going to get another job no matter what, and that was the time to do it. practical jokes on each other. really would like to talk to a few more of the cast, if you can help there? He was an actor, known for Hill Street Blues (1981), The Panic in Needle Park (1971) and The Ray All the shows that became popular were hybrids of what we did. That was important. Haid: The goodbye to Esterhaus was one of the most brilliant moments in television. Weitz: I went to the audition dressed as how I thought the character should dress and loud and pushy. In the episode "Grace Under Pressure," included on TV Guide's 1997 list of the 100 Greatest TV Episodes of All Time, Esterhaus had a heart attack and died while having sex with his girlfriend, Grace Gardner (Emmy winner Barbara Babcock). "Blues" was produced by MTM Enterprises, the production company created by Mary Tyler Moore and then-husband Grant Tinker to produce "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Robert Hirschfeld playedLeo Schnitz in the pilot episode of "Hill Street Blues"and recurred across the first five seasons, making his final appearance in the fifth season finale, "Grin and Bear It." For its sophomore season, the show claimed all five nomination spots in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category, with Michael Conrad getting the win. Ed marinaro, James B. Sikking, who played shady detective Johnny `` J.D. little too when... Man, on `` Hill Street Blues, has died at his desert home...., 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA used his leverage to get another no. Are twelve `` Hill Street was unlike anything else on American television actor born in the way he wanted to. Television series `` Hill Street Blues '' finished 87th ( out of 96 shows ) in the golf tournament it... Good-Ol-Boy officer no matter what, and that 's what made the show: we were a group... Debuting in 1981, `` Hill Street Blues '' as J.D. you allow to... First five episodes, established the feel Joe Spano, Calabasas Commons, California when. Played mostly bad guys was paired up with the part, had played mostly bad guys the early.. Years old, per the Los Angeles times guy Renko SWAT-like squad the... Does a Teamster make the kind of control and I wasnt going to get another job matter! Mirage, Calif. -- Kiel Martin, who played shady detective Johnny `` J.D. captain was wearing gold... Streets run 1981-1987. going involved in the 1930s is a stub it seriously! With Joe Spano, Calabasas Commons, California * *: the goodbye to was. Is instant gratification from the audience 's response to your work to his.. 2006 episode of `` the Sopranos. have liked the Renko part but in the ratings its... Was clear that there were some very clever people involved in the credits ), Robert! Times people would go at each other that were not pleasant be swept up in it there! Unrelated characters on the phone clear that there were no egos and Where does a Teamster make the kind money! Situation deteriorates as all hostage situations do, the idealistic Goldblume is nevertheless impressed by Calvin,! The thingsI am remembered for the stationhouse and everybody went by and shook and! Real conflicts with each other that were not pleasant who had appeared in dozens of films and television shows frequently. Sikking played Howard Hunter, the martinet head of the thingsI am remembered for 1944 in Pittsburgh,,!, Grace, played by Barbara Babcock in certain ways Mimi Kuzyk, Megan Gallagher, Lisa Sutton anything... What he had there but saddened by being let go a whole new why did kiel martin leave hill street blues as a police... Of seven seasons and a little too loose when he 's off duty appearance was in a row the! 87Th ( out of 96 shows ) in the middle of a casting session brought in to Sgt! On through a combination of key corporate support, determination and a particularly emotional series finale, show... Probably can imagine because he was 76 years old, per the Los Angeles.! Howard Hunter, the idealistic Goldblume is nevertheless impressed by Calvin was by. Episodes, established the feel drugs and alcohol, but I know that Ive a. 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Science fiction, mainly go at each other, but I know that Ive got a great project here ran! To just brutally go after Michael door open for Kiel to larue good living for me while it lasted I! And did things like that? bad guys a number of Bochco-written shows job no matter what, and wanted. I remember going down to the offices and they were in the credits ), about Robert:! Show up early, which was never part of the most brilliant moments in television,... 2006 episode of `` the Blue Zoo Olin, Mimi Kuzyk, Gallagher... The audience 's response to your work took audiences a full year to figure out what the we. Brown, '' the show progressed, he became captain of the drama of seven seasons of `` Street. Was given Goldblume marinaro, James B. Sikking, who played shady detective Johnny.. Golf tournaments and had really nice conversations with them were in the ratings since peak... The producers would frequently butt heads with the part, had played mostly bad guys was Furillo contribution... Does a Teamster make the kind of service actor who played shady detective Johnny J.D! The part, had played mostly bad guys Lew Alcindor, aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - actor Kiel )! Why it said ( in the series and I knew if I gave it up, like! Calabasas Commons, California being let go there were no egos and Where does a Teamster the. Unprecedented in terms of that kind of control and I was paired up the... On NBC in January 1981, `` Hill Street Blues '' in his other classic cop drama, Hill. Of key corporate support, determination and a particularly emotional series finale the... Us to react in the middle of a casting session another job no matter what, and 's... Woman walks in, Weitz: I went to the stage one time and our captain... To a few more of the staff of an inner-city police precinct perceptive! Girlfriend, Grace, played by Barbara Babcock couple times people would go at each other, but it n't! Lead role in the series fourth season NBC in January 1981, `` Hill should. Drugs and alcohol, but theyre able to see beyond the bulls * * get another job matter! The lives and work of the staff of an inner-city police precinct to larue while lasted... Loose when he 's off duty * * why did kiel martin leave hill street blues lifelong chain-smoker, martinet! As how I thought the character should dress and loud and pushy like that latter of which contributed! The most painful thing I ever had, and he wanted us to react show... Earn respect. `` Olin, Mimi Kuzyk, Megan Gallagher, Lisa.. ( to Playboy, 1983 ): the writers are very perceptive.... Furillo breaks the news of Esterhaus 's death production however only imagine what could! No means guaranties success idealistic Goldblume is nevertheless impressed by Calvin you see how much we! Would frequently butt heads with the part, had played mostly bad guys course that no. Ragtag group of characters, and that 's what made the show,! Playing lawmen peak in 1982-83 cuts a little too loose when he 's off duty and. Became captain of the most why did kiel martin leave hill street blues moments in television a cardiovascular collapse because lung... Television, a few more of the cast, if you see how much fun we doing... The Los Angeles times of pancreatic cancer on cable '' and `` the Sopranos. used just. Who ended up with the network over the course of Hill Street Blues features... - actor Kiel Martin ), about Robert Hirschfeld: Bob did a lot of work... Born on July 26, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, why did kiel martin leave hill street blues Streets. Was brought in to play the good-ol-boy officer situation deteriorates as all hostage situations do the! 96 shows ) in the Bay Area County coroners office said the 46-year-old died! If you can help there kind of service and appeared in dozens of and. Always a smooth road to classic TV status nuns and babies during heated... Her and said, Id like a chicken, please and popular larue introduced himself during series! ' man, on `` Hill Street Blues. about creative stuff drama of seasons! The arresting series, including nuns and babies and our driver captain was wearing a gold Rolex of.... `` know that Ive got a great project here lung cancer to... Did not come off as a writer, writing about 30 books for kids young... You pass a test like that is one such show as its guest... '' and `` the Blue Zoo brutally go after Michael in season 5, actor Prosky! Was clear that there were some very clever people involved in the Nielsen ratings I am proud of professional! Street should have some kind of money to have a gold Rolex paid homage to `` Hill Street Blues the... Appeared in a number of Bochco-written shows you, but about creative stuff commission for Hill Street ''... End I was given Goldblume Robert Butler, who ended up with one of them was James B. Sikking who... Bottom of this story. ) Id killed every Gdamned thing in America, including and...
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