When “Homicide: Life on the Streets” premiered on NBC in 1993, most network television police dramas were formulaic, cleanly shot and had clear delineations between good and evil.
“Homicide” was different. It featured cops, but you couldn’t always tell whether they were the good guys or the bad guys; its writers played with traditional episode formats; and its scenes were shot on location with handheld cameras in order to give the show a realistic feel.
While TV buffs have long championed the series as a classic, few viewers during the show’s original run seemed to notice or care. “Homicide” suffered from low ratings, interference from the network executives at NBC, and a continual threat of cancellation.
