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by Chad Maddux Published: February 22, 2006
This Steven Bochco creation lasted twelve seasons. This release features all 22 episodes from the third season. These episodes originally aired from October 24, 1995 through May 21, 1996. The show features a great degree of realism as the action is usually pretty intense. When it first premiered, NYPD Blue was deemed too shocking and vulgar. The show definitely pulls no punches when it comes to words. Referred to as the "shock value," it won critics over for doing what other shows wouldn't. Although critically-acclaimed, that shock-value can be (and was) overdone. It gets old really fast and quickly becomes an unnecessary distraction. The show's strong violence and strong language obviously make it an adults-only showcase. Not being much of a fan of the show, watching the series left me without much to say about it. As I sit here typing, I'm having a great deal of trouble putting my feelings into words. Although violent and intense, vulgar and explosive, the show was more of a non-event than anything else. I put in the discs. The discs played. They finished playing. I put them back in their cases. Maybe I missed the compelling part of the series that so many people loved for so many years but I'd rather watch COPS, the long-running FOX series that features real cops in real situations, than watch more NYPD Blue. As I mentioned above, the violence and vulgarity seemed to be a necessity for the show's writers as a way to preserve that claim-to-fame for the show. Many times, it seemed too fake to enjoy. I've never been a cop but the police officers on COPS don't ever scream obscenities at suspects. The only police officer in my family doesn't do that either. Sadly, when there are no more episodes to watch, there are the bonus features...and they aren't that great. There are three of them but they are all basically one long interview. "Life in the 15th Precinct" features interviews with creator Steven Bochco and many of the actors from the series. "Father and Son" features more interviews. Dennis Franz and Michael DeLuise, who plays Franz's son, talk about their on-screen father-son relationship. Finally, "Women of NYPD Blue" features the actresses of the show, and Steven Bochco again, discussing the importance of female roles on the show. The total runtime of the bonus material is just under 45 minutes but it can feel like hours. They are incredibly dull and, at times, a bit repetitive. The audio on this set is presented in Dolby Digital with English, Spanish, and French language tracks available. English and Spanish subtitles are available. The video is presented in Full Frame. This set is presented on four double-sided discs. If you've read any of my other reviews, you know how much I despise double-sided discs. Looking over the selections on the discs, they could have distributed the episodes more evenly. Five of the eight sides have only two episodes on them. The four discs are contained in two dual-disc slim clear cases. As I mentioned above, this show lasted for twelve seasons. If you plan to purchase the entire series on DVD, it will probably cost you over $400 (approaching $500 if your purchases includes tax and/or shipping charges). A collection such as that will require an entire shelf in your entertainment (maybe two shelves for smaller spaces). That's a pretty big commitment. If you're looking for just a few seasons, the-best-of-the-best so to speak, skip this one. I'm not sure there is a "best" when it comes to NYPD Blue but it surely isn't on this set. Also available for purchase: Season 1 | Season 2
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