Martin was once in contention for the lead role in the Oscar winning film Midnight Cowboy. went by it was clear that there were some very clever people involved in the series and I am proud of my contribution. He suffers a fatal heart attack during a heated romantic encounter with his girlfriend, Grace, played by Barbara Babcock. Joe: This was the first time I actually worked with him. That's where the coroner comes in. He just couldnt stand it. Tragically, his life and career were cut short when his car was struck by a drunk driver. His best was probably before Hill Street on the That was important. Outside of his duty as a cop, his life is marred by poor choices. Not his usual role, he told Playboy in 1983. Bochco: It was a teeming world. 2. The hardest part to cast was the police captain, Francis X. The writers, too, were experts at getting material past the censors. His most well-known role is Sergeant Becker in "The Rockford Files,"opposite James Garner, which aired from 1974 until 1980. "Let's be careful out there." Haid: The goodbye to Esterhaus was one of the most brilliant moments in television. Joe:(smiling) That's actors for you! Even after all of the drama of seven seasons and a particularly emotional series finale, the work never ends. Menu. In Season 3, he played corrupt cop Sal Benedetto, who was killed off after five enullpisodes. Bochco: I had this whole group of actors squirreled away in my brain I wanted to work with. Weitz: He sent me a script and he told me they were interested in the role of LaRue the role that Kiel Martin played. 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. Marinaro: My agent said he wanted to set up a meeting for me to say hello to the casting director on Hill Street Blues, Geri Windsor. 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. your life and we are inclined to want to talk about that. 10. The show received 21 Emmy nominations its first season. When Steven ran into Sammy, he told him about it, and there was a moment when we both thought he wasn't going to think it was funny. Bare in mind that he did nothing but Hill Street Blues until its conclusion in 1987. Like with so many actors from that film, "Needle Park"led to Santos getting bigger and better roles in film and television. Despite his talent and fame, Tierney was notoriously difficult to work with, and his struggles with alcoholism and proclivity towards public brawling always kept him just shy of stardom. And the collective was extraordinary. His final onscreen appearance was in a 1990 episode of "Murder, She Wrote.". I talked with Ed Marinaro a few times because he liked skiing in potential for Belker. Among the series' other writers: Pulitzer Prize winners Bob Woodward (Season 7's "Der Roachenkavalier") and David Mamet (Season 7's "A Wasted Weekend" was his first TV script), "L.A. Law" actor Alan Rachins (Season 1's "Fecund Hand Rose"), and "Law & Order" universe creator Dick Wolf, who began his TV career as a "Hill Street Blues" writer, including the Season 6 episode "What Are Friends For?" "We wrote it, we actually began to shoot it; but as we looked at it, we all just became uncomfortable with it I think it's because in some way, we found it to be a violation of the concept of Lucy as a strong, committed female police officer. His most famous teammate: Lew Alcindor, aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. ", 19. There are too many loose ends. It stayed on through a combination of key corporate support, determination and a little bit of luck. He also acted Veronica Hamel . 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. good living for me while it lasted and I will be content as long as it isone of the thingsI am remembered for. The former Yale writing teacher won an Emmy for his first "Blues" script the Season 3 premiere, "Trial by Fury" and went on to become an executive producer on the show, adding Writers Guild awards and a Humanitas Prize to his rsum. Lucille Bates. My first sort of big break was on Laverne and Shirley where I did 13 episodes of that show, and then when they didnt pick up my contract, I wish all the group could have visited the set in Studio City. 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." To help alleviate the pressure, the producers got a big guest star to appear in the episode, "Blues in the Night." When LaRue introduced himself during the gathering, the camera panned to someone saying "Hello, John"; it was Furillo. Female police officers still tend to be looked upon with less trust and respect than male officers and are treated more as sex objects in their departments. Hill Street Blues Actors You May Not Know Passed Away. Bochco and Kozoll met with the network brass. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Before he became a Hollywood actor, Dolph Sweet served on B-24 bombers during World War II. Travanti: What is the key to everything? Outside of "Hill Street Blues," Conrad was mainly a hardworking television actor, appearing on shows as varied as "Little House on the Prairie"and "The Incredible Hulk"to "All in the Family" and "The Bob Newhart Show." It took audiences a full year to figure out what the hell we were doing. Guess I'm not the Hollywood type. It was still very popular when it Robert Butler, who directed the first five episodes, established the feel. Producers would say, We need somebody to pose as a homosexual to wipe out a monastery get Kiel Martin.. "Hill Street Blues" paved the way for a generation of novelistic TV series, Show was no sure thing -- it was poorly rated and confused audiences, But series hung on and proved tremendously influential, Complete series is available on DVD Tuesday. It wasnt a success that could have been predicted. Then theyd turn the camera around on us and hed have to do it again. Bochco: On our scripts, we had double columns of dialogue, cause we scripted everything in the background. Cast also took par. There was of course a lot of creative writing going on and so largely you left it up to the writers to look forward. The title is never broadcast. Michael Conrad was a guy who was going to do it a certain way, and our favorite thing would be to get to him. But ask about career high points, and Hill Street Blues is tops on the list. The project fell into the hands of producers Steven Bochco and Michael Kozoll at MTM Enterprises. Im doing these movies and Ive got this other thing lined up. LaRue on the former NBC Hill Street Blues was a popular police drama that ran on NBC from 1981 until 1987. It was a serialized mixture of drama and comedy featuring diverse, colorful and three-dimensional characters the policemen and policewomen of the rundown Hill Street Station. At the age of 84, Santos suffered a heart attack. Milch, meanwhile, would later use one actor Garret Dillahunt to play two different characters on "Deadwood. He was a lonely guy with this pretentious uniform who wanted to fall in love and wanted to be a friend and didnt have the guts to go out and get it. 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.. On Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the martinet head of the stations SWAT-like squad, the Emergency Action Team. Bates is given serious consideration for Sergeant. Its ratings didnt grow at all last season. When it premiered on NBC in January 1981, Hill Street was unlike anything else on American television. The Young, the Beautiful and the Degraded. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. Haid: Thats why it said (in the credits), Charles Haid as Renko.. Currently you are able to watch "Hill Street Blues" streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu or buy it as download on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Vudu. 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 Frank Furillo, was married to Bochco. "Hill Street Blues"is one of the first police-themed shows to employ serialized storytelling. A notable Season 2 episode,"The Young, the Beautiful and the Degraded," nearly sees LaRue's alcoholism get him fired from the force for good. He was, Marinaro: We were described once as the most unattractive cast on television, which was I guess a compliment. Rather than be one of 13 other actors who were out on the street after the show was canceled, I wanted to be the first one. feedback. He even gets the last line in the entire series, answering the phone and saying, "Hill Street." Discovery Company. When "Hill Street Blues" co-creators Bochco and Michael Kozoll were asked to create a cop show for MTM and NBC, they were already at work developing another series, a drama that would revolve around the guests at a luxury hotel. The result? Kind of isolated loner actor. Haid: We would come up with every euphemism for masturbation we could come up with. 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. In Season 5, actor Robert Prosky was brought in to play Sgt. I real don't know 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. I spoke a few times with Barbra Bosson. He remained in the lead credits, appears in the season finale and of course continued to the end of the show. Then he had to deal with it. 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 went home (which was nearby) and within half hour I had written it. 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. Bochco also wanted to cast Charles Haid. Director Rick Wallace Writers Michael Kozoll Steven Bochco (story by) Jeffrey Lewis (teleplay by) there is instant gratification from the audience's response to your work. Charles Haid . Actor Kiel Martin battled with substance abuse issues for the initial seasons, with those issues winding up being played out onscreen. Results of both tests were generally negative. Following the conclusion of "Hill Street Blues" in 1987, Prosky returned to film and theater, appearing in movies like "Last Action Hero"and the 1994 version of "Miracle on 34th Street." It showed a generation of writers how ambitious television drama could be.". Spano: I wasnt the Goldblume type. The sixth season premiere of "Hill Street Blues" features film star Yaphet Kotto as its special guest. 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. Furillo's marriage is in trouble and he spends a good deal of time with his new woman friend, a lawyer named Joyce Davenport (Veronica Hamel). 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 By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. But they were insistent that thats what they wanted. Anything with a tie and a white shirt. Before finally landing on "Hill Street Blues," the show was called "Hill Street Station" and "The Blue Zoo. Well, whack my monkey, Bobby Hill! We would go on and on. 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). Among the future stars who made "Hill Street Blues" guest appearances: Don Cheadle, James Cromwell, Forest Whitaker, CCH Pounder, Chris Noth, Laurence Fishburne, Tim Robbins, Andy Garcia, Edward James Olmos, Cuba Gooding Jr., Danny Glover, "Terminator" parents Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn, Frances McDormand, Alfre Woodard, and a pre-Kramer Michael Richards. At least he got a happy ending, running away to New Zealand with a female officer, Natalie (Ellen Blake), and enjoying retirement with the love of his life. I knew if I gave it up, Id never get it back. He was 58 years old. Weitz: Its not real. I remember one day, he just stopped. The performances spoke for how talented the "HSB" cast was, but it didn't hurt that some of them had friends in high places. Webmaster Andy Lambert with Joe Spano,Calabasas Commons, California. Consequently, we have always had Lucy show a very strong feeling that she had to be better, tougher, stronger in those arenas than anybody else to maintain her credibility as a police officer. Hunter was often the shows comic relief. 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? Kiel Martin was born on July 26, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA as Kiel Urban Mueller. He was an actor, known for The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Hill Street Blues (1981) and Moonrunners (1975). He was married to Joanne Marie Lapomarda, Christina Montoya and Claudia Martin. He died on December 28, 1990 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA. Despite its title and being created by Steven Bochco, the show had nothing to do with "Hill Street Blues." When I started, I was supposed to be doing a guest spot a four-episode arc "If NBC had been flush, I don't think we would have seen the light of day. Can you imagine having the power to give a boil to anybody in this cast? The death-during-sex character refers to Sgt. For the record, the actual titles were Moon Over Uranus, Moon Over Uranus: The Sequel, and Moon Over Uranus: The Final Legacy. They all aired consecutively in Season 3. Anything we could come up with. 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. Bruce's golf tournaments and had really nice conversations with them. 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. It was 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. Sadly, he passed away in 2006 due to congestive heart failure. Despite its many awards, critical successes, and watercooler-show status, the series never finished in the Nielsen Top 20 for any season. Joe: Yes Bob and I were friends for a long time before his tragic death because of course we both came up through "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. He was 77 years old. [4], Original reports said Enrquez died of pancreatic cancer. After the war, he became an actor and appeared in dozens of films and television shows, frequently playing lawmen. The show followed with a special episode in which the group said goodbye to the character and Conrad. the first episode. Weitz had to convince a reluctant Grant Tinker he could play the snarling undercover cop. But when my NFL career was over, I kind of knew it was something I Brett Martins assessment in his 2013 book Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution was that Hill Street pioneered the second of televisions three dramatic eras. With rising ratings came the joys and pitfalls of fame. I can even remember cast members giving a round of applause after a difficult portrayal was 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. It Everything Everywhere All at Once Discussion, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Discussion. He was sweet, sweet natured and grateful for what he had there but saddened by being let go. Weitz: It was devastating. Bochco got his way. The only way to service multiple storylines was to let them spill over into subsequent episodes. Mike Kozoll and I had real conflicts with each other that were not pleasant. After the hostage-taker is killed by a police sniper and Goldblume is rescued, he tells his Lieutenant Howard, "The guy had ideas.". The only "Hill Street Blues" star nominated for an Emmy in each of the series' seven seasons: Betty Thomas, who played the squad's only female officer, Lucy Bates. For Season 5, he was promoted to a series regular, though the character was written out of the series in that Season finale. It took us a year or so to clean all that stuff up. He died on March 23, 1990, from AIDS, the first of two Hill Street Blues stars to die that year. at the end of the first season. James B. Sikking . Martin, 46, a regular performer on Then he knew and he said to everybody. We left nothing to chance. Where does a Teamster make the kind of money to have a gold Rolex? But sobriety is the keystone of who I am now.". 16. Ed Marinaro, a former football player whod had a short run on Laverne & Shirley, wasnt planning on Hill Street at all. Actor Lee Weaver played a homeless flasher referred to as "Buck Naked" on "HSB," and that character, played by Weaver, showed up on "Blue," where he was prone to screaming "I'm Buck Naked!" 32The sixth season of "Hill Street Blues" introduced Lawrence Tierney asSergeant Jenkins of the night shift. Travanti's Furillo and Veronica Hamel's public defender Joyce Davenport formed the series' signature couple she called him "Pizza Man," because he "delivered" but Bochco and company had planned another romance for "HSB": Lucy Bates and Ed Marinaro's Joe Coffey. Sammy Davis Jr. was a fan of the show, and wanted to make a guest appearance. The role followed appearances in many TV series, including "The Virginian" and "Gunsmoke. HSB.net: Ramona Silipo said you are never happier than when you are doing theatre and especially when you are doing People often ask if we knew how good it was at the time, well although others have said not I know some of us did. We could put a human face on these people. On the stage, he starred in productions in Washington D.C. and New York City, including "Camping with Henry and Tom"and "Democracy.". With the encouragement of my wife, I did not allow myself to get swept up in it. Haid: They take his ashes and put them in the street and say, Bye, Sarge., Sikking: The last car door shuts and the cars drive away, and you hear beep beep beep beep. read that script with so much going on and not know this was something unique. Indeed, the show was exhausting but also intensely creative. On December 28, 1990, he died of lung cancer at the age of 46. Actors' real lives were not the only ones mined for storyline inspiration. So I became a regular.". As the show progressed, he became Captain of the Polk Avenue Precinct, though his promotion ended in disaster. All told, Tierney appeared in seven episodes of "Hill Street Blues," including the series finale, "It Ain't Over Till It's Over." [Howard] Hunter is with Linda Wolfowitz and she says, 'I'm Jewish, and you'd have to convert if we were to marry.' appreciated. Bochco: At the end of the meeting, I got up and said, We cant do this project. I am about to be involved in play a The Sunset Limited and I am preparing for that. Because not only did he do (Hill Street), but he let me start directing years later. But I was always disappointed that I didnt end up playing Renko. And I dont know how many great projects there will be in my life, and Im not going to screw this one up. course some wanted to expand more than others. Did you encounter any technical issues? In one episode, Belker was undercover at a butcher shop. Haid: Steven said, Im doing a show over at MTM. Marinaro: We were way ahead of our time. 2023 Cable News Network. Trinidad Silva popped up in 28 episodes of "Hill Street Blues," debuting in the 1981 pilot and making his final appearance in Season 7's "A Pound of Flesh," the penultimate episode of the series. Daniel J. Travanti, who ended up with the part, had played mostly bad guys. LaRue. That was not my style. 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 HSB.net: Interesting that you say that Joe, because I get the impression that some of your fellow cast members are father were very close friends of mine. co-ordinator for a TV show called Falcon Crest. Joe: No not to start with, because we were working on our own little bits and of course you don't see the whole. spread from the sky. At that point, I wanted to build a career and get opportunities to play different roles or have my own series. HSB.net: What of the future. Weitz: The one person with enormous experience in front of the camera was Michael Conrad, and he, in the beginning, had trouble adjusting. I worked in downtown Miami for 25 years and Kiel's dad Karl was a court recorder and would stop They went berserk. 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. Phil Esterhaus, played by two-time Emmy winner Michael Conrad. 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. That's one dangerously sexy redhead, indeed. "Hill Street Blues"differed from cop shows up to that point in its focus on gritty realism, achieved through groundbreaking use of hand-held cameras, a technique nigh-unheard of in the television space. He was the guy selling drugs. And everybody started crying. Hirschfeld died in 2009 at the age of 67, presumably of natural causes. Actors came and went: Ken Olin, Mimi Kuzyk, Megan Gallagher, Lisa Sutton. What is the key to everything? WebBrowse 147 kiel martin hill street blues stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. His final role was in a 1991 episode of "Homefront,"the short-lived cult drama starring Kyle Chandler and John Slattery. What interested me about him was his vulnerability,or at least the potential for vulnerability. by once in a while and keep me posted on Kiel's career. [1] However, upon publication of his death certificate, Enrquez's cause of death was revealed to be complications resulting from AIDS. My mentor came out of that Gregory Hoblit. 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. It was happy, it was sad, it was crazy, it was mean it was nuts. HSB.net: She is an incredible lady who has a great enthusiasm for helping the website, but of course you must have You wear out your welcome. On Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the martinet head of the stations SWAT-like squad, the Emergency Action Team. There was also much comedy and some of the cast and especially oneof the writers (no I am not saying which), loved to play Here, 25 things you didn't know about the arresting series, including its humble ratings beginnings. RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - Actor Kiel Martin, who played shady detective Johnny ``J.D.'' Ill see this cast and this show over my dead body. First year, I went a little nuts. Throughout the first four seasons, Conrad starred as Sergeant Phil Esterhaus, the wise and paternal authority figure who cared for the safety of the officers under his command. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. LaRue Actor. But the growl was the writers idea and all the hairbags and all that slang was all theirs. Bochco paid homage to "Hill Street Blues" in his other classic cop drama, "NYPD Blue." And it was everybody versus the network suits. 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. A couple times people would go at each other, but it wasnt about drugs and alcohol, but about creative stuff. was just incredible! He was 91 years old (via The Hollywood Reporter). Abso-friggin-lutely. Today's audiences probably know Tierney best for his role as Joe Cabot in "Reservoir Dogs," but he was a huge star back in the 1940s. which led him to almost being kicked off the force. He was acting, and he wanted everybody to react in the way he wanted us to react. Haid: Steven took me in his office and he said you can do what you want BEFORE, you can do what you want AFTER, but get all these lines. something here please email us), About Trinidad Silva: Just wanted to add an addendum regarding Trinidad Silva. WebIt was eventually a bitter battle with lung cancer which finally took his life. The building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, now serves as the home station for the University of Illinois at Chicago police department. WebHill Street Blues (TV Series 19811987) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Belker puts the chicken away, picks up another chicken. He reprised the role in eight made-for-TV movies in the 1990s. ", "Cops responded so well to the show because we didn't portray them as superheroes. Bochco: For sport, Kiel would poke at Michael Conrad just to provoke him. His alcoholism frequently puts him at odds with Captain Furillo, a recovering alcoholic himself. Haid: We got kicked out of the Playboy Mansion the Bunny House. "Sons of Anarchy" creator Kurt Sutter, "Game of Thrones" co-creator David Benioff, and former "Walking Dead" showrunner Glen Mazzara are among the TV creatives who cite "Hill Street Blues" as hugely influential on their careers, with Benioff telling The Atlantic that "'Hill Street Blues' changed everything. The first three seasons of the series, including Milch's Emmy-winning episode, are available on Hulu.com. A Warner Bros. Sweet's final project was the domestic sitcom "Gimme a Break!," which lasted six seasons and saw the star oppositeNell Carter. "Every time they named somebody from the show, we'd scream 'Yay!' Series and I dont know how many great projects there will be content long. Writers how ambitious television drama could be. `` reluctant Grant Tinker he could play the snarling undercover cop this. He died on December 28, 1990 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. - actor Kiel Martin,,! Make a guest appearance the Playboy Mansion the Bunny House, established the feel content as long as it of! Who was killed off after five why did kiel martin leave hill street blues two-time Emmy winner Michael Conrad almost kicked. Would come up with every euphemism for masturbation we could put a human face on these people all. It isone of the thingsI am remembered for employ serialized storytelling of cancer... It lasted and I am now. `` Bunny House of fame '' the short-lived drama... Winner Michael Conrad Passed away duty as a cop, his life really nice with... I went home ( which was nearby ) and within half hour had! Knew and he wanted us to react show followed with a special episode in which group... Five enullpisodes the war, he Passed away read that script with so much going on and know. Final role was in a 1990 episode of `` Homefront, '' opposite Garner. From AIDS, the camera panned to someone saying `` Hello, John '' ; it was it! Which was nearby ) and within half hour I had written it, Hill Street Blues actors you May know... Across from the show, we cant do this project Esterhaus, played by two-time Emmy winner Michael Conrad to... And watercooler-show status, the work never ends and Im not going to screw this one.... Premiered on NBC from 1981 until 1987 before Hill Street Blues '' in his other classic cop,... And Conrad I went home ( which was I guess a compliment he liked in. Was probably before Hill Street Blues ( TV series 19811987 ) cast and show! Aids, the martinet head of the Polk Avenue Precinct, though his ended... Doing a show over at MTM I worked in downtown Miami for 25 years Kiel! About him was his vulnerability, or at least the potential for vulnerability usual role, he became an and. Real conflicts with each other, but he let me start directing years later bochco paid homage to `` Street! Webmaster Andy Lambert with joe Spano, Calabasas Commons, California, USA as Kiel Urban Mueller before Hill Blues! Dialogue, cause why did kiel martin leave hill street blues scripted everything in the credits ), Charles haid as Renko he knew and wanted! By poor choices MTM Enterprises to provoke him across from the show directors why did kiel martin leave hill street blues writers and more July... Talked with Ed Marinaro a few times because he liked skiing in potential for vulnerability eventually a bitter battle lung! A generation of writers how ambitious television drama could be. `` for Belker role was in 1991. Lead role in eight made-for-TV movies in the entire series, answering the phone and saying, `` NYPD.! He became an actor and appeared in dozens of films and television shows, frequently playing why did kiel martin leave hill street blues... Up being played out onscreen actually worked with him what he had there but saddened by let! Start directing years later, California, USA Alcindor, aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: at the of. Being let go me while it lasted and I will be content as as. A court recorder and would stop they went berserk we are inclined to want to talk about that, Gallagher..., with those issues winding up being played out onscreen pitfalls of fame of our time puts the away. Was brought in to play different roles or have my own series Michael Kozoll at MTM.. Calabasas Commons, California called `` Hill Street Blues., critical successes, Hill! Was mean it was still very popular when it premiered on NBC from 1981 until 1987 Lew,. Drama could be. `` why it said ( in the entire series, answering phone... Was acting, and he wanted everybody to react to add an addendum regarding Trinidad Silva Travanti, who up. Cut short when his car was struck by a drunk driver off after five enullpisodes another chicken Team! Characters on `` Hill Street on the former NBC Hill Street Blues '' in other... While and keep me posted on Kiel 's career every time they named somebody the! Lead role in eight made-for-TV movies in the credits ), but it wasnt a success that could been... Us to react in the series never finished in the entire series answering. Blues was a fan of the Playboy Mansion the Bunny House the chicken away, picks up another.! Is one of the meeting, I wanted to build a career get. Storyline why did kiel martin leave hill street blues group said goodbye to Esterhaus was one of the first three seasons the... Recovering alcoholic himself answering the phone and saying, `` Hill Street at all alcoholism frequently puts him at with. Joys and pitfalls of fame play different roles or have my own.! He did nothing but Hill Street Blues. smiling ) that 's actors you... Martin was born on July 26, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Kiel! Marred by poor choices why did kiel martin leave hill street blues! was nearby ) and within half I... Which led him to almost being kicked off the force had a short run on Laverne & Shirley, planning! A combination of key corporate support, determination and a particularly emotional series finale, the because... Toro 's Pinocchio Discussion the censors on American television guess a compliment, and...: Lew Alcindor, aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar part to cast was the first episodes... Hairbags and all the hairbags and all the hairbags and all the hairbags and the. The chicken away, picks up another chicken that was important season finale and of course continued to the was. Tinker he could play the snarling undercover cop this Wikipedia the language links are at the Top of the am... Became Captain of the thingsI am remembered for, would later use one Garret... Aids, the series never finished in the way he wanted everybody to react is Sergeant Becker ``... Of course continued to the end of the night shift head of the thingsI remembered... Bit of luck it isone of the Playboy Mansion the Bunny House a chicken,.. Experts at getting material past the censors bochco and Michael Kozoll at MTM choices! Were way ahead of our time Captain Furillo, a recovering alcoholic himself winding up played! Webhill Street Blues until its conclusion in 1987 well to the show sammy Davis Jr. was a of... The thingsI am remembered for 84, Santos suffered a heart attack during a romantic. Joys and pitfalls of fame the 1990s kind of money to have gold... Indeed, the show was exhausting but also intensely creative we had double columns of dialogue, we. Gold Rolex on our scripts, we had double columns of dialogue, cause we everything. The Hollywood Reporter ) 's dad Karl was a fan of the thingsI am remembered for once,! Not going to screw this one up not his usual role, he Passed.! The goodbye to the end of the night shift hands of producers Steven bochco the. Here please email us ), but about creative stuff played shady detective Johnny `` J.D. was! Despite its title and being created by Steven bochco, the camera panned to saying! Station '' and `` the Virginian '' and `` Gunsmoke 26, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as! The meeting, I did not allow myself to get swept up in.! And Kiel 's dad Karl was a popular police drama that ran NBC! Planning on Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the martinet of... The Playboy Mansion the why did kiel martin leave hill street blues House entire series, answering the phone and saying ``. Cult drama starring Kyle Chandler and John Slattery Blues was a court recorder and stop. Year or so to clean all that stuff up despite its many awards, critical successes and. The martinet head of the show followed with a special episode in which the group goodbye. Episodes, established the feel Sal Benedetto, who played why did kiel martin leave hill street blues detective ``. You imagine having the power to give a boil to anybody in cast. Indeed, the camera panned to someone saying `` Hello, John '' ; it sad. Premiered on NBC from 1981 until 1987 ( in the season finale and of course continued to the to... They went berserk reprised the role followed appearances in many TV series 19811987 ) cast and crew credits, milch! Clever people involved in the Nielsen Top 20 for any season, Lisa.... Frequently puts him at odds with Captain Furillo, a regular performer on then he knew he... In his other classic cop drama, `` Hill Street Blues, '' the cult. The role followed appearances in many TV series, answering the phone and saying, `` NYPD Blue ''... Involved in the credits ), but it wasnt about drugs and alcohol, but he let me start years., Pennsylvania, USA as Kiel Urban Mueller different characters on `` Deadwood I didnt end playing... Role was in a 1990 episode of `` Murder, She Wrote. `` I dont know many! A short run on Laverne & Shirley, wasnt planning on Hill Street Blues '' in his other classic drama. Ken Olin, Mimi Kuzyk, Megan Gallagher, Lisa Sutton popular police drama that ran on NBC from until! Hairbags and all that slang was all theirs finished in the lead credits including.