Disc News: Hill Street Blues comes complete in April

Disc Announcements, News

Hill Street Blues rewrote police shows by being more than just the facts. When the series debuted on NBC in 1980, the cop series about an urban police district wasn’t an immediate hit. But it quickly drew a critical and cult following on the struggling network. Fans appreciated the human element given to the characters wearing the badges. The show wasn’t axed early and was able to grow into a beloved hit. This eventually led to ratings success and a seven season run. Fans have been frustrated over the years with a lack reruns on cable and only the first few seasons coming out on DVD. Luckily Shout! Factory come to the rescue with the upcoming release of Hill Street Blues: The Complete Series. Here’s the press release of the monumental release:

Layout 1

FROM EMMY® AWARD-WINNING SERIES CREATOR STEVEN BOCHCO

HILL STREET BLUES: THE COMPLETE SERIES

BRING HOME THE COMPLETE LIBRARY OF THIS LANDMARK TELEVISION SERIES
IN A STUNNING 34-DVD BOX SET PACKED WITH SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT
ARRIVES ON HOME ENTERTAINMENT SHELVES EVERYWHERE April 29, 2014
FROM SHOUT! FACTORY

Created by award-winning writers/ producers Steven Bochco and Michael Kozoll, the critically acclaimed television series HILL STREET BLUES became one of the most seminal drama series by virtue of its powerful writing, gritty realism, emotionally charged storylines and incredible ensemble cast, including Daniel J. Travanti, Veronica Hamel, Bruce Weitz and Betty Thomas, among other notables. Throughout its seven year run on network television (1981-1987), HILL STREET BLUES took viewers inside the heart of a racially torn, crime-ridden precinct of an urban metropolis. Each episode charts a day in the life on “The Hill,” balancing the characters’ personal lives with their professional ones. “Let’s be careful out there,” advises Sgt. Esterhaus every morning at roll call, before sending out his officers and detectives to patrol their city’s streets, where the peace is kept thanks to a tenuous trust between the police and the people they protect. Yet as dangerous as their precinct is, the men and women of Hill Street often find that their biggest battles involve protecting themselves from the Public Defender’s office, self-serving bureaucrats … and each other.

The winner of 26 Emmy® Awards (including Outstanding Drama Series four years running) and a mainstay on any roll call of the greatest television shows of all time, HILL STREET BLUES: THE COMPLETE SERIES arrives for the first time ever on home entertainment shelves April 29, 2014 from Shout! Factory. This handsomely packaged 34-DVD collector’s box set contains all 144 acclaimed episodes, the original Hill Street Blues pilot, a commemorative 24-page book with a special essay written by the Pulitzer Prize-winning TV critic Tom Shales, and retrospective bonus content, featuring new interviews with Steven Bochco, the cast and more. A must-have for collectors and any fan of quality television, HILL STREET BLUES: THE COMPLETE SERIES DVD box set is priced to own at $199.99 SRP.

HILL STREET BLUES: THE COMPLETE SERIES Bonus Content:

Interviews with Steven Bochco, Dennis Franz, James B. Sikking, Bruce Weitz, Alan Rachins, Gregory Hoblit, Dennis Dugan, Jeffrey Lewis and more!

Commemorative 24-page book

The television series HILL STREET BLUES is a production of MTM Enterprises, Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.