Brooklyn South: The Complete Series (review)

Steven Bochco of Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue acclaim created, in Brooklyn South, 22 episodes of some of the grittiest, most authentic police drama TV has ever seen, which was justifiably recognized by the Emmys and the People's Choice Awards. Shot on the streets of Brooklyn and depicting in plain, unvarnished terms the job of working-class beat cops of the 74th Precinct, the season-spanning stories here range from internal affairs investigations of the deaths of suspects in police custody to one cops struggle to recover from a grievous on-the-job injury to the romantic liaisons of fellow officers. Coverage of the street is frank -- hookers, junkies, gangs, poverty, drugs, organized crime, would-be terrorists -- and often shocking violent, though the criminally short-lived series didn't eschew humor (see the episode "Clown Without Pity"). Cocreator David Milch offers commentary on the intense pilot episode, the first TV program to earn a "mature" rating.