N.Y.P.D.

N.Y.P.D is not a well known television series, and it is often confused with the NYPD Blue series from the 1990s. This is unfortunate, because this original series represents some of the best writing from 1960s television.

American network television was still pretty timid in the 1960s, often refusing to deal with the more unsavory realities of the nation; urban decay, corruption, poverty, racism, sexism and homophobia.

N.Y.P.D featured a racially integrated cast - as criminals and cops - and is probably one of the first network T.V. shows in America to look at gay Americans as a civil rights issue, through two episodes.

Many - if not most - of the episodes were based on actual criminal cases, and the overall result is an incredibly well done crime drama that was way ahead of its time.

Yes, you can certainly tell that this television series is a product of the 1960s. The series only lasted two seasons, which may help explain why it fell into relative obscurity.

As a Native New Yorker I could definitely relate to this show. The old green and white cruisers with the cherry globe spinning around on the roof of those squad cars. But what really stood out to me in these series was the realities of a cops life on the beat. Most cop shows back then always showed the safer side (if u will) of dealing with cops and robbers. Until I saw an episode on NYPD where a beat cop was trying to break up a dice game in front of this tenement and the thugs playing the game jumped the cop and mercilessly beat him down. Had not one of the detective squads happen to be in that neighborhood and saw what was happening, that cop might not have made it. When I saw that, it shook me as a kid seeing this defenseless police officer getting the worst of it from the bad guys. But I really liked Hooks and the fact that we had a Black detective on the force which was pretty groundbreaking for the 60's. All in all I thought it was a great series. I wonder why it didn't last longer? If anyone out there can lend insight to this by all means e mail me at: rsanch8695@yahoo.com. Also where can I get DVD's from this series or does some foreign entity owns it?

The recent demise of Jack Warden put me in mind of this good, but forgotten show. I well remember it from the late sixties. It was a tough and rather realistic look at the life in the precinct squad of the NYPD.

All three of the regulars here went on to have good careers and other television series. Frank Converse and Robert Hooks as the two detectives and their supervisor Jack Warden belong on anyone's A list of players.

NYPD ran for two seasons, got so-so ratings and got the ax. My guess is that it was a generation ahead of its time. It also suffered from the half an hour format. When shows like Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue came on the scene, they were an hour length and there was more time to develop the characters.

But those shows and many others owe a debt to NYPD. Hopefully some cable channel will pick it for reruns.

Shows like Homicide owe a debt of gratitude to NYPD. This show was gritty and felt real as the detectives worked NYC fighting crime. The always reliable Jack Warden was the boss, Frank Converse was young Johnny Corso, and the under-rated Robert Hooks was Jeff Ward (whose wife Ethel was played by Denise Nicholas). And many, many later famous faces showed up on this show each week. It was a great show and it deserves a more than honorable mention!

I sat through many episodes of NYPD 1967 when I was a kid which kept me riveted and in suspense. I just thought it was so exciting to look at and I can clearly remember talking about it the next day after it aired with my 3rd Grade schoolmates who were watching also. As i remember, the show was basically about 3 NYPD detectives cracking interesting cases in NYPD. Each show was 30 minutes which made them brisk and right to the point !

Some of the episodes i remember clearly remember which were great was one with Jon Voight as a mad bomber. Then there was one when Detective Corso posed as a bum to entrap some muggers. There was another one with the guy who was on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (I think the actor's name was Graham Jarvis) who was troubled (i forget why) but decides to take his aggression out on a rooftop with a high powered rifle. This was suspenseful stuff.

The opening of the show with the theme song and camera close up of the the flashing red siren and the announcer saying "NYPD......in color) is classic 60's nostalgia.