In 1988, Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon joined the Baltimore Police Homicide Unit as a civilian assistant in order to chronicle a year in the life of a big-city homicide squad. His extensive notes, interviews, and observations were eventually published as the book, "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets." This book served as the inspiration for the TV series Homicide, Life on the Street (1993). Much of the first and second seasons are taken from actual events recounted in the book.
Barry Levinson wanted Richard Belzer as Munch after hearing him on "The Howard Stern Radio Show". NBC suggested Jason Priestley but Levinson refused. Belzer was the last cast member hired.
A real-life criminal on the run from the Baltimore Police Department entered the set of Homicide, Life on the Street (1993) and surrendered to the actors in uniform. This incident was later spoofed in an episode where the actors in the show chased a suspect onto the set of "Homicide" and encountered director Barry Levinson and several of their favorite actors from the show. Said Clark Johnson of the incident, "If he gets convicted, the judge should just drop the theft charge and send him to jail for being stupid."
The board showing unsolved and solved cases for each detective was a real device used by the Baltimore Police Department. It was stopped when it was shown to bring down morale, but it was reinstated at the detectives' request.
Richard Belzer has appeared as Detective John Munch in a total of 10 different series: as a regular on Homicide, Life on the Street (1993) and Law & Order: Unità Speciale (1999) and as a guest on Law & Order - I due volti della giustizia (1990), X-Files (1993), The Beat (2000), Arrested Development - Ti presento i miei (2003), Law & Order - Il verdetto (2005), The Wire (2002), 30 Rock (2006), and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015).
Barry Levinson: [Ralph Tabakin] (Dr. Scheiner, Medical Examiner) has appeared in every Levinson picture from A cena con gli amici (1982) to Liberty Heights (1999). Levinson, a Baltimore native, is also an Executive Producer, and sometimes director, of Homicide, Life on the Street (1993), in which Tabakin had a recurring role.