I found it amusing seeing a review from 22 years ago stating how the show was better "than the crap on TV nowadays". The "reality" tv plague was only in its infancy back then.
Authenticity is the calling card of this show, a very valuable trait in any contemporary set series. I'm a big HD snob and want to view things in the best possible quality, but no such luck with this show that was shot in such a way I believe to add to that authenticity, like you were following the detectives around "B-more" as they hunt the various miscreants shown throughout the 7 seasons of the show. But you just have to live with it, and its so worth it.
Believable and fleshed out characters are another necessity for a quality show, and you get one of the best in Andre Braugher's Frank Pembleton. The show being before my time, I was drawn to it from his classic performance of Holt on Brooklyn 99. Homicide is no comedy- Richard Belzer aside- but you get an amazing performance from Braugher here that you will remember for a long time. The show is at its best when its offering up poignant social commentary through the lens of his character. This is not to discredit the memorable performances of virtually all other regulars as well, none of which faltering along the way.
There are indeed laughs along the way, and other episodes that will set dread in you like few other shows can (see: A Doll's Eyes, S4). This show isn't a paint by numbers, predictable mindless drama like so many we see today.
The final season slips and stutters a bit, but this is still a must watch series, start to finish for anyone who enjoys quality crime drama. The Wire (also born of the work of David Simon) holds a special place in the pantheon of prestige television, but I enjoyed Homicide more.
Authenticity is the calling card of this show, a very valuable trait in any contemporary set series. I'm a big HD snob and want to view things in the best possible quality, but no such luck with this show that was shot in such a way I believe to add to that authenticity, like you were following the detectives around "B-more" as they hunt the various miscreants shown throughout the 7 seasons of the show. But you just have to live with it, and its so worth it.
Believable and fleshed out characters are another necessity for a quality show, and you get one of the best in Andre Braugher's Frank Pembleton. The show being before my time, I was drawn to it from his classic performance of Holt on Brooklyn 99. Homicide is no comedy- Richard Belzer aside- but you get an amazing performance from Braugher here that you will remember for a long time. The show is at its best when its offering up poignant social commentary through the lens of his character. This is not to discredit the memorable performances of virtually all other regulars as well, none of which faltering along the way.
There are indeed laughs along the way, and other episodes that will set dread in you like few other shows can (see: A Doll's Eyes, S4). This show isn't a paint by numbers, predictable mindless drama like so many we see today.
The final season slips and stutters a bit, but this is still a must watch series, start to finish for anyone who enjoys quality crime drama. The Wire (also born of the work of David Simon) holds a special place in the pantheon of prestige television, but I enjoyed Homicide more.