Barnes & Noble

It never quite got the ratings it deserved over its seven-year run, probably because Homicide: Life on the Street was one of the first police procedurals not to put a romantic spin on what it meant to be a homicide detective. Developed by Paul Attanasio and brought to life by writer-producer Tom Fontana (Oz, St. Elsewhere) and director-producer Barry Levinson, the show was honest -- often brutally so -- and never shied away from the ugliness real cops faced. Based on the non-fiction account Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon of his year spent with a Baltimore City homicide unit, 1993-99's Homicide was filmed entirely in the gritty urban location of Baltimore itself, lending a sense of realism to the show. Indeed, it remains to this day one of the most realistic police dramas ever put to film, aside from its Simon-produced descendant, The Wire. The cast changed from season to season, but its main players included unit leader Lt. Al Giardello (Yaphet Kotto); detectives Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher, an Emmy winner for his role); Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor); John Munch (Richard Belzer, later reprising his role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit); and Meldrick Lewis (Clark Johnson). Other detectives included Sgt. Kay Howard (Melissa Leo); Steve Crosetti (Jon Polito); Stan Bolander (Ned Beatty); Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin); Mike Kellerman (Reed Diamond); Paul Falsone (Jon Seda); Capt. Megan Russert (Isabella Hofmann); Laura Ballard (Callie Thorne); and Terri Stivers (Toni Lewis). With such a stellar cast, it's no surprise Homicide became a darling of the critics, despite its low ratings. With this impressive collection, though, fans can discover what they've been missing with all seven seasons; all three crossover episodes with Law and Order; the 2000 Homicide reunion movie; commentaries; featurettes; and more. Christina Urban

Product Details

• UPC: 733961163391
• Source: A&E HOME VIDEO
• Sales Rank: 731

Features:

Bonus features include
Commentary on "Gone For Goode," "Gas Man," "The Hat," "The Documentary," "The Subway," and "Forgive Us Our Trespasses"
Interviews with Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, Henry Bromell, David Simon, and James Yoshimura
"To Catch A Killer: Homicide Detectives" Episode of A&E's Signature Series American Justice
Superbowl XXVII Commercials for Season One premiere
Featurettes: Homicide: Life on the Street song listings; about "The Board"; "Inside Homicide" with David Somin and James Yoshimura
Feature-length documentary "Anatomy of a Homicide"
VSDA Panel and Live DVD Commentary with Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson, James Yoshimura, and David Simon
Barry Levinson's acceptance speech for the 2004 VSDA Career Achievement Award
Cast biographies