TV Squad

• FCC lets a foul-mouthed ABC and CBS off the hook
  

  Filed under: ABC, FOX, CBS, Industry, NYPD Blue

  The FCC has dismissed indecency charges against ABC's NYPD Blue and CBS' Early Show, but has upheld charges against - oh, delicious irony - Fox.
  
  Back in April, the networks sued the FCC and asked an appeals court to invalidate the Commission's charges of indecency against NYPD, Early Show and Fox's broadcast of the Billboard Music Awards in 2002 and 2003 on the grounds that the charges were unconstitutional.
  
  ABC got off easy. The NYPD Blue episodes that used the words "dickhead" and "bullshit" were let off the hook because...
  



• NYPD Blue: Ice Follies/Oscar, Meyer, Weiner
  

  Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, NYPD Blue

  (S01E09/S01E10) This was a pretty interesting episode pairing. The first one, "Ice Follies," was probably the best episode of the season so far. It was tense. It held my attention and I didn't yawn. That's saying something. Before I get to the good stuff though, let's get rid of the boring junk. Once again, Sherry Stringfield's character serves no purpose. Either she's not around at all (which is great) or she randomly enters a scene and you're caught off guard. Since transferring at the DA's office, she's now working in a new role which places her at...
  



• NYPD Blue: Tempest in a C-Cup
  

  Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, NYPD Blue

  (S01E08) It's not that I'm against fancy one-liners for episode titles. I just find it sort of disappointing when you read one that sounds interesting and the episode barely has anything to do with it. The Sopranos and Deadwood are notorious for this. I like my episode titles to be simple, but descriptive. Take Seinfeld and "The Puffy Shirt." Going into that, you got a pretty good idea about the focus of the episode.

  Alright, you can tell I'm reaching here because eight episodes in, and we finally got to one that I didn't really...
  




• NYPD Blue: NYPD Lou
  

  Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, NYPD Blue

  

  (S01E07) This had to be the first point in the season where the writers for this show just said, "What the hell? Let's go nuts." So they did. People got whacked. Children went missing and there was a guy who thought he was a werewolf.

  Martinez (to the wolf guy): "So, uh, what do you like to be called? Mr. Wolf?"

  The wolf guy would be Lou (hence the title). He's a bum who seems to think he's a werewolf and he uses it as an excuse to get locked up for the night (hey,...
  




• NYPD Blue: Personal Foul
  

  Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, NYPD Blue

  (S01E06) For the first few episodes, I was was really enjoying picking out all the swears, slang words, and racial slurs that this show was getting away with at the time. Now I'm having way more fun picking out all the random guest stars. Every episode is just crammed with a bunch of people in tiny blip roles. So far we've had some good ones like David Schwimmer, Michael Rappaport, and Luis Guzman. But this episode added a whole bunch more.

  • James Pickens, Jr. (you'll recognize him as Webber on Grey's Anatomy)
  • Tobin Bell (he's...
    
  
  
  
  • NYPD Blue: Emission Accomplished
    

    Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, NYPD Blue

    (S01E05) A Martinez-centric story. I didn't think we'd get one of these this early in the game. He still seems like too minor a character to warrant an episode largely devoted to him.

    That being said, it wasn't half bad. One of the things I like about this show is seeing all the cop show stereotypes that it helped to create. In this case, I'm referring to the young rookie cop being side-lined because he has to watch over his smack addict brother. That's a stereotype... right?

    Plus, the story allowed for the list of unexpected guest stars...
    

  
  
  
  • NYPD Blue: True Confessions
    

    Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, NYPD Blue

    (S01E04) Since I started watching this show (I had never seen an episode before), I've been doing my best to avoid reading about the episodes on fan websites and places like IMDb. For whatever reason though, I went ahead and read something on this particular episode. That was stupid because I would have much rather preferred that the ending were a surprise. Some shows I don't care if I know stuff in advance but I like to be in the dark with NYPD Blue.

    So here goes. David Schwimmer's guest stint has come to an end. Josh...
    

  
  
  
  • NYPD Blue: Brown Appetit
    

    Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, NYPD Blue

    (S01E03) I was talking with a few of my co-workers the other day and I mentioned that I was posting on old episodes of NYPD Blue. One of them flipped out he was so overjoyed. Apparently it was his favorite show, he knew just about every episode inside and out, and he wished that it would have gone on for a few more seasons. I told him to take deep breath because I had only seen the very first three episodes so far and wouldn't be able to dish...
    

  
  
  
  • NYPD Blue: 4B or not 4B
    

    Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, NYPD Blue

    

    Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of your favorite shows, in order, every week.
    

    (S01E02) David Schwimmer is still around. I love it! Even better is that Kelly refuses to call Schwimmer by his character's name. Rather he keeps referring to the guy as his apartment number, 4B. Hilarious.

    Back to the story though, we pick up right where the pilot episode left off. Sipowicz is in the hospital, but he's talking and seems to be recovering quite well. The only problem is...
    

  
  
  
  • NYPD Blue: Pilot
    

    Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Retro Squad, NYPD Blue

    

    Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of your favorite shows, in order, every week.

    (S01E01) Ahh, the glory days. When men were men, gas was cheap(er), and David Caruso wasn't aging like a raisin while patrolling the beaches of Miami. Of course, I'm talking about NYPD Blue when Caruso (as Detective John Kelly) was scouring the streets of Manhattan with the best bad New York accent I've ever heard. The year was 1993 and Steven Bochco and David Milch's new...