Hill Street Blues (19811987) The original "ensemble drama," this is the story of an overworked, under-staffed police precinct in an anonymous inner city patterned after Chicago. We follow the lives of many characters, from the lowly beat and traffic cops to the captain of the precinct himself. This is the show that blazed the trail followed later by such notable ensemble dramas as "St. Elsewhere" and "L.A. Law." A gritty, realistic look at the life of cops in a large (and unnamed) metropolitan city. Led by Capt. Frank Furillo, the cops of the Hill Street Station kept the peace - though there were plenty of casualties along the way. Focusing more on those within the precinct than on the cases they were trying to solve, "Hill Street Blues" cast of characters featured public defender Joyce Davenport (who later married Furillo), gruff Sgt. Phil Esterhaus (who always cautioned his charges to "be careful out there"), eccentric Lt. Howard Hunter, Officer Lucy Bates and Sgt. Mick Belker (who sometimes resorted to injuring the felons he apprehended).