This show has always interested me, although I've never seen it. As an aspiring entertainment writer, my scripts have always had much drama, yet they've been leavened with music. Likewise, this show was, too. Everybody says that nowadays TV doesn't take any chances...Well, "Cop Rock" was a major risk. I've never seen it, but I placed an order for it from http://www.until-tomorrow.org/
I'll find out soon enough what it was all about.
Do any of this board's members have views on this program?
Sincerely,
John Kilduff...The Rock Steady Flamethrower
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
This was a surreal and entertaining show John, switching from serious 'NYPD Blue' style drama to show tunes and musical numbers the “we’ve gotta be careful out there” song, when the sarge breaks out a grand piano in the station is a classic. I’d say ‘Cop Rock’ took its cues from British miniseries ‘Lipstick On Your Collar’ by the late/great Dennis Potter and starring a young Ewan Macgregor.
Posted by C.T. (Member # 2903) on :
What was the Creator's of this show thinking of. This is one of those time that everybody is right about saying this show sucked. They should have called this show Grease-Cop's Rock cause it was like watching Grease but instead of the T-Birds it was Singing Cops. I was'nt to broken up when this show got cancelled Posted by Sam Hain 666 (Member # 3150) on :
Seriously, all 90's fans pretty much loathe this show. I think your olive branch must have some thorns in it.
Posted by StevenHW (Member # 509) on :
I saw the first few episodes of the short-lived "Cop Rock" series. To say this was an unusual show is putting mildly!
The show was basically a straight dramatic police drama, but with musical numbers in between it. As I recall, Randy Newman wrote most (or all) the songs.
I believe "Cop Rock" could've worked, but only as a Broadway stage musical. But on TV, the style would not be as effective.
The guy who created and produced the show is Steve Bochco, who was best known for producing and writing many well-known police or lawyer-themed shows: including "L.A. Law", "NYPD Blue", "City Of Angels", "Murder One", "Philly", "Delvecchio", "Richie Brockleman", and my all-time favorite, "Hill Street Blues". He also created the "Doogie Howser" and "Bay City Blues" series. He got his early start writing several episodes of the "Columbo" TV shows with Peter Falk, during the early 70's.
I remember one interview he did with the TV show "Entertainment Tonight", Bochco said that although "Cop Rock" was a flop, he still liked the show, and that he had no regrets doing it.
I gotta give credit to Bochco, though. He's the kind of innovative producer and writer the TV industry needs more of. Sure, he has share of flops and misses, but that's part of the chances you take in TV. And he's had more hits than misses.
Another dramatic musical TV show which came out the same year (and was also a ratings flop) was "Hull High", though Bochco never worked on it, and I never saw it.
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