Geez, I'm annoyed at Steven Bochco and David Milch.
The two co-creators, co-executive producers have brought to television what was potentially one of the season's finest new shows - "NYPD Blue." But instead of being acclaimed as just that, the program is being widely assailed as an assault on public decency.And it's no wonder. Tonight's premiere episode contains a good deal of raunchy language and a couple of scenes that are sure to shock some viewers.
In the first, a police detective and a hooker begin to get down to her business. There's an extremely brief glimpse of a side view of the actress's breast.
In the second, another detective and a woman police officer are involved in a love-making scene that exposes the actress from behind and offers brief, shaded views of her breasts.
(Some of the show's detractors have complained about the violence content of "NYPD Blue," but that's really not a problem. Not that it is without violence - this is a police show, after all - but it's not the kind of blood and guts you'll see in the movie theater. It's also considerably less violent than many police shows that have gone before it.)
What's particularly appalling about this is that none of it is necessary. "NYPD Blue" would lose nothing from its narrative, nothing from its generally high quality if the language was modified and the sex scenes eliminated - or, at the very least, toned down.
Bochco is upfront about the reason for their inclusion - the pursuit of ratings.
"In 1993, when you're doing a cop show and you're competing with cable, which has a tremendous penetration into homes now, I don't think we can effectively compete any longer at o'clock with hour dramas unless we can paint with some of the same colors that you can paint with when you're making movies," he said, going on to admit that he's trying to attract an audience with language and nudity.
"And I don't think any of it would mean a thing if we were making a lousy show," Bochco said.
What the producer fails to see is that by including rough language and nudity, he's sullying an otherwise fine show. And admitting that he has no confidence in his ability to attract an audience with quality alone.
Having previewed the second and third episodes of the show, tonight's excesses seem even more like simple ploys to grab an audience. Episode 2 has but one brief sex scene that's much less revealing that the premiere. And Episode 3 has nothing that would have caused any uproar at all.
While by no means ground-breaking, "NYPD Blue" is far above the average television drama. It's well written, it's taut, it's engrossing, it's real.
It revolves around John Kelly (David Caruson), a thirtysomething police detective whose partner, Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz), is a man on the skids. His career is in decline, he's drinking, and he's obsessed with sending a small-time mobster to jail.
Along the way, there are heartfelt moments and - best of all - surprises and plot twists that are by no means manipulative.
But an awful lot of people are only going to remember those nude scenes and that language.
What a pity.