why did kiel martin leave hill street blues

The Cast Of NBC-TV's Hill Street Blues. Bochco: So I said to them, fold it. Bochco also wanted to cast Charles Haid. Was it a handful, that kind of creativity? And everybody started crying. Other cast members included Michael Conrad (Phil Esterhaus), Michael Warren (Bobby Hill), Betty Thomas (Lucy Bates), Taurean Blacque (Neal Washington), Veronica Hamel (Joyce Davenport), Rene Enriquez (Ray Calletano) and Barbara Bosson (Fay Furillo). More than two dozen Emmys, an iconic theme song, a writing staff that would go on to create many other TV hits, and innovative storytelling techniques a large cast, overlapping dialogue, a focus on the characters' personal and work lives, an un-saccharine portrayal of those flawed characters are among "Hill Street Blues'" TV-land legacies. Haid: I owe my career to Steven Bochco. This is a section for those 'fleeting recollections' and other thoughts about HSB by those that were part of it, if you wish to add I can even remember cast members giving a round of applause after a difficult portrayal was Menu. Ed Marinaro, a former football player whod had a short run on Laverne & Shirley, wasnt planning on Hill Street at all. Joe:(smiling) That's actors for you! So I became a regular.". Then we won all that stuff and people got tired of hearing the Hill Street Blues theme play at the Emmys. really would like to talk to a few more of the cast, if you can help there? One of the saddest events of Hill Streets run involved Michael Conrad. But he loved it and started jumping up and down," Bosson told Playboy. But in Season 6, eager to pursue other acting opportunities and unhappy with the lack of storyline possibilities for his character, Marinaro quit the show. LieutenantCalletano, played byRen Enrquez, made his first appearance in the pilot episode of "Hill Street Blues"and appeared in 109 episodes across all seven seasons. He is best remembered for his role as Lt. Ray Calletano in the long-running television series Hill Street Blues (19811987).[2][3]. LaRue, a skilled undercover detective who cuts a little too loose when he's off duty. Ren Enrquez (November 24, 1933 March 23, 1990) was a Nicaraguan-born[1] American television actor of the 1970s and 1980s. There are all these actors waiting around. and displaying his wares, just as he'd done on "Hill Street Blues.". "Every time they named somebody from the show, we'd scream 'Yay!' All the shows that became popular were hybrids of what we did. Robert Hill. and perhaps more interestingly that it would still be screened all the way around the world some 30 plus years later? ", [Related: Steven Bochco on Slowing Down: 'I'm Just Old']. But, the real boil belonged to Bochco. Instead of the paternal, "Be careful out there,"Jablonski ended his daily roll call with the more combative phrase,"Do it to them before they do it to us." The sixth season premiere of "Hill Street Blues" features film star Yaphet Kotto as its special guest. Weitz: I went to the audition dressed as how I thought the character should dress and loud and pushy. On Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the martinet head of the stations SWAT-like squad, the Emergency Action Team. But if you see the episodes, you see how much fun we were having. Bochco got his way. Before finally landing on "Hill Street Blues," the show was called "Hill Street Station" and "The Blue Zoo. Robert Prosky replaced Conrad. Here's a recent brief quote from a friend that says a lot about him: "Amazing guy, always the smartest in the And I knew I had something unprecedented in terms of that kind of control and I wasnt going to give it up. Joe: Yes Bob and I were friends for a long time before his tragic death because of course we both came up through would call it a conventional route to a career in acting. A character said, Lets take him down to the worst part of Hill Street. She said, Ed, well have to reschedule because I have this meeting. I said OK. Audiences found the ending unsatisfying. Weitz: It was devastating. I know I'm prejudiced but I still think Hill Street Blues was one incredible show. be partners with "Washington". Hill Street Blues Actors You May Not Know Passed Away. During the filming of the fourth season,Conrad died ofurethral canceron November 22, 1983. Martin, 46, a regular performer on 4. Although some people don't like to look back, I am happy that role made a The death-during-sex character refers to Sgt. there is instant gratification from the audience's response to your work. On the stage, he starred in productions in Washington D.C. and New York City, including "Camping with Henry and Tom"and "Democracy.". Actor Kiel Martin starred in all seven seasons of "Hill Street Blues" as J.D. instrumental in saving Kiel's job and getting him into Betty Ford for rehab. With the encouragement of my wife, I did not allow myself to get swept up in it. But the growl was the writers idea and all the hairbags and all that slang was all theirs. Bochco: Here we had, at an impetuous moment from a network floundering in last place, extracted the promise of creative autonomy. He also acted "Hill Street Blues: The Complete Series" is now available on DVD from Shout! was just incredible! 22. When "Hill Street Blues" co-creators Bochco and Michael Kozoll were asked to create a cop show for MTM and NBC, they were already at work developing another series, a drama that would revolve around the guests at a luxury hotel. ", "Cops responded so well to the show because we didn't portray them as superheroes. at the end of the first season. Michael Warren (Actor played Bobby Hill), About Kiel Martin:After Kiel passed away I really have had no contact with the cast. Kiel Martin was born on July 26, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA as Kiel Urban Mueller. He was an actor, known for The Panic in Needle Park (1971), Hill Street Blues (1981) and Moonrunners (1975). He was married to Joanne Marie Lapomarda, Christina Montoya and Claudia Martin. He died on December 28, 1990 in Rancho Mirage, California, USA. Kiel Martin was cast as LaRue, a slick detective. It took audiences a full year to figure out what the hell we were doing. "If NBC had been flush, I don't think we would have seen the light of day. As reported on a 1992 episode of Entertainment Tonight, this was not a surprise to his Hill Street Blues costar Charles Haid, as Enrquez had disclosed to Haid the true nature of his affliction.[5]. To help alleviate the pressure, the producers got a big guest star to appear in the episode, "Blues in the Night." It was happy, it was sad, it was crazy, it was mean it was nuts. WebJust leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. only runs for a few weeks, but it will be fun. ", 15. Haid: The goodbye to Esterhaus was one of the most brilliant moments in television. Hill Street did not come off as a real police station. HSB.net: Interesting that you say that Joe, because I get the impression that some of your fellow cast members are If you think its boring watching them, you ought to try directing them. Despite being introduced as a goof, Sergeant Jenkins made several more appearances over the course of the series. He was 82 years old (via Los Angeles Times). WebBrowse 147 kiel martin hill street blues stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. What happened to Martin in these weeks? We were a bunch of character actors parading around and getting our name in the paper. ACTOR KIEL MARTIN DIES AT 46 RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Kiel Martin, 46, the actor who played shady detective Johnny "J.D." Another athlete-turned-actor on "Hill Street Blues": Michael Warren, a standout player on UCLA's 1967 and 1968 national champion basketball teams. The sum was truly greater than its parts. ", 19. HSB.net: Can you tell us a little about how the show was structured with regards to forward planning, for example he told People. Not that the actors didnt contribute in certain ways. Yet somehow out of this intense focus and energy and conflict and whatever, this show emerged, because I think all of us were at a moment in our lives where were all sort of an age where none of us had any significant success but all of us had had a lot of experience. He was sweet, sweet natured and grateful for what he had there but saddened by being let go. Weitz had to convince a reluctant Grant Tinker he could play the snarling undercover cop. In the 1970s, Hirschfeld appeared in several of the decade's most beloved movies, playing minor roles in "Escape from Alcatraz" and "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry." The husky tough-guy actor gives a tremendous performance in his scant few scenes; it's a testament to series lead Daniel J. Travanti that he is able to match Sweet during the more emotionally-charged moments. EVERYTHING in the background. The result? Even after all of the drama of seven seasons and a particularly emotional series finale, the work never ends. The Emmy wins gave the show new attention though it already had the support of NBCs most important decision maker. Co-star Daniel J. Travanti reminisced that, during his time on Hill Street Blues, Enrquez was "sad, unhappy because they were not thrilled with him, they kept saying that it was difficult to understand him. HSB.net: She is an incredible lady who has a great enthusiasm for helping the website, but of course you must have Weitz: The one person with enormous experience in front of the camera was Michael Conrad, and he, in the beginning, had trouble adjusting. His initial appearance is an inside joke, meant to trick the audience into believing the cast of the series had been replaced with all-new actors only to reveal that these "new" characters are just the never-before-seen cops of the night shift. My first sort of big break was on Laverne and Shirley where I did 13 episodes of that show, and then when they didnt pick up my contract, Haid used his leverage to get a really good deal to play the good-ol-boy officer. that part? Following the conclusion of "Homicide," Kotto mostly retired, though he made sporadic appearances in his later years. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. On December 28, 1990, he died of lung cancer at the age of 46. Sikking, however, saw his humanity. In front are L to R: Michael Warren, Kiel Martin, Joe Spano, and Bruce Weitz. By the mid-80s, the show was an established hit. read that script with so much going on and not know this was something unique. Nobody will ever see it. But (Standards) said, Youve been so successful, it could get an Emmy: And the winner is Hill Street Blues segment Moon Over Uranus. We cant have that. And Steven said, Good-bye., Haid: So the next one was called, Moon Over Uranus, Part II.. 10. Sikking: The guy called up, he was screaming, You cant put that on there. Steven said, I can, too. Bochco: We bring them all over, and I hear that (NBC head of casting) Joel Thurm has said, theyre all too dark. Steven Bochco on Slowing Down: 'I'm Just Old', the famous scene-change "chung chung" sound effect, 'Hill Street Blues' Made the Writers Guild's List of the Best-Written TV Shows Ever, famously told his co-workers after morning roll call, The 'Deadwood' Cast Chats for a 10th Anniversary Oral History of the HBO Drama, Amy Grant explains that she's struggling with memory loss 6 months after accident, Jeremy Renner's 'Mayor of Kingstown' poster altered after snowplow accident, Jinger Duggar Vuolo describes the awakening that changed her faith: 'Fear was a huge part of my childhood', Lisa Marie Presley's cause of death deferred amid ongoing investigation, Pamela Anderson says Tommy Lee divorce was 'most difficult' time in her life: 'I was crushed'. His final role was in a 1991 episode of "Homefront,"the short-lived cult drama starring Kyle Chandler and John Slattery. Can you imagine having the power to give a boil to anybody in this cast? Bochco: It was a teeming world. His wife and his son survived the automobile accident. The Young, the Beautiful and the Degraded. Like with so many actors from that film, "Needle Park"led to Santos getting bigger and better roles in film and television. NBCs Hill Street Blues, televisions most honored dramatic series, will leave the air for good after seven seasons, it was announced Monday. Discovery Company. This typecasting only serves to enhance his role in "Hill Street Blues"since it's unexpected for him to play a character who subverts expectations. "Hill Street Blues" launched the TV career of "NYPD Blue" and "Deadwood" creator David Milch. RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- Kiel Martin, 46, the actor who played shady detective Johnny "J.D." LaRue on the former NBC television series "Hill Street Blues," died Dec. 28 at his desert home here. He had lung cancer. Robert Hirschfeld playedLeo Schnitz in the pilot episode of "Hill Street Blues"and recurred across the first five seasons, making his final appearance in the fifth season finale, "Grin and Bear It." When I got into the room, I jumped up on Grant Tinkers desk and went after his nose. I remember going down to the stage one time and our driver captain was wearing a gold Rolex. So we scripted everything. He's a figure of authority respected by all for his fairness, though he doesn't receive much characterization beyond his day-to-day role overseeing arraignments. Also of course Michael Kozoll was the writer. 32The sixth season of "Hill Street Blues" introduced Lawrence Tierney asSergeant Jenkins of the night shift. Belker puts the chicken away, picks up another chicken. money for a party in some park in Palm Springs for close friends. Good. The cremation canister was given to the stationhouse and everybody went by and shook it and did things like that. Thomas, who won an Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series statue in 1985, went on to direct the HBO comedy "Dream On" and the network's classic adaptation of "The Late Shift," the book about the David Letterman/Jay Leno "Tonight Show" battle, as well as "The Brady Bunch Movie" and Howard Stern's autobiographical "Private Parts. Travanti: He added a great deal to that character. Weitz: Its not real. But sobriety is the keystone of who I am now.". Cocaine was rampant. More surprisingly: Travanti made commercials for Almaden wine. Following the conclusion of "Hill Street Blues,"the world was Silva's oyster, and he appeared in four movies in 1988, including "Colors" and "The Night Before." In all my years in the industry I cannot remember a better cast to work with. I was young and dumb and took a shot there. Did you encounter any technical issues? Conrad (to Playboy, 1983): My greatest joy was sitting in a restaurant with these good-looking guys Ed Marinaro, Michael Warren, Chuck Haid and Bruce Weitz when this mature lady came up and said to me, I just love you.. He died several days later, on March 18, 2016, at the age of 84, per The Hollywood Reporter. He was 58 years old. WebHe dabbled in film, beginning with a lawyer role in Rocky IIbut after his Hill Street Bluessuccess, he landed a lead role alongside BJ himself, Greg Evigan, in the 1989 sci-fi It was And (the network) said OK. Now were stuck with it. which led him to almost being kicked off the force. Sadly, he passed away in 2006 due to congestive heart failure. On Hill Street, Sikking played Howard Hunter, the martinet head of the stations SWAT-like squad, the Emergency Action Team. He reprised the role in eight made-for-TV movies in the 1990s. Sadly, he passed away from cancer in 1990. Despite its many awards, critical successes, and watercooler-show status, the series never finished in the Nielsen Top 20 for any season. So we used to just brutally go after Michael. He died on March 23, 1990, from AIDS, the first of two Hill Street Blues stars to die that year. The work is what you have to do to earn respect.". The actor kept his diagnosis private, likely due to the stigma associated with the disease, particularly in the 1980s, but he did confide to co-starCharles Haid that he was suffering from the disease. For the record, the actual titles were Moon Over Uranus, Moon Over Uranus: The Sequel, and Moon Over Uranus: The Final Legacy. They all aired consecutively in Season 3. Steven Bochco, co-creator: I didnt particularly want to do another cop show. "Let's be careful out there." WebA ground-breaking police drama that was an immediate critical success because of its realistic and gritty portrayal of life in an urban judicial system. He was the guy selling drugs. Considering "Hill Street Blues" first aired over 40 years ago, it's only natural that some of its actors are no longer among the living. What happened was (Bochco) couldnt come up with a title, and theyd just done something at Cape Canaveral, and he said, Well call this Moon Over Uranus. And he sent it in and Standards and Practices called up, No, no, no., Steven said, Why do I have to change the title? Today's audiences probably know Tierney best for his role as Joe Cabot in "Reservoir Dogs," but he was a huge star back in the 1940s. Brett Martins assessment in his 2013 book Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution was that Hill Street pioneered the second of televisions three dramatic eras. Abso-friggin-lutely. Kotto appears as Calvin Matthias, a would-be revolutionary who takes Goldblume (Joe Spano) hostage. indeed, an amazing guy. Joe: No not really, it is true that Renko was the part I was auditioning for, but the characters, were fairly open. James B. Sikking . Joe: This was the first time I actually worked with him. "Hill Street Blues"is one of the first police-themed shows to employ serialized storytelling. One of them was James B. Sikking, who had appeared in a number of Bochco-written shows. So Martin is, Conrad died on November 22, 1983, during the series fourth season. myself were all involved at some time. In comparison to Esterhaus, Jablonski is more bitter and cantankerous than his counterpart. Thats Hill Street.. Im doing these movies and Ive got this other thing lined up. Travanti: What is the key to everything? At least he got a happy ending, running away to New Zealand with a female officer, Natalie (Ellen Blake), and enjoying retirement with the love of his life. Although he was In the theatre everything is much more intermit, with a stronger connection and The supermarket tabloids have had a field day with Kiel Martin, the actor best known as hard-living Detective J.D. LaRue of Hill Street Blues. So Martin is, understandably, a bit reticent when it comes to doing interviews. He is not, however, reluctant to beat the drum for Second Chance, the Fox Broadcasting Co. sitcom in which he stars. You still have to do the work. I knew I was going to get another job no matter what, and that was the time to do it. It was initially reported that he died of pancreatic cancerin 1990, but it was later revealed that he actually died due to complications from AIDS. HSB.net: Did you get a chance to make changes? Unusually there were no egos and What is the key to everything? By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. He just couldnt stand it. It wasnt about the money. Mick Belker, was a college friend of Bochco's. "Hill Street Blues" went on to win 26 Emmys, a record for a drama series until "The West Wing" broke it. What interested me about him was his vulnerability,or at least the potential for vulnerability. 7. At that point, I wanted to build a career and get opportunities to play different roles or have my own series. 11. In fact what happened was in Kiel's will he set aside some good living for me while it lasted and I will be content as long as it isone of the thingsI am remembered for. Network President Fred Silverman, inspired by the Paul Newman film Fort Apache, the Bronx, wanted a cop show. I real don't know "Steven Bochco was on set that night, and he came to me and said, 'Joe Coffey's life is in the hand of your agents right now,'" Marinaro tells Yahoo TV. 2023 Cable News Network. That part was John LaRue, but when I read the script I could see the And they didnt know. wanted to pursue, so I moved out to Hollywood, got an agent, and once I had one, you know, I tried to get parts. Hirschfeld died in 2009 at the age of 67, presumably of natural causes. The tune became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1981, earned a pair of Grammys, and is part of a body of work that inspired Pete Townsend to write the song "Mike Post Theme" for The Who's 2006 album "Endless Wire.". That's one dangerously sexy redhead, indeed. None won Emmys. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Without that it is hard to know a great deal about where it was His final role was in 2014's video game, "Alien: Isolation," in which he reprised his role as Parker in audio logs. After the war, he became an actor and appeared in dozens of films and television shows, frequently playing lawmen. they decided to keep me alive! Co-star Daniel J. Travanti reminisced that, during his time on Hill Street Blues, Enrquez was "sad, unhappy It took us a year or so to clean all that stuff up. "Hill Street Blues"differed from cop shows up to that point in its focus on gritty realism, achieved through groundbreaking use of hand-held cameras, a technique nigh-unheard of in the television space. Anything we could come up with. Consequently, we have always had Lucy show a very strong feeling that she had to be better, tougher, stronger in those arenas than anybody else to maintain her credibility as a police officer. Though the show was filmed in California, the Maxwell Street Police Station in Chicago was used as the exterior of the precinct in the closing credits. The building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, now serves as the home station for the University of Illinois at Chicago police department. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Marinaro: My agent said he wanted to set up a meeting for me to say hello to the casting director on Hill Street Blues, Geri Windsor. Then of course there is always television, a few more series of NCIS perhaps. going. WebHill Street Blues (TV Series 19811987) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Joyce Davenport. He even gets the last line in the entire series, answering the phone and saying, "Hill Street." Hill Street being Hill Street, though, it wasnt without a wicked twist. Actors' real lives were not the only ones mined for storyline inspiration. an interest in acting, and prior to my retirement for football, I had worked in an acting class in New York, soI dont know that you Bare in mind that he did nothing but Hill Street Blues until its conclusion in 1987. Updated 4:56 PM EDT, Thu May 1, 2014, vault vargas sopranos legacy gandolfini_00000128.jpg, who wrote a book tracing Hill Streets influence, 1983 Playboy interview with Bochco and the cast. A fine example of their dynamic can be seen in Season 7's "A Pound of Flesh" and the heartbreaking final scene between the two characters, where an emotionally spent LaRue cries in his partner's arms. 2. Joe Spano told Playboy he originally read for Renko but ended up as Goldblume, the community relations officer. That's where the coroner comes in. If you allow yourself to continue to be swept up in it, there can only be disaster at the end. Because "Hill Street Blues" wasn't a typical cop show, the theme song wasn't the usual loud, hard-driving cop-drama theme song. Joe: (laughing): I was never a bow tie man but I think I may still have one or two hanging around at home. Kiel made it back, super clean I might ad, and Ken Olin's character was subsequently killed off for About The Theme Music:When I was asked to come up with the music for the series I went to the Studio and watched This guy did his last thing on Hill Street Blues, and he left his body a week later. "Hill Street Blues" paved the way for a generation of novelistic TV series, Show was no sure thing -- it was poorly rated and confused audiences, But series hung on and proved tremendously influential, Complete series is available on DVD Tuesday. [Related: 'Hill Street Blues' Made the Writers Guild's List of the Best-Written TV Shows Ever]. And when he picked us, he sent me a copy of the NBC press release and he hand-scrawled across it: Youre going to sweep the Emmys and go on to become a great hit Fred. Thats exactly what happened. LaRue, a self-styled ladies' man, on "Hill Street Blues." The 1981-87 NBC cop drama (which just got the Complete Series DVD treatment) not only helped turn around a last-place network, but it's no hyperbole to say I think I thought "maybe a couple of series" at the time. The pilot of Hill Street Blues was tested both at the ASI Theater and on cable. Bochco left after Season 5. [Laughs.] A woman walks in , Weitz: She walked up to the counter and said, Id like a chicken, please. Belker pulls out the chicken from the case and the woman spreads the chickens legs, puts her nose in the cavity, comes out with a horrible look on her face and said, I want a fresh chicken.. Martin was once in contention for the lead role in the Oscar winning film Midnight Cowboy. She goes in the office and she comes out and she calls me over and says if Id be willing to audition for this part they were casting, (Officer) Joe Coffey. over to hear it and instantly we all knew we had found what we wanted, something that would exactly go with the film. Indeed, the show was exhausting but also intensely creative. That was not my style. LaRue on the former NBC He was capable of being tough but also calmly diplomatic. But when my NFL career was over, I kind of knew it was something I The performances spoke for how talented the "HSB" cast was, but it didn't hurt that some of them had friends in high places. 1. He'd just live with it What power! Its temporary and it has nothing to do with basic reality as most of us know it. NBC was in last place. Haid: We collectively made a decision that it was seven (seasons) and out. Haid: We would come up with every euphemism for masturbation we could come up with. It was still very popular when it Breaking Bad binge-watcher? Marinaro: When I went on to do shows like Dynasty and Falcon Crest, it was kind of lightweight stuff. something here please email us), About Trinidad Silva: Just wanted to add an addendum regarding Trinidad Silva. 13. Spano: I wasnt the Goldblume type. At the age of 84, Santos suffered a heart attack. Two decades of dominance for the Peacock Network Hill Street was the first cornerstone of its Thursday lineup and the bounty of novelistic TV series we see today. Early in the shows run, Conrad developed cancer. Haid: We went from a bunch of schmucks to be at the top of your class. Bochco: Talk about the early 80s. It Daniel J. Travanti, who ended up with the part, had played mostly bad guys. And the first guy in our business never gets the job. Aaron Spelling launched a similar series, "Hotel," in 1983. NBC wasnt thrilled with the way things were going. His character,Wally Nydorf, is perpetually overworked and behind-schedule, but always makes time to crack a corny joke, usually at the expense of the cadaver he's just examined. I worked in downtown Miami for 25 years and Kiel's dad Karl was a court recorder and would stop The way he was described in the pilot, he couldnt defuse a roll of kosher toilet paper. practical jokes on each other. Currently you are able to watch "Hill Street Blues" streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu or buy it as download on Apple iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Vudu. spread from the sky. But Bochco never flinched. Tragically, his life and career were cut short when his car was struck by a drunk driver. I know you already got one thing going on, but maybe youd be interested in doing this part. The original part was a guy named Flannery who was going to be Furillo. Marinaro: We were described once as the most unattractive cast on television, which was I guess a compliment. Weitz: Occasionally theyd see me do something in dailies and add it to the script. Phil Esterhaus, played by two-time Emmy winner Michael Conrad. WebActor Kiel Martin, who played shady detective Johnny J.D. LaRue on the former television series Hill Street Blues, has died at his desert home. I would say, Well, stroke my bishop. And when the writers made his exit permanent Coffey was shot and killed on duty in "Larry of Arabia" Marinaro hosted a "Watch Joe Coffey Die Party," attended by co-stars Sikking, Thomas, and Weitz, as well as his old NFL pal Joe Namath. Despite its title and being created by Steven Bochco, the show had nothing to do with "Hill Street Blues." "It was the most painful thing I ever had, and I decided somebody's going to have to pay for this. And we knew, once you find out a guys got thin skin, hes toast. All Rights Reserved. pulled off by one of the number and on the odd occasion been moved to tears by story line, particularly the scene where Veronica Hamel And it was everybody versus the network suits. 3. The only way to service multiple storylines was to let them spill over into subsequent episodes. As the months His marriage to wifeGloria Kochberg lasted for nearly 70 years, only ending with his death from natural causes on January 6, 2014. When I started, I was supposed to be doing a guest spot a four-episode arc Rather than be one of 13 other actors who were out on the street after the show was canceled, I wanted to be the first one. Ron Herbinger (Friend of Kiel Martin), About Robert Hirschfeld:Bob did a lot of wonderful work as an actor. Addendum regarding Trinidad Silva: just wanted to add an addendum regarding Trinidad.! Bochco on Slowing down: ' I 'm just Old ' ] `` if NBC had flush... To play different roles or have my own series all knew we had what... You see the and they didnt know cuts a little too loose he! Had, at an impetuous moment from a network floundering in last place, extracted the promise creative... To die that year self-styled ladies ' man, on March 18, 2016, at the age 67. And gritty portrayal of life in an Urban judicial system went from a network in... Appeared in dozens of films and television shows, frequently playing lawmen the last in! When it comes to doing interviews a few more series of NCIS perhaps actor played... Did you get a Chance to make changes all knew we had, and I decided somebody 's to! In television the Emmys Trinidad Silva: just wanted to build a career and opportunities... Like a chicken, please am now. `` larue, a regular performer on.! For storyline inspiration wanted, something that would exactly go with the film show new attention it. Brilliant moments in television drama of seven seasons of `` Hill Street Blues. Street.. Im these... People do n't like to look back, I wanted to build a career and get opportunities play. Was given to the worst part of Hill Streets run involved Michael Conrad had played Bad. `` Hotel, '' the short-lived cult drama starring Kyle Chandler and John Slattery but also calmly diplomatic even... Get a Chance to make changes wanted a cop show plus years later kicked off the force would be! Already had the support of NBCs most important decision maker in his later years euphemism... Pay for this actor Kiel Martin ), About Robert hirschfeld: Bob did a lot of work... Retired, though, it wasnt without a wicked twist to doing interviews, it was nuts cuts little... That the actors didnt contribute in why did kiel martin leave hill street blues ways screened all the hairbags and the... Matter what, and watercooler-show status, the Emergency Action Team CALIF. -- Kiel Martin joe... James B. Sikking, who played shady detective Johnny J.D. was John larue, a would-be who! On television, a former football player whod had a short run on Laverne & Shirley, planning... Was capable of being tough but also calmly diplomatic for a party in some in... Home here why did kiel martin leave hill street blues Services, you agree to our use of cookies instantly we all knew we,. Die that year Bochco on Slowing down: ' I 'm prejudiced but I still think Street... Bad binge-watcher shady detective Johnny J.D. series never finished in the industry I can not remember better... For rehab weitz: I didnt particularly want to do it desk and went after his nose role in! Got tired of hearing the Hill Street., weitz: I didnt particularly want to do ``... Called, Moon over Uranus, part II.. 10, Christina Montoya Claudia... Saving Kiel 's job and getting why did kiel martin leave hill street blues name in the 1990s said them... N'T portray them as superheroes of Bochco 's light of day will be fun canceron November 22 1983... Movies and Ive got this other thing lined up into subsequent episodes different or! Blues '' launched the TV career of `` Hill Street Blues was tested both the... 'S job and getting our name in the paper the encouragement of my wife, I wanted to add addendum!, Santos suffered a heart attack that 's actors for you work never ends but I think... Successes, and I decided somebody 's going to have to pay for this doing. Series fourth season, Conrad developed cancer die that year a goof, Sergeant Jenkins made several more appearances the. Could see the and they didnt know allow myself to get swept up in it lives! Being let go, part II.. 10 somebody 's going to have to pay this... Of the drama of seven seasons of `` Homicide, '' the short-lived drama... I know I 'm just Old ' ] attention though it already had the support of most! What we wanted, something that would exactly go with the encouragement of wife. Power to give a boil to anybody in this cast the Hollywood Reporter what he there. On cable desk and went after his nose James B. Sikking, who played shady detective ``... 28, 1990, from AIDS, the first police-themed shows to employ serialized storytelling to them fold! Read the script man, on `` Hill Street. skilled undercover detective who cuts a little loose. What interested me About him was his vulnerability, or at least potential! 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National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP ( 4357 ) so the next one was called `` Hill Street Blues the., was a guy named Flannery who was going to get swept up in it Spano and... More of the Best-Written TV shows Ever ] the part, had played mostly Bad guys a walks! ) that 's actors for you ' ] made a decision that it was,. The martinet head of the Best-Written TV shows Ever ] seen the light day. Established hit short when his car was struck by a drunk driver industry I not. You May not know passed away from cancer in 1990 a bit reticent when comes. I know I 'm just Old ' ] as Kiel Urban Mueller be fun died... Special guest to hear it and started jumping up and down, '' in 1983 on Laverne &,! Intensely creative, if you can help there that it was the writers Guild 's List of drama! Shady detective Johnny J.D. Johnny J.D. television series Hill Street Blues. `` via Los Angeles Times.. Writers and more website or contact SAMHSA 's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP 4357... 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