Peacock has just added one of the greatest crime series of all time to its library: “Homicide” Life on the Street.
If you’re my age (32) or younger, you may not be familiar with this legendary series. The seventh and final season ended in 1999, and while it aired on a few networks, it’s been notoriously hard to find. Physical releases have been sporadic, and until now, it hasn’t been available on any streaming services. So unless your parents were excited about the show or watched reruns, you may never have seen it.
Luckily, Peacock has now fixed this glaring mistake. And after reading this, I'm sure you'll want to start binge-watching all seven seasons right away.
The influence of 'Homicide' Life on the Street is still felt today — and it's a must-see TV show
“Homicide” Life on the Street” chronicles the (fictional) work of the Baltimore, Maryland Police Department's homicide unit. Like many crime series, it features a large cast, but the performances of Richard Belzer as Detective John Munch and Andre Braugher as Detective Frank Pembleton really stand out.
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If this synopsis made you say, “Wait a second…”, it’s probably because you’ve heard of this premise before, as it’s similar to “The Wire.” And you’d be right to think that, as “Homicide: Life on the Street” is based on the book “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets” by David Simon, who went on to create “The Wire.”
Or maybe it sounded familiar because… you hadn't seen a series starring Belzer as Detective Munch? Yes, you probably have, because Belzer's performance as Munch continued after “Homicide: Life on the Streets” in another famous detective series – “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” Between the two series, he played the character regularly for 22 seasons on television.
And of course, let's not forget Andre Braugher, whose performance as Detective Frank Pembleton became the show's signature character. Not only did he win an Emmy for his portrayal of the acerbic homicide detective, but he went on to play another cop, Capt. Raymond Holt, on the comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” winning two more Emmys.
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When I tell you that the influence of “Homicide: Life on the Street” is still felt today, I mean that influence. And I'm not even talking about the show's many accolades, including Peabody Awards, Emmys, Directors Guild of America Awards and more. Or the multiple publications that rank it among the best television series of all time.
Nor does it mention the many personalities who have been involved with the series, from executive producers Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana to actors Steve Buscemi (DGA nominee for directing the episode “Finnegan's Wake”), Robin Williams (Emmy nomination for the episode “Bop Gun”), Lily Tomlin (Emmy nomination for the episode “The Hat”) and Vincent D'Onofrio (Emmy nomination for the episode “Subway”).
A lot of people use the phrase “must-see” — myself included. But I promise you, when that phrase is used to refer to “Homicide: Life on the Street,” it’s not an exaggeration. If you don’t believe me, at least trust Rotten Tomatoes. The show holds a 91% “fresh” rating on the platform, with the first two seasons earning a perfect 100% score.
Watch all seven seasons of “Homicide: Life on the Street” on Peacock NOW