Let´s be careful out there

"Hill Street Blues" (HSB) was a successful American TV series during the 1980's. The series is set in an anonymous American city, where a group of police officers fight a never ending battle with street gangs, common criminals and corruption in their own ranks. Above all, they fight with themselves and their personal problems. Characters include police chief Frank Furillo, his rival and lover Joyce Davenport, officers Goldblume, Renko and Washington, and the undercover agent Belker. The series became an international success, but seems to be almost forgotten today.

HSB was aired on Swedish television during my high school years. I only remember bits and pieces of it, mostly the weird parts (remember the transvestite who becomes a judge?). Most of all, I remember the reactions of other people to the series.

My grandmother considered it a comic show, and laughed at all episodes, including the serious ones. She even called the series "The Comedy". My father nicknamed Goldblume "Daniel Ortega" after the then-president of Nicaragua. I mean, the similarity is striking. My buddies at school loved and often imitated Belker, and there was even a kind of hat known as "the Belker hat". And, of course, many people have used the expression "Hey, hey, let's be careful out there", used by one of the characters in the show.

Personally, I hated HSB until I took a clue from my grandma, learning to watch it as a comedy. Indeed, it *does* contain a lot of funny situations and twists: the tough and perfect Frank Furillo turns out to be member of the AA, Belker goes undercover as a chicken, Captain Freedom does a parody of Rambo, and the gang leader Jesus Martinez becomes a lawyer. Did I mention the transvestite judge? There are also characters that are involuntarily comic, such as the SWAT commander Hunter (who reminds me of Donald Duck). Overall, however, I think HSB is pretty depressive and claustrophobic. You do get the feeling that crime, corruption and personal problems will never cease. Don't watch this if you're into positive thinking!
And hey, let's be careful out there! ;-)