Homicide: Life On the Street, a classic TV show known for its suspense, drama, and action was premiered in 1993 on NBC. This fantastic TV show was so full of thrills that many times viewers were left at the edge of their seats because of the mystery and action. Fans of this show may or may not be aware of the truth that it was based on chronicles of actual crimes, and most of the episodes revolved around real-life characters and stories.
If you are also a fan of the show, then you will love to know these interesting facts about it that you might have never heard of:
The Series Is Based On a Book
The show is not a work of fiction – it is based on the records of detective work recording by a reporter from Baltimore Sun, David Simon. The series portrays the hard work and high action police work done by the Homicide Unit of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
Simon worked side by side for years with the Baltimore Police Department’s Homicide Unit before commencing the work on the book. During these years, he followed the detectives’ cases as they performed investigations. 567 murders happened in Baltimore during the time he wrote the book (1989 to 1990).
Demystifying the American detective
The author of this series, David Simon, explained the real reason behind his work that it was to unveil the reality of American detective. In his opinion, the detectives and their work are portrayed incorrectly by both media and society in general.
He said that people always think of detectives as noble people trying to protect their victims and have deep compassion for others. He aimed in this show that this is not always the case as most detectives considered violence the only way to do their everyday jobs.
The Series Made It to the Big Screen
Many fans of this show didn’t realize that Homicide: Life on the street made it to the big screen, after enjoying seven long years on the silver screen. The series’ first episode was released on January 31, 1993, and the series was concluded in 1999. However, it made a brief comeback in 2000 as Homicide: The Movie. In this amazing spin-off, most cast members from the series were given an amazing opportunity to shine on the big screen.
Homicide: Life on the Street X Law & Order
Both Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order were crime series and aired at the same time. These two series enjoyed great success and earned significant respect in the entertainment industry. On several events, Homicide: Life on the Street teamed up with Law & Order in terms of themes and narratives. This pair-up made the two series best in every regard.
Real Criminal Vs Fake Cops
Most viewers don’t know about this amazing story that happened on the set of Homicide: Life on the Street in 1993. According to reports, a real criminal, who was on the run from the Baltimore Police Department, entered the set and surrendered himself to the actors who were in uniform. The actors were that convincing!
The Black Widow
Every viewer of the show knows the story of The Black Widow, an old woman who had the blood of more than one victim on her hands. What these viewers might not know is that the episode was based on true events of the case of Geraldine Parrish.
Geraldine was a woman who made money by taking out insurance policies on her five husbands. She arranged their murders and kept two of their bodies in her home.
Your Main Guy, Richard Belzer
The fans of the series must remember Richard Belzer – he was the guy who appeared in 119 of the 122 episodes of the show. Richard Belzer was played by John Munch, and his character seemed to be the person who glued the whole presentation together. Although every fan of the show has their favorites among the cast and crew, Richard Belzer was the only guy who appeared on the show more than anybody else.
The only three episodes he wasn’t included in were:
- The Damage Done
- Lines of Fire
- The Subway
Much Attention Was Given To the Details in the Show
The directors of the show made sure that each episode receives attention to detail. Although most viewers loved the show for its amazing and mysterious events, many didn’t realize to what extent the details were included. For instance, the door number of Lieutenant Giardello was 209, the same as the case number of the series’ most popular homicide case, involving Adena Watson.
Although these subtle details seem to be coincidental, directors of the show have assured to the viewers that the number ‘209’ was put on the door on purpose.
Steve Crosetti
A much-loved character of the series, Steve Crossetti, never experienced the real fun of being in the limelight in the show as other detectives. Although the viewers of the show loved his work, they never got to see him be the brass in any investigation. Five of his cases in the first three seasons were alluded to in the narrative. However, fans never watched him unfold the investigations as other detectives in the show.
In short, his cases are worked into the narrative in the best way, but he didn’t feature quite in the limelight.
A Real Detective
Homicide: Life on the Street was based on the detectives and their investigations, but did you know that among the actor detectives, there was a real detective as well? One of the charterers in the show was played by a real detective from the Baltimore Police Department’s Homicide Unit. Al Giardello was based on Gary D’Addario.