Homicide: Life on the Street

Homicide: Life on the Street

Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Police Department's Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons (122 episodes) on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by Homicide: The Movie, which also acted as the de facto series finale. The series was originally based on David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. Many of the characters and stories used throughout the show were based on events depicted in the book. While Homicide featured an ensemble cast, Andre Braugher emerged as a breakout star through his portrayal of Detective Frank Pembleton. The show won Television Critics Association Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Drama in 1996, 1997, and 1998. It also became the first drama ever to win three Peabody Awards for drama in 1993, 1995, and 1997. It received recognition from the Primetime Emmy Awards, Satellite Awards, Image Awards, Viewers for Quality Television, GLAAD Media Awards and Young Artist Awards. In 1997, the episode "Prison Riot" was ranked No. 32 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2007, it was listed as one of Time magazine's "Best TV Shows of All-TIME." In 1996, TV Guide named the series 'The Best Show You're Not Watching'. The show placed #46 on Entertainment Weekly's "New TV Classics" list. In 2013, TV Guide ranked it #55 on its list of the 60 Best Series of All Time.

Year:
1993
2,273 Views

Det. Meldrick Lewis:
[Two Baltimore homicide, Detectives Steve Crosetti & Meldrick Lewis walk slowly along a street with Belgian block pavers along the waterfront of Fells Point. Both detectives are walking slowly, heads down, searching for a murder weapon that was recently fired. Another name has been added to the Baltimore city homicide tally. They illuminate their path with flashlights. The area has grown quiet now that the bar patrons are now home and tucked in for the night. Lewis longs to be there himself] Meldrick: If I could just find this damn thing, I could go home.

Det. Steve Crosetti:
Life is a mystery. Just accept it.

Det. Meldrick Lewis:
You're in your own world, Crosetti.

[Crosetti lights a cigarette that has been dangling out of his mouth]

Det. Steve Crosetti:
The quest for life... not finding... looking. I read about it in this book.

Det. Meldrick Lewis:
Now, since when did you ever read a book?

Det. Steve Crosetti:
I read this book... an excerpt in this book.

Det. Meldrick Lewis:
You see? That's what I'm sayin', man. You said you read a book but you didn't read nothing but an excerpt.

Det. Steve Crosetti:
It says you never find what you're looking for because the whole point is looking for it. So, if you find it, it defeats its own purpose.

Det. Meldrick Lewis:
Y'know you're in your own little world because don't no body else wants to live in there with you.

Det. Steve Crosetti:
You try to explain everything, ya know, but there are things you cannot explain.

[Meldrick pointing his flashlight upward at Crosetti's face, casting an eerie glow]

Det. Meldrick Lewis:
Y'know what you are, man? You are a little fat head guinea,you know that? A little Italian Salami-brain.

Det. Steve Crosetti:
You're gonna regret that.

Det. Meldrick Lewis:
Man, let's c'mon back and look for this projectile tomorrow, alright?

Det. Steve Crosetti:
All right.

[Mike Logan is transporting a prisoner from New York to Baltimore, where he is greeted by Pembleton]

NYPD Det. Mike Logan:
Detective Frank Pembleton? Mike Logan, NYPD. This is your prisoner, R. Vincent Smith.

Det. Frank Pembleton:
So, whenever you decide to show up, I'm supposed to be here?

NYPD Det. Mike Logan:
Hey, you're on the clock same as me, what difference does it make?

Det. Frank Pembleton:
Typical Big Apple attitude.

NYPD Det. Mike Logan:
Anyway, Mr. Smith here has agreed to waive extradition on a felony warrant for second-degree murder. So they call this Charm City, huh? Sounds like something you get out of a box of Cracker Jacks. Who'd want to stay in this land of enchantment?

Det. Frank Pembleton:
Plenty of New Yorkers *ran* down here to Baltimore. Dorothy Parker, for example.

NYPD Det. Mike Logan:
Dorothy who?

R. Vincent Smith:
Parker, you illiterate. [Logan slaps the back of Smith's head]

Det. Frank Pembleton:
Dorothy Parker was the wittiest woman in America. The *toast* of Manhattan. She dies, she's cremated. Her ashes sit in a jar in some Wall Street lawyer's office for twenty years - *twenty years* - while all the New York sophisticates ham and haw, 'whatsoever shall we do with poor Dorothy's ashes?' And where does she end up? Baltimore!

NYPD Det. Mike Logan:
I got two words for you guys. Babe Ruth. The Babe. King of Swing, Sultan of Swat, born right here in Baltimore. But where does he go to get his fame and fortune? New York City.

R. Vincent Smith:
Edgar Allen Poe. Edgar Allen Poe hated New York so much he had to come to Baltimore to die! That's what New York does to its poets.

NYPD Det. Mike Logan:
What did he die of, the local crab cakes? Enjoy your stay, Shakespeare.

Det. Frank Pembleton:
You're going to jail for this murder. But thank your lucky stars it's not gonna be in New York.

R. Vincent Smith:
Why do you think I didn't fight extradition? I may be guilty, but I'm no fool.

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
Let me get this clear in my mind: what you want me to do is section off a non-smoking area for the two of you, right?

Sgt. Kay Howard:
Not just for the two of us; for many non-smokers.

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
Uh-huh. Where are all these non-smokers?

Sgt. Kay Howard:
If you build it, they will come.

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
Is that right? Where do you suggest I find the space to create... to build this non-nicotine field of dreams? The coffee room? Would that suit you?

Sgt. Kay Howard:
You'd give us the coffee room?

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
Sure. I give you permission to post a notice. YOU put up a sign to ban all cigarette smoking in the coffee room.

Det. Tim Bayliss:
No, I think that the coffee room is sacred to the guys, Gee.

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
You're not as dumb as you look, Bayliss.

Det. Tim Bayliss:
[Genuinely touched] Thanks, Gee.

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
Coffee and nicotine, mom and apple pie, hot dogs with mustard, sex and latex... somehow, you mess with any of the combination of those, you take your life in your hands.

Sgt. Kay Howard:
There's a statute from OSHA that mandates that no smoking areas be designated in each and every public working place.

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
[Chuckling] Oh, OSHA, huh? All right. There are federal statutes and state statutes and city statutes mandating that people curb their dogs, play their stereos at a reasonable volume, and respect the office of the presidency, but who cares about any of that? [Chuckles] OSHA.

Sgt. Kay Howard:
You refuse to enforce a federal law?

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
Yes, I do. I most certainly do.

Sgt. Kay Howard:
Gee, sometimes being in command means issuing unpopular orders.

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
Are you calling me a coward?

Det. Tim Bayliss:
No no no no no, sir.

Sgt. Kay Howard:
No.

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
Sure, you are.

Sgt. Kay Howard:
No, I'm not. I...

Lt. Al 'Gee' Giardello:
In so many words you're saying I'm too scared to put up a cigarette ban in this squadroom. I watched Crosetti try to quit smoking. Crosetti without smoking is an unecessary terror. You may be right: I may be a coward. But you may be right and needlessly stupid and reckless at the same time. Now, get out of here, both of you.


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