Steven Bochco, The Creator Of “Hill Street Blues” And “NYPD Blue”, Dies At 74

Hollywood is mourning the death of a talented writer and producer, who created several TV shows that became iconic screen hits.

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Steven Bochco died Sunday morning after a tiring battle with leukemia. He was only 74 years old. A family spokesman Phillip Arnold commented:

Steven fought cancer with strength, courage, grace and his unsurpassed sense of humor. He died peacefully in his sleep with his family close by.

Throughout his successful career Bochco won 10 Emmy Awards and was a creative force behind hits like LA Law, NYPD Blue, and the Neil Patrick Harris ABC comedy-drama Doogie Howser, M.D. He also created the TNT drama Murder in the First.

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Hill Street Blues is a critics-acclaimed police drama that premiered on January 1981. It scored 27 Emmy nominations in its first year on the screen.

Bochco was born in New York to a painter and a concert violinist. He grew up in Manhattan along with his elder sister, actress Joanna Frank. After arriving in Los Angeles, he worked with Universal Studios, writing several series for them. His big break was a screenplay for the 1972 sci-fi film Silent Running.

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Steven had worked on television since he was 22 years old. He tells the story of his prolific career in his published memoir Truth Is a Total Defense: My Fifty Years in Television.

A lot of people in the industry paid tribute to Bochco on Twitter:

I was 28, married, & the father of a baby boy when the creator of ‘Hill St. Blues’ came to NYC to cast a show about minor league baseball. Steven Bochco gave me my first break on ‘Bay City Blues’ and brought me to Hollywood. I’m eternally grateful to him for my career. RIP boss.

— Ken Olin (@kenolin1) April 2, 2018

I will be forever grateful to Steven Bochco for the key to the lock that opened the door to a career. At the same time he taught me more about our humanity; our faults and strengths, how they survive side by side, despite our human insistence on seeing them as opposing forces.

— Corbin Bernsen (@corbinbernsen) April 2, 2018

It was his vision, style, taste and tenacity that made me love watching TV. It was being on #NYPDBlue that made me love working on TV. Thank you and rest well Steven Bochco. You were one of a kind. https://t.co/jTqhyAuO0k

— Sharon Lawrence (@sharonlawrence) April 2, 2018

So sad to hear of Steven Bochco’s passing. He was a pioneer, a gentleman, and gave me my first job in prime time tv. Rest well, sir. You will be missed. #RIP

— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) April 2, 2018

His incredible talent and iconic creations will never be forgotten.

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