PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET: A REUNION {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in New York. This evening celebrates "Homicide: Life on the Street," the dramatic police series about a department of reflective homicide detectives in Baltimore, Maryland, based on the nonfiction book by journalist David Simon, which ran from 1993-1999.
The evening opens with a series of clips spanning the series' seven seasons, after which host David Bushman (curator, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and introduces Courtney Kemp (producer/writer/creator, "Power"). Kemp moderates the following panelists: producer/writer/author David Simon; co-executive producer/writer Julie Martin; producer/writer Anya Epstein; executive producer/writer Tom Fontana; executive producer/director/writer Barry Levinson; and cast members Richard Belzer (Detective John Munch), Andre Braugher (Detective Frank Pembleton) and Clark Johnson (Detective Meldrick Lewis).
The panelists touch on such topics as: Simon's decision to write the book based on his year with the Baltimore Police Department Homicide Department; why the show's title was altered from the harsher book title, "A Year on the Killing Streets"; Levinson's initial plan to adapt the book into a feature film, then changed to a series; shooting on 16 millimeter film in order to afford lensing actual Baltimore locations; the writers' interest in creating an understated, character-based show with "no car chases," with the exception of the more action-packed two-part 1998 episode "Kellerman, P.I.," in which the detectives travel to Florida; casting the "off-center" Detective Munch, including Belzer's memories of covertly watching his rivals' audition tapes; NBC's lack of casting approval and hopes for "a real hunk" in the cast; Braugher's interest in the show's matter-of-fact diversity, engineered to accurately reflect Baltimore; the unorthodox 1993 episode "Three Men and Adena," which takes place almost entirely inside one police interrogation room; the memorable 1997 episode "Subway," inspired by a story seen on "Taxicab Confessions" by supervising producer/writer James Yoshimura; meticulous line producer Jim Finnerty's concerns about the expenses of the episode; Braugher's fondness for the 1993 episode "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," in which several of the detectives attempt to quit cigarettes; Belzer's preference for the pilot and its complex introductions of many characters; Epstein's memories of meeting husband Dan Futterman on the 1999 episode "A Case of Do or Die," in which he played a dead woman's grieving fiancé; the true story behind the racially themed 1999 episode "Shades of Gray," including actor Marco St. John's fibs about his bus-driving abilities; a funny story about a real criminal who "surrendered" to Belzer and Johnson; the network's discomfort with the show's grim plot, unconventional storytelling, and lack of "victories" for the detectives, including the challenge of creating eye-catching promos for the episodes; Levinson and Fontana's regrets about adding more color to the visuals after season one; Braugher's interest in the acting challenge of Pembleton's stroke at the end of the fourth season and throughout the fifth; positive responses to the show's authenticity from real police members and Baltimore natives; the series as a "training ground" for up-and-coming directors, including Johnson; and how the inexperienced Simon learned about filmmaking on the set, including the perils of switching actors' lines.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: late actor Jon Polito's role as Detective Steve Crosetti in the first and second seasons and his appearance in "Homicide: The Movie" (2000) after his off-screen suicide in season three; Robin Williams' role in the second season premiere "Bop Gun"; Braugher's realization of the show's unique nature and cast full of "misfits"; a surprisingly funny cut of the first episode; Belzer's appearances as Detective Munch on ten different television series; the ever-shifting cast and large number of guest stars; how Pembleton and Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor) gradually "changed places" in their outlooks and senses of morality; the use of handheld cameras as initially "distracting" and then "liberating" for the actors, including the ability to shoot fewer takes and approach the dialogue like a play with active listening and responding; inspiration from the "raggedness" of French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard's films; and why they are all now "spoiled" by the positive working environment of "Homicide."
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 6:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 132166
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Bushman … Host
- Courtney Kemp … Moderator
- David Simon … Panelist
- Julie Martin … Panelist
- Anya Epstein … Panelist
- Richard Belzer … Panelist
- Clark Johnson … Panelist
- Andre Braugher … Panelist
- Tom Fontana … Panelist
- Barry Levinson … Panelist
- Jim Finnerty
- Dan Futterman
- Jean-Luc Godard
- Jon Polito
- Kyle Secor
- Marco St. John
- Robin Williams
- James Yoshimura