The first squad of detectives was led by Lieutenant Arthur Fancy (James McDaniel), a tough but fair boss who stood by his people for eight long years. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) was there, battling alcoholism and narrowly dodging a bullet. Back then he was not the lead character he has grown into. That was his partner, John Kelly (David Caruso), a cop who was looked up to by every other cop on the force, whether you agreed with him or not. Even though he was a good cop, Kelly had troubles at home. In the first few episodes it was established that his spouse Laura (Sherry Stringfield) could no longer live with him, and although she left him she ended up working with him for a while as a lawyer with the District Attorney's office. Soon Kelly was looking for another soft shoulder to lay his head, and it appeared in the form of Officer Janice Licalsi (Amy Brennerman). But that relationship was also not to be. Around the same time Kelly left the force Licalsi was transferred, never to be seen on the show again. Detectives Greg Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and James Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) were a stalwart, if not bumbling, support team. P.A.A. Donna Abandando (Gail O'Grady) provided some bright color in an otherwise drab and dry environment. As a squad they stood by each other through thick and thin, often protecting themselves from one another as well as from outside forces.

Eight years later Blue remains as popular as ever. Bochco and his team of writers have honed and tightened the mechanism of the ensemble drama to Swiss clockwork perfection, which is no mean feat with less than 50 minutes to tell your story. Of the original cast only one remains; Andy Sipowicz. John Kelly's departure stunned the other cast members and a loyal following of true Blue fans. Everyone wondered if the show would survive, and if so, who would take Kelly's place. By this time Sipowicz had grown into a stronger character, equal in stature to the typical pretty boy leader of the squad, whoever it would become. Jimmy Smits would try to fill that position as Detective Bobby Simone, stamped with an easy ticket to the detective's shield through his "security" work in the Mayor's office. Soon the tall, confident Simone made us forget there ever was a cop named Kelly working the squad. Sipowicz continued to battle with alcoholism until he finally put his craving to rest. He married a prosecuting attorney, Sylvia Costas (Sharon Lawrence), had a son, lost his grown son from his first marriage, and then lost Sylvia to some whacko's bullet in a tense courtroom scene. But Sipowicz found the courage he needed to survive in the shining spirit of his new son Theo (Austin Majors).

Bobby Simone wooed the beautiful Detective Diane Russell (Kim Delaney), finally winning her heart before losing his own life in a prolonged series of episodes which put the squad and every viewer through the wringer. When fresh-faced Danny Sorenson (Rick Schroeder) was transferred over from Narcotics, we all waited to see how this child actor would do, following in the footsteps of such strong leading male types. We also wondered if he would try to win the very independent and radiant Detective Russell. There were obviously sparks between the two, but each continues to have their own devils to deal with. And Danny was just starting out in a new relationship with another officer, Mary Franco (Sheeri Rapaport), who was undeniably the better match for him. But Danny is nothing if not strong-willed, and his desire for Russell was just too much. Eventually, Sorenson and Russell tried to have a fling, but it would not take, and Sorenson became so childish he almost lost his job.

Over the years thers came and went: Detective Adrienne Lesniak (Justine Miceli) was replaced by Detective Jill Kirkendall (Andrea Thompson), who was most recently replaced by Detective Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross, Showtime's Beggars And Choosers). Ms. Abandando was eventually replaced by John Irvin (Bill Brochtrup), or "Gay John," as Andy calls him. Martinez was replaced by Detective Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons). Sylvia Costas-Sipowicz was replaced by Assistant District Attorney Valerie Heywood (Garcelle Beauvais). And finally Lieutenant Fancy was replaced by Lieutenant Tony Rodriquez (Esai Morales, La Bamba), a living legend in Narcotics. Still, the squad carries on.

The new crowd are a promising crew. The construct of the squad seems solid in its current form. All the elements appear to mesh as we go forth toward seasons nine, ten, and however much further Bochco and company will carry it. With the demise of Homicide: Life On The Street, there aren't many cop shows of this caliber left. The Job, starring Denis Leary - and another product of the marriage of ABC and Disney - also shows great promise. But the network has only purchased six episodes and they're waiting to see if the franchise "has legs," as they say in the biz.

Until something better comes along, and it would have to be one Hell of a creation, NYPD Blue remains the best drama on television. I can't wait for the next episode. Not to mention the next season.

Del Harvey, founder of FM, is a veteran of The Directors Guild Of America, The Walt Disney Co., and Lucasfilm.

Got a problem? Email Del at filmmonthly@hotmail.com