Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
All-time great detective series has violence, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Homicide: Life on the Street
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Homicide: Life on the Street takes place in the homicide unit of the Baltimore Police Department, as detectives attempt to solve murders throughout the city.
Is It Any Good?
One of the best, most groundbreaking series of the 90s is still as good or better than most contemporary shows. Homicide: Life on the Streets, based on the book Homicide: A Year in the Killing Streets by David Simon, was an early innovator for many of the style elements that later became television staples: handheld cameras, torn-from-the-headline plots, jumpcut editing, deeply diverse casting, use of pop music, and pulling legendary actors like Ned Beatty and Yaphet Kotto from the world of film. But none of those innovations would matter without the show's incredible writing, characters, and performances.
A significant group of Homicide's creative team later went on to make arguably the best show of all time, The Wire. Homicide is a little more rough around the edges, as its creators are experimenting and finding their voices. But in terms of shows that present dynamic issues with complexity and compassion, Homicide remains one of the absolute best.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about policework. How does Homicide depict police procedure? What's unique about this depiction of a police department? How accurate do you think the show is?
How is race discussed on Homicide? How do the characters' racial identities inform their actions and dialogue? What are some differences between how Homicide depicts race and how race is depicted in more contemporary TV shows?
How does Homicide depict the drug trade? How does the series depict the violence involved in the drug trade? Why was this important in the 90s? How might it be depicted differently in contemporary television?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 31, 1993
- Cast : Andre Braugher , Yaphet Kotto , Richard Belzer
- Network : Peacock
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : August 12, 2024
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