Hill Street Blues is an American drama series that aired on NBC from January 15, 1981 until May 12, 1987. It was nominated for a variety of different awards and holds several notable all-time records. It was nominated for the most Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (16) and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (13), and won the most Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series (4) as well as most combined Outstanding Drama Series, Primetime Emmy for Drama Writing, and Primetime Emmy for Drama Directing (10). In addition to these all-time records, it holds the record for single season regular cast (Drama Lead Actor, Drama Supporting Actor, Drama Lead Actress, and Drama Supporting Actress) acting nominations (9), as well as being the only series to sweep all five nominations in the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in a single year. At the 35th Primetime Emmy Awards, it became the first of just two shows ever (NYPD Blue, 46th Primetime Emmy Awards) to sweep all five nominations for Primetime Emmy for Drama Writing.
Its pilot episode, "Hill Street Station," was the only episode in television history to win both Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Drama Series, as well as both Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Drama.
At the 33rd Primetime Emmy Awards in 1981, Season 1 earned a record-setting total for a weekly series of 21 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, which was not surpassed until NYPD Blue earned 26 in 1994 with its first season. Hill Street Blues set the record for most Emmy wins by a series' first season with eight, later matched by NYPD Blue, ER (in 1995), and finally surpassed by The West Wing (in 2000) with nine (also setting the record for any season). The West Wing, L.A. Law, and Mad Men share the record of four Outstanding Drama Series wins with Hill Street Blues. Nine regular cast Emmy nominations is a record also shared with The West Wing and L.A. Law.
Directors Guild of America Awards Year CategoryNominee(s) Episode Result1981 Outstanding Directing – Drama Series Robert Butler, Robert S. Mendelsohn, John Slosser, Carl Dubliclay "Hill Street Station" Georg Stanford Brown "Up in Arms" David Anspaugh "The Last White Man on East Ferry Avenue" 1982 David Anspaugh, Cal Naylor, Rick Wallace, Dale White, Jack Philbrick "Personal Foul" 1983 Jeff Bleckner, Sascha Schneider, Herb Adelman, Conrad Irving, Jack Philbrick "Life in the Minors" Christian I. Nyby II "Here's Adventure, Here's Romance" Corey Allen "Goodbye, Mr. Scripps" 1984 Thomas Carter, Burt Bluestein, Herb Adelman, Jack Philbrick "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall"
Edgar Awards Year CategoryNominee(s) Episode Result1982 Best Television Episode Steven Bochco, Michael Kozoll "Hill Street Station"
Emmy Awards
Primetime Emmy Awards Year Category Nominee(s) Episode Result 1981Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Robert Butler "Hill Street Station" Corey Allen "Jungle Madness" Georg Stanford Brown "Up In Arms" Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Michael Kozoll, Steven Bochco "Hill Street Station" Michael Kozoll, Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich "Jungle Madness" Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Barbara Babcock as Grace Gardner "Fecund Hand Rose" Veronica Hamel as Joyce Davenport Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Michael Conrad as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus Charles Haid as Officer Andy Renko Bruce Weitz as Detective Mick Belker Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Barbara Bosson as Fay Furillo Betty Thomas as Sgt. Lucille Bates Outstanding Drama SeriesSteven Bochco, Michael Kozoll, Gregory Hoblit 1982Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Jeff Bleckner "The World According to Freedom" Robert Butler "The Second Oldest Profession" Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich, Jeff Lewis, Michael Wagner, Michael Kozoll "Freedom's Last Stand" Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich, Robert Crais, Michael Kozoll "The Second Oldest Profession" Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich, Jeff Lewis, Michael Wagner "Personal Foul" Michael Wagner "The World According to Freedom" Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Veronica Hamel as Joyce Davenport Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Michael Conrad as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus Charles Haid as Officer Andy Renko Bruce Weitz as Detective Mick Belker Michael Warren as Officer Bobby Hill Taurean Blacque as Detective Neal Washington Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Barbara Bosson as Fay Furillo Betty Thomas as Sgt. Lucille Bates Outstanding Drama SeriesSteven Bochco, Gregory Hoblit, David Anspaugh, Anthony Yerkovich 1983Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Jeff Bleckner "Life in the Minors" Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series David Milch "Trial By Fury" Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich, Jeff Lewis "A Hair of the Dog" Karen Hall "Officer of the Year" Michael Wagner, David Milch, Steven Bochco, Anthony Yerkovich, Jeff Lewis "No Body's Perfect" Anthony Yerkovich, David Milch, Karen Hall, Steven Bochco, Jeff Lewis "Eugene's Comedy Empire Strikes Back" Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Veronica Hamel as Joyce Davenport Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Michael Conrad as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus Bruce Weitz as Detective Mick Belker Joe Spano as Sgt. Henry Goldblume Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Barbara Bosson as Fay Furillo Betty Thomas as Sgt. Lucille Bates Outstanding Drama SeriesSteven Bochco, Gregory Hoblit, Anthony Yerkovich, David Anspaugh, Scott Brazil 1984Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Corey Allen "Goodbye, Mr. Scripps" Thomas Carter "Midway to What?" Arthur Allan Seidelman "Doris in Wonderland" Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Jeff Lewis, Michael Wagner, Karen Hall, Mark Frost, Steven Bochco, David Milch "Grace Under Pressure" Peter Silverman, Steven Bochco, Jeff Lewis, David Milch "Doris in Wonderland" Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Veronica Hamel as Joyce Davenport Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Bruce Weitz as Detective Mick Belker Michael Conrad as Sgt. Phil Esterhaus James Sikking as Lt. Howard Hunter Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Alfre Woodard as Doris Robson "Doris in Wonderland". Barbara Bosson as Fay Furillo Betty Thomas as Sgt. Lucille Bates Outstanding Drama SeriesSteven Bochco, Gregory Hoblit, Scott Brazil, Jeff Lewis, Sascha Schneider, David J. Latt 1985Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Georg Stanford Brown "El Capitan" Thomas Carter "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall" Outstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesJacob Epstein, Michael Wagner "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall" Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Veronica Hamel as Joyce Davenport Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Bruce Weitz as Detective Mick Belker Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Betty Thomas as Sgt. Lucille Bates Barbara Bosson as Fay Furillo Outstanding Drama SeriesSteven Bochco, Gregory Hoblit, Scott Brazil, Jeff Lewis, David Milch 1986Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Gabrielle Beaumont "Two Easy Pieces" Outstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesDick Wolf "What Are Friends For?" Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Bruce Weitz as Detective Mick Belker Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Betty Thomas as Sgt. Lucille Bates Outstanding Drama SeriesJeff Lewis, David Milch, Scott Brazil, Michael Vittes, Walon Green, Penny Adams 1987Outstanding Writing for a Drama SeriesJeff Lewis, David Milch, John Romano "It Ain't Over Till It's Over" Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Betty Thomas as Sgt. Lucille Bates
Creative Arts Emmy Awards Year CategoryNominee(s) Episode Result1981 Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing Sam Horta, Bob Cornett, Denise Horta, Eileen Horta"Hill Street Station" Outstanding Cinematography for a Series William Cronjager "Hill Street Station" Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for a Series Clay Bartels "Jungle Madness" Ray Daniels, A. David Marshall "Hill Street Station" Tom Stevens "Rites of Spring" Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) Mike Post "Hill Street Station" Outstanding Art Direction for a Series Jeffrey L. Goldstein, Joseph A. Armetta "Hill Street Station" 1982 Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Mixing Bill Marky, Robert W. Glass Jr., Bill Nicholson, Howard Wilmarth "Personal Foul" Bill Marky, Don Cahn, Jim Cook, Robert L. Harman "The Second Oldest Profession" Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for a Series Andrew Chulack "Of Mouse and Man" Ray Daniels "The Second Oldest Profession" Outstanding Art Direction for a Series Jeffrey L. Goldstein, Jame Cane "Personal Foul" 1983 Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for a Series Ray Daniels "Phantom of the Hill" Sam Horta, Donald W. Ernst, Avram D. Gold, Eileen Horta, Constance A. Kazmer, Gary Krivacek "The Second Oldest Profession" Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series Bill Marky, John Asman, Bill Nicholson, Ken S. Polk "Trial By Fury" 1984 Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for a Series Ray Daniels "Parting is Such Sweep Sorrow" Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series David Schneiderman, John Asman, Bill Nicholson, Ken S. Polk "Parting is Such Sweep Sorrow" Bill Marky, John Asman, Bill Nicholson, Ken S. Polk "Praise Dilaudid" Outstanding Film Sound Editing for a Series Sam Horta, Denise Horta, Ted Johnston, Constance A. Kazmer, Gary Krivacek, David John West, Allan K. Rosen "Parting is Such Sweep Sorrow" 1985 Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series Sunny Meyer, John Asman, Bill Nicholson, Ken S. Polk "The Rise and Fall of Paul the Wall" James Pilcher, John Asman, Bill Nicholson, Ken S. Polk "Queen For a Day" 1986 Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series John 'Pee Wee' Carter, William Gazecki, Andy MacDonald, Bill Nicholson "Iced Coffey" Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series Gary Krivacek, Timothy J. Borquez, Mark R. Crookston, Bill Dannevick, Stephen Janisz, Mary Ruth Smith, Jerelyn J. Harding, Don Sanders "Two Easy Pieces" 1987 Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Series William Gazecki, Bill Nicholson, Peter Reale, Dean Vernon "It Ain't Over Till It's Over"
Golden Globe Awards Year CategoryNominee(s) Result1982 Best Actor – Television Drama Series Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo Best Television Series – Drama 1983 Best Actor – Television Drama Series Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo Best Television Series – Drama 1984 Best Actor – Television Drama Series Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo Best Television Series – Drama 1985 Best Actor – Television Drama Series Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Bruce Weitz as Detective Mick Belker Best Television Series – Drama 1986 Best Actor – Television Drama Series Daniel J. Travanti as Captain Frank Furillo Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Bruce Weitz as Detective Mick Belker
Humanitas Prize Year CategoryNominee(s) Episode Result1981 60 Minute Category Michael Kozoll, Steven Bochco 1982 Michael Wagner "The World According To Freedom" 1983 David Milch 1984 Peter Silverman 1985 David Milch, Roger Director, Steven Bochco, Jeffrey Lewis "Watt A Way To Go"