bochco: we wanted to make a show that made you participate, made you pay attention. i think that worked pretty well. and the winner is... "hill street blues." [ cheers and applause ] bochco: we got 21 nominations and we went on to win eight emmys and it put us on the map, literally. and that's when people finally checked us out. tartikoff: the programming chief of one of the networks used to say to me about shows like "hill street" and "st. elsewhere," what the american public wants is a cheeseburger and what you're trying to give them is a french delicacy. and he said, your job is to keep shoving it down their throat until after a while they'll say, "that doesn't taste bad." and maybe they'll even order it themselves when they go to the restaurant. nice of you to join us dr. morrison. connelly: the success of "hill street blues" is a critical phenomenon, influenced everything that came after. and then, of course, you saw shows like "st. elsewhere." do you know what people call this place? not st. eligius. st. elsewhere. a place you wouldn't want to send your mother-

. - ♪ and let's be careful out there ♪ - at the time, steven bochco was a very successful producer ofd to try something brand-new. - this is the police! we have a warrant for your arrest! - hit it! - you have ten seconds to open this door! - and so his idea was to combine a gritty cop show with a broadway musical. [hip-hop music] - i saw one in which a bunch of gangbangers were in jail. and they began to sing... ♪ life in the hood ain't no pizza pie ♪ ♪ everybody die when the bullets fly ♪ all: ♪ life in the hood ain't no piece of pie ♪ ♪ anybody could die when the bullets fly ♪ - and i said, "wait a minute. hold on, wait a minute." ♪ ♪ - and i thought, well, this is it. this is gonna be great. this is gonna be as innovative as anything i've ever done. - ♪ he's guilty, judge, he's guilty ♪ ♪ you could see it in his eyes ♪ ♪ he did the crime and now he's gotta pay ♪ - merp. [laughs] i mean, it just-- it circled the drain. [groovy rock music] - i will give credit to anybody who goes outside the box and swings really hard for the fences. - ♪ i worked real hard ♪ ♪ and i got my education