NYPD Blue is a cop show were personal lifes of characters are far more important than complexity of cases they solve. No real Agatha Christie who-dunit plots here, cases are solved almost on a domino effect: man has been shot in bed with his mistress, wife did it. Gang member is shot in a drive by, some snitch is going to give in a vital information, etc. Interrogation scenes are on a much higher level, although more or less following the same pattern, but they feel very realistic. But what makes this show great is personal struggles, loves, loses, ups and downs, going on all the time, egsisting in the parallel with everyday cop work. Stronghold of the show during last ten years has been Andy Sipowicz, aging detective masterfully played by Dennis Franz (who won 4 Emmys, Golden Globe and 2 SAG's for role in this series). His character went throu a lot during the shows run - most gripping plots included him making peace with estranged son, only to see him shot during a robbery, and constant fight with his bigotry and hate towards colored people (must see Backboard Jungle episode from season 3, arguably the finest hour of television I EVER saw). Later on it seemed he finally found his peace with his second wife Sylvia and newborn son Theo when boom: his best friend Simone dies from heart infection and Sylvia is shot. From that moment this gripping show became a soap-opera about Andy being single dad, about Theo getting sick, about attempt to reconcille with his first wife and than, they matched him romantically with a young beutiful blonde detective: YUCK! Show should have ended or in 1998 or in 1999, everything after that they trivialaising itself. Now season by season look. SEASON 1: Overall brilliant, inspired writing, great SEASON 2: David Caruso left and Jimmy Smits kicked in as Sip's partner and that put writers of the balance, just above par. SEASON 3: Had it's share of mediocre eppys, but almost as good as 1. SEASON 4: Some farfetched plots, nevertheless fine. SEASON 5: Started of as bad as 2, but produced a good end of the year. SEASON 6: Smits out Schroder in. Swansong of the show. SEASON 7,8,9,10: Slow and painfull downfall. Two-three new charchters per year appear, with Andy Sipowicz becames metaphysical presence and parody of himself as well. Still, one of 5 best shows of it's time.