gun homicide life street gun second season premiere american police drama television series homicide life street tenth overall episode series originally aired nbc united_states january episode baltimore homicide unit investigates shooting death wife tourist played guest star episode written based story executive producer directed response network feedback poor ratings season gun marked changes series including bleak visual style greater focus plot multiple episode focus primarily homicide victim detectives simon felt dialogue realistic especially dark humor employed detectives mechanism dealing job williams previously worked homicide executive producer films good morning vietnam toys led speculation williams took role gun favor actor insisted admiration series young son episode director makes appearance williams son episode feature music coordinator resulted use songs previous episodes including killer seal feels like rain gun seen million viewers highest nielsen ratings week thanks large interest williams appearance episode received generally positive reviews particularly complimenting dramatic performance williams gun won writers guild america award best screenplay episodic drama williams received nomination drama series episode rest second seasons homicide life street released dvd united_states plot summary investigate murder iowa woman shot death husband young children stick victims tourists case red ball receives considerable attention press city officials police brass tries interview young children stops protesting experience hard obtaining information street police arrest possesses caliber bullets matching shooting making jokes investigation overtime receive angrily demands thrown case explaining police detached victims encounter takes children hotel room daughter denial mother death son matt angrily refuses talk father police arrest second suspect named found possession murdered woman detectives question separately identifies shooter year old howard surprised learn clean criminal record family insists kill anybody arrested incident unable identify suspects remember faces sees wife body gets upset clothes wedding ring removed later returns ring admits feels guilty protecting wife stopping shooter asks hold gun know feels reluctantly agrees howard repeatedly questions believing acting fall guy friends says eventually writes letter apology closes case despite howard protests time investigate eventually pleads guilty insists serving life parole sentenced years prison tells howard feels comfort wife dead howard tries letter refuses accept howard eventually speaks directly prison admits handled gun stick thought gun control situation prevent getting hurt said lost control robbery insists needs serve life sentence devastated howard finally agrees opinion shooter production despite critical acclaim homicide life street suffered poor ratings season prompting nbc consider taking air episode season network approved episodes second season trial run determine continue cancel script gun completed season ended nbc executives asked including involved plots fewer camera movements approving second season attempt network improve ratings executive producers sought subtle changes stronger mainstream appeal aiming compromise integrity originality gun producers slightly toned bleak visual style hand held photography motif episode focus single story multiple felt allowed writers tell main story better said changes series experimenting episodes try new tend breaking ground people watching colors lighting slightly brighter camera movements gun marked episode director photography scene depicts moments immediately shooting shots family tourist attractions baltimore shots shooters playing basketball following family photography depicts different sides baltimore presenting family shots like cheerful tourist advertisement shots presenting image city gun marked episode new time slot occupying period previously filled previously aired regularly defeated ratings abc comedy gun written based story directed feature director best known films television script written mills previously worked reporter friends simon studying journalism mills said gun script inspired quit journalism golden opportunity didn know developed bad habits newspaper feature writer stretch project fill available time gun served departure previous homicide life street episodes focusing strongly murder victim detectives simon felt script dialogue particularly detectives use dark humor mechanism dealing homicide unit faithful reality particularly cited scene talking overtime expected simon said conversation happen happen homicide unit america saw actually acted got real kick pants thought homicide detectives watching cracking know true gun originally meant serve second season finale nbc decided season premiere hopes getting increased ratings guest appearance williams portrayed husband slain woman tourist news sources indicated williams took role favor homicide executive producer directed williams films good morning vietnam toys said williams agreed based actor positive impression general gun script particular said williams read script responded instantly said want prepared gentleman worked tail experience joy williams said visually different television williams primarily known comedic work homicide producers williams consciously decided remain true original script rejecting idea adding humor jokes episode williams scenes filmed days actors found emotionally draining said williams worked like dog special event intense year old son episode director stephen earliest acting performances gun matt young son williams homicide regular acquainted hbo comedy special appeared acted joked filming takes williams dramatic scenes episode featured actor worked primarily washington area music gun episode feature music coordinator music featured previous episodes opening scene song killer seal plays brief montage images preparing rob family arrested wearing listening public enemy song song chinese plays scene police simultaneously interview feels like rain blues guitarist singer plays howard arrives talk leaves talking episode final scene song don start blues harmonica player featured episode fan funk band episode references group result episode title derives band song gun endangered species scene criminal claims shot destruction rare record member additionally street characters named reception ratings original american broadcast january gun seen million viewers higher usual homicide life street rating large interest williams appearance received nielsen rating share highest rating drama series january rating placed homicide network television nielsen ratings week ratings normally filled thursday timeslot president said ratings far exceeded expectations said expected series return season viewership remained strong said homicide ratings outstanding numbers dramatic television series reasonable level audience believe work believe creative team think outstanding ensemble cast television like continued signs life reviews gun received generally positive reviews identified best episodes series sun writer said direction good film called script ambitious scripts year chicago_sun-times gave episode highest rating stars called williams portrayal piercing dramatic performance said hour gun says firearms urban crime victims racial politics congressman trying blame television violent society entertainment_weekly critic ken_tucker complimented episode noting don let williams distract real stuff brilliantly murder investigation scenes exceptional performances homicide detective television critic kate hare praised gun focusing characterization dialogue action said episode mix intense emotion police work humorous detectives gun philosophy homicide author homicide life street unofficial companion called episode williams performed probably finest performance philadelphia_inquirer television critic lauded cast visual art camera realistic nearly literary dialogue gun writer praised unexpectedly understated performance williams praised episode simple formulaic suggested viewers crime victims particularly moved script television critic miami herald called episode hour highest order network said williams scene praised script racing topics television shows taking measure weight grief television critic corpus times described williams performance heartbreaking particularly praised writers taking higher level making sympathetic dimensional victim liner said succeeds characters sides tragedy called episode brilliant praised focusing crime effects realistic portrayals race concerns crime away white tourists said occasionally said good sermon need amazing powerful come adam daily variety praised cast confusion conveyed direction themes police victims rights dysfunctional families script washington_post writer called williams performance poignant called fact actors tribute quality cast connor new_york_times called episode extraordinary said incident captured writer praised williams controlled performance terrific scenes said explanation police use humor jobs scene detectives simultaneously suspects different rooms said choreographed tightly ballet reviews positive dallas morning news writer called williams overly transparent effort grief victims survivors said episode works overtime world like bleak scary place bark said target charges racism making murderers black credited script making perpetrators sympathetic washington_post said writers try little hard create sympathy murder suspects episode suffers absence actor plays praised williams performance said episode particularly powerful actual violence screen columnist called episode irritating pointless killing particularly criticized script said overly eyed particularly extended moments williams talking shooting later article said written column generated response gun addition responses angry fans received said simply wanted insight specifically didn like writers improve performance gun list best guest star moments television history compiled april awards gun won writers guild america award best screenplay episodic drama defeated competing episodes second season homicide episode thing received nomination drama series emmy nomination homicide life street received 46th primetime emmy awards series received nominations previous year williams lost award performance cbs drama series picket fences nominees dvd release gun rest second season episodes included dvd box set homicide life street complete seasons released
Bop Gun (Homicide: Life on the Street)