--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man, 'Hill Street Blues' was on when I…" description: "\"Man, 'Hill Street Blues' was on when I was 12, and I remember feeling I'd never seen anything like it. It was that far ahead of its time, with dark cha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b8/d-b-weiss-18501_blues_man-hill-street-blues-was-on-when-i-was_971340.jpg" --- # Man, 'Hill Street Blues' was on when I was 12, and I… ![“Man, 'Hill Street Blues' was on when I was 12, and I remember feeling I'd never seen anything like it. It was that far ahead of its time, with dark characters you loved. I remember Ed Marinaro, the football star.” quote by D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b8/d-b-weiss-18501_blues_man-hill-street-blues-was-on-when-i-was_971340.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b8/d-b-weiss-18501_blues_man-hill-street-blues-was-on-when-i-was_971340.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b8/d-b-weiss-18501_blues_man-hill-street-blues-was-on-when-i-was_971340.jpg) > “Man, 'Hill Street Blues' was on when I was 12, and I remember feeling I'd never seen anything like it. It was that far ahead of its time, with dark characters you loved. I remember Ed Marinaro, the football star.” [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The show was groundbreaking for its complex, morally ambiguous characters and serialized storytelling, influencing later dramas. **In simple terms:** Hill Street Blues set a new TV standard. Key Takeaway Study its narrative techniques. Themes television history character development innovation serial drama influence Mood nostalgic analytical Type critical historical When to use this quote - writing workshops - TV production - media analysis - creative inspiration Key Concepts media studies storytelling Questions to Reflect On - What elements made it feel ahead of its time? - How do modern shows compare? A Different Perspective Its impact varies by viewer generation and cultural context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) [Hill Street Blues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hill-street-blues/) [Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/street/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Man, 'Hill Street Blues' was on when I was 12, and I remember feeling I'd never seen anything like it. It was that far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/man-hill-street-blues-was-on-when-i-was-12-and-i-remember-feeling-i-d-2/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [All the great shows owe a lot to 'Hill Street Blues.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennie-james/all-the-great-shows-owe-a-lot-to-hill-street-blues/) [Lennie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennie-james/) > [I could fall asleep at 10:30 watching 'Hill Street Blues.' I might wake up at 1 A.M. and have a riff in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/i-could-fall-asleep-at-10-30-watching-hill-street-blues-i-might-wake/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [Hill Street Blues gave me an opportunity to work with an ensemble cast of people whose work I admired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-bochco/hill-street-blues-gave-me-an-opportunity-to-work-with-an-ensemble/) [Steven Bochco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-bochco/) > [I kind of got really, really into 'Hill Street Blues' when it came out. I used to leave a class early just to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pellegrino/i-kind-of-got-really-really-into-hill-street-blues-when-it-came-out-i/) [Mark Pellegrino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pellegrino/) > [I tend not to spend a lot of time looking in the rearview mirror. If you say, 'Oh, I did 'Hill Street Blues' or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-bochco/i-tend-not-to-spend-a-lot-of-time-looking-in-the-rearview-mirror-if/) [Steven Bochco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-bochco/) > [Hill Street Blues might have been the first television show that had a memory. One episode after another was part of a cumulative experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-bochco/hill-street-blues-might-have-been-the-first-television-show-that-had/) [Steven Bochco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-bochco/) > [My favorite television show of all time is 'Hill Street Blues.' I think it's the show that is to television what Pele was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennie-james/my-favorite-television-show-of-all-time-is-hill-street-blues-i-think/) [Lennie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennie-james/) > [“It’s better not to think of those things. Not to remember who ed been, or worse- who we’ve become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-karyus-quinn/it-s-better-not-to-think-of-those-things-not-to-remember-who-ed-been/) [Kate Karyus Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-karyus-quinn/) > [ “The fact he has some kind of bond with you is quite extraordinary", she \[Deep Throat's daughter\] said. "He doesn't remember Ed Miller and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/the-fact-he-has-some-kind-of-bond-with-you-is-quite-extraordinary-she/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [Privately, we always called 'Hill Street' 'Cop Soap.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-bochco/privately-we-always-called-hill-street-cop-soap/) [Steven Bochco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-bochco/) > ['Hill Street,' because of the wacky nature of many of our characters, really allowed us to indulge a kind of cheek-to-jowl juxtaposition of high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-bochco/hill-street-because-of-the-wacky-nature-of-many-of-our-characters/) [Steven Bochco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-bochco/) > [I do believe that we're in a true golden era of television, and I think it started with 'Hill Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-yost/i-do-believe-that-we-re-in-a-true-golden-era-of-television-and-i/) [Graham Yost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-yost/) > [It was fans... who understood 'Star Trek' and brought it back to life. 'Hill Street Blues,' 'The Paper Chase,' and 'Til Fly Away' all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-de-lancie/it-was-fans-who-understood-star-trek-and-brought-it-back-to-life-hill/) [John de Lancie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-de-lancie/) > [I had a problem with cops pulling me over all the time for speeding. When I was doing Hill Street Blues, the cops said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-tilly/i-had-a-problem-with-cops-pulling-me-over-all-the-time-for-speeding/) [Jennifer Tilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-tilly/) ## More by D. B. Weiss > [We do have pictures on the wall, in our office in Belfast where we spend half our time. All the head shots are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/we-do-have-pictures-on-the-wall-in-our-office-in-belfast-where-we/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [I like to think of myself as a 'Mord the jailer' type.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/i-like-to-think-of-myself-as-a-mord-the-jailer-type/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [We've been given this great gift, this huge canvas of these beautiful books by George Martin, and the idea of telling this whole epic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/we-ve-been-given-this-great-gift-this-huge-canvas-of-these-beautiful/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [Who doesn't love 'Frogger?' It draws its power from our shared memories of powerlessness. Wherever we are now, at one time or another we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/who-doesn-t-love-frogger-it-draws-its-power-from-our-shared-memories/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [Being away from home for six months of the year and seeing your kids grow up on Skype all that time - I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/being-away-from-home-for-six-months-of-the-year-and-seeing-your-kids/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > ['Confederate,' in all of our minds, will be an alternative-history show. It's a science-fiction show. One of the strengths of science fiction is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/confederate-in-all-of-our-minds-will-be-an-alternative-history-show/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [A lot of people go in and have to create their own characters, and they do fine with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/a-lot-of-people-go-in-and-have-to-create-their-own-characters-and/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [I think that everything starts to go to hell when you start smelling your own farts and complimenting yourself on how great they smell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/i-think-that-everything-starts-to-go-to-hell-when-you-start-smelling/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [You realize, no matter how great, books are not shows or movies; each operates on their own different rules. 'Game of Thrones' is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/you-realize-no-matter-how-great-books-are-not-shows-or-movies-each/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [Jason Momoa became a really good friend of ours when he played Khal Drogo. We loved hanging out with Momoa, and suddenly we couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/jason-momoa-became-a-really-good-friend-of-ours-when-he-played-khal/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [One of the trickiest things about 'Game of Thrones' is just seeding those first couple of episodes with that basic information that people need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/one-of-the-trickiest-things-about-game-of-thrones-is-just-seeding/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [A geek is a person, male or female, with an abiding, obsessive, self-effacing, even self-destroying love for something besides status](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/a-geek-is-a-person-male-or-female-with-an-abiding-obsessive-self/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [I was reading scripts, doing coverage, for CAA. Reading hundreds and hundreds of scripts across the board, from blind submissions to 'Brokeback Mountain'. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/i-was-reading-scripts-doing-coverage-for-caa-reading-hundreds-and/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [Would I have watched another season of 'Breaking Bad'? Of course. Would I have watched another two seasons of 'Breaking Bad'? Of course. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/would-i-have-watched-another-season-of-breaking-bad-of-course-would-i/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) > [There will be the 5% on the fringe of any hardcore fanbase that get angry about any change you make to the source material.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-weiss/there-will-be-the-5-on-the-fringe-of-any-hardcore-fanbase-that-get/) [D. B. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) [Explore all 34 D. B. Weiss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-weiss/) ## More Blues quotes > [If they played more blues, people would just get it - they try to hold it back but just about can't hold it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lee-hooker/if-they-played-more-blues-people-would-just-get-it-they-try-to-hold/) [John Lee Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lee-hooker/) > [I love Las Vegas, but I never get a chance to play a club like the House of Blues. I guess we've graduated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-walsh/i-love-las-vegas-but-i-never-get-a-chance-to-play-a-club-like-the/) [Joe Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-walsh/) > [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [I guess what I like is mostly country & western or else stuff that has a real blues feel to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-guess-what-i-like-is-mostly-country-western-or-else-stuff-that-has/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [I'm a rock/blues guitar player. I'm not wanting to be a pop star or anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orianthi/i-m-a-rock-blues-guitar-player-i-m-not-wanting-to-be-a-pop-star-or/) [Orianthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orianthi/) > [An element I love about the blues is jamming with other musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hoey/an-element-i-love-about-the-blues-is-jamming-with-other-musicians/) [Gary Hoey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hoey/) > [Well, I don't know how they define that. But they have this Texas blues thing blown kinda out of proportion. I am a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hunter/well-i-don-t-know-how-they-define-that-but-they-have-this-texas-blues/) [John Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hunter/) > [Since I was a kid, I've had an absolute obsession with particular kinds of American music. Mississippi Delta blues of the Thirties, Chicago blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/since-i-was-a-kid-i-ve-had-an-absolute-obsession-with-particular/) [Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/) > [James Cotton is a real blues guy, and he played with Muddy Waters, and it surprised me that they would want me to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haden/james-cotton-is-a-real-blues-guy-and-he-played-with-muddy-waters-and/) [Charlie Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haden/) > [When I discovered blues - I was 12-years-old - I didn't discover it in America where it was from; I discovered it from Fleetwood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-weller/when-i-discovered-blues-i-was-12-years-old-i-didn-t-discover-it-in/) [Paul Weller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-weller/) > [Elvis deserves a lot of credit for bringing the blues to middle America, not the Vegas stuff. The early stuff, The Sun records, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tork/elvis-deserves-a-lot-of-credit-for-bringing-the-blues-to-middle/) [Peter Tork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tork/) > [Old-school rock bands, and blues bands, too, are kind of a dying breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-rossington/old-school-rock-bands-and-blues-bands-too-are-kind-of-a-dying-breed/) [Gary Rossington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-rossington/) > [My favorite moment of the whole thing was when John Belushi suggested that I get a hold of all the blues records I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-cropper/my-favorite-moment-of-the-whole-thing-was-when-john-belushi-suggested/) [Steve Cropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-cropper/) > [I listened to King Oliver and I listened to Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp... I listened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/i-listened-to-king-oliver-and-i-listened-to-louis-armstrong-jelly/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) [Browse all 1,026 Blues quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blues/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man, 'Hill Street Blues' was on when I was 12, and I remember feeling I'd never seen anything like it. It was that far ahead of its time, with dark characters you loved. I remember Ed Marinaro, the football star.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "D. B. 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