TV revivals and sequels have been huge hits on the small screen in recent years, even if one of the biggest came to an unceremonious end earlier this year. Now, another classic series is coming back to television without rebooting its entire universe, but it won't be back without killing off a huge character. Yes, NYPD Blue is getting a revival, and it's killing off Andy Sipowicz to do it.
An NYPD: Blue revival is in the works at ABC, and the premise of the project revolves around the death of original series protagonist Andy Sipowicz. The new show would be based on Theo Sipowicz, who followed in his father's footsteps and pursued law enforcement. His goal is to earn his shield as a detective and investigate crime out of his dad's old 15th precinct. He works to use his NYPD resources to investigate his dad's murder.
Well, if the NYPD: Blue revival project scores a series order, fans won't be able to hold out hope that the elder Sipowicz will be teaming up with his son, unless flashbacks or hallucinations are in play. A lot may depend on when Andy Sipowicz was murdered. If he died shortly after the end of NYPD: Blue in 2005, he likely couldn't have worked with his son as a cop. If it was later... well, perhaps Dennis Franz could reprise the role somehow.
The show would obviously be quite different from the original thanks to how heavily NYPD Blue revolved around Andy Sipowicz, but fans can probably expect a revival to feel similar to the original. Matt Olmstead and Nick Wootton, who wrote and executive produced on NYPD Blue during its initial run on ABC, are on board to write and executive produce the new project. They're not the only ones from the NYPD Blue family attached.
Jesse Bochco will direct and executive produce on the NYPD Blue revival as well. Bochco worked as a producer on the original series, and he is the son of NYPD Blue co-creator Steven Bochco, who passed away at the age of 74 back in April. Steven Bochco's wife, Dayna Bochco, is a producer as well.
All of this said, there are no guarantees at this point that a revival of NYPD \_Blue_ will make it to primetime. Although Variety reports that the project has scored a pilot production commitment from ABC, a pilot production commitment is far from a series order. There are plenty of steps ahead of the project before it potentially makes it to the airwaves.
It would certainly appeal to any original series fans who hope for appearances from previous stars, although ride-or-die Sipowicz fans may not want to check out a show that killed off Andy. We can only wait and see what's in store yet. ABC has had some incredible success with revivals, so it's possible that NYPD Blue could become a priority for the network. A revival debuting in 2019 or beyond could certainly do things the original couldn't without attracting legal trouble!
For now, you can find TV options currently available and premiering in the not-too-distant future on out 2018 Netflix premiere schedule and our 2018 fall premiere rundown.
