television, the phrase "too good for tv" is often heard. one recent network offering that seems to deserve that phrase is "hill street blues." >> "hill street" is one of the changing points of the entire industry in the history of tv. >> we had all watched a documentary about cops and had this real handheld, in the moment quality that we were very enamored of. >> the minute you looked at it, it looked different. it had a mood to it. you could almost smell the stale coffee. >> we didn't want to do a standard cop show where, you know, you got a crime and you got your two cops, and you go out and you catch the bad guy, and you sweat him and he confesses, and that's it. cops have personal lives that impact their behavior in profound ways. >> well, what about it? is he here or is he elsewhere? >> don't get excited, costa,