develop several patents, including a
ballet toe shoe and a ball-throwing
training device.
Impact The seriesBill Nye the Sci-
ence Guywon multiple awards, in-
cluding seven Emmy Awards for
production, performance, and writ-
ing. It remained in syndication until
2008 and continued to be widely
used in classrooms as an educa-
tional resource. Nye has also written
several children’s books, which in-
spire an appreciation for science in
young audiences nationwide.
Further Reading
Haven, Kendel, and Donna Clark.
One Hundred Most Popular Scien-
tists for Young Adults: Biographical
Sketches and Professional Paths.
Westport, Conn.: Libraries Un-
limited, 1999.
Nye, Bill.Bill Nye The Science Guy’s
Big Blast of Science. New York: Ba-
sic Books, 1993.
___.Bill Nye’s Great Big Book of Science: Featuring
Oceans and Dinosaurs. New York: Hyperion, 2005.
Danielle A. DeFoe
See also Children’s television; Mars exploration;
Science and technology; Space exploration; Televi-
sion.
NYPD Blue
Identification Television drama series
Creators Steven Bochco (1943- ) and David
Milch (1945- )
Date Aired from September 21, 1993, to March 1,
2005
This program redefined acceptable limits for broadcast tele-
vision in the areas of language, violence, and nudity. It
also presented an extremely realistic view of police life and
important social issues, while retaining the occasional co-
medic element.
Created by Steven Bochco and David Milch,NYPD
Bluewas partly based on an earlier series by Bochco,
Hill Street Blues, and both programs generally had a
single episode that followed one day’s events in a po-
lice precinct house. Bochco was a devoted advocate
of gritty realism, so the scripts forNYPD Bluewere re-
viewed by a former police officer for accuracy. The
program was a schedule mainstay of the American
Broadcasting Company (ABC) for twelve years and
won many honors and recommendations, including
four Golden Globe Awards.
The program’s main character was Detective
Andy Sipowicz, portrayed for all twelve seasons by
veteran character actor Dennis Franz. Sipowicz had
a kind heart and a keen sense of justice, both of
which he hid behind a coarse and gruff personality.
The tragedies he suffered through and survived, in-
cluding but not limited to being shot, beaten, having
cancer, and the murders of his son and wife, would
have destroyed a weaker person. The program was
not exclusively about Sipowicz, however. No viable
topic was considered too inflammatory or offensive,
and episodes dealt with such diverse topics as orga-
nized crime, gangs, sexual perversion, and racial ha-
tred.
It was the frank and open treatment of obscenity
and nudity, along with the fine scripts and acting,
which truly differentiatedNYPD Bluefrom the myr-
iad other police and drama programs. The programThe Nineties in America NYPD Blue 627
The cast ofNYPD Bluepose in New York in 1993. From left: David Caruso, Dennis
Franz, Amy Brenneman, James McDaniel, Sherry Stringfield, and Nicholas Turturro.
(Hulton Archive/Getty Images)