| "Hill Street Station" | |
|---|---|
| Hill Street Blues episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Robert Butler |
| Written by | Michael Kozoll / Steven Bochco |
| Production code | 3021 |
| Original air date | January 15, 1981 |
| Guest appearances | |
| Panchito Gomez as Hector Ruiz Gary Grubbs as Earps (uncredited) Gary Van Orman as Sneed Nick Savage as bald-headed pickpocket Jonathan Dasteel as Lamonica Ron Godines as Contreras Paul Michael as proprietor Heshimu Cumbuku as pimp Luisa Leschin as street kid Don Cervantes as street kid Richard Wright as killer junkie Chris Doyle as angel dust junkie Andy Garcia as street kid in booking Steven Bauer as Fuentes (as Rocky Echevarria) Veronica Redd as Alena Eleanor McCoy as Jonette Vernon Washington as William Andy Arthur as street kid Gerry Black as Det. Alf Chesley Robert Hirschfeld as Officer Leo Schnitz Trinidad Silva as Jesus Martinez | |
"Hill Street Station" is the first episode of the first season of the American serial police drama Hill Street Blues. "Hill Street Station" originally aired in the United States on NBC on Thursday January 15, 1981, at 10:00 pm Eastern Time as part of a two-week five-episode limited-run pilot airing on Thursdays and Saturdays. The episode won numerous Primetime Emmy Awards (Directing, Writing, Sound Editing, and Cinematography), a Directors Guild of America Award, a Writers Guild of America Award, and an Edgar Award as well as Emmy Award nominations for film editing, music composition, and art direction. The episode was directed by Robert Butler and written by Michael Kozoll and Steven Bochco.
Unlike other high-profile debuts from the 1980–81 network television season that had two- and three-hour premieres, such as Dynasty and Flamingo Road, this premiere episode debuted by itself as a one-hour offering. That season, even some holdovers, such as B. J. and the Bear and Buck Rogers, had multi-hour season premieres. The main storyline involves a hostage situation that arose from an attempted armed robbery. The episode also introduces a host of unique characters. At the time of the debut, Robert McLean described the cast as a "cast of unknowns".