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NYPD Blue is an American police procedural drama television series that aired from 1993 to 2005. Set in New York City, the show revolves around the 15th precinct of the New York City Police Department's detective squad. The show follows the lives of a group of detectives as they investigate and solve various crimes in the city. The main character of the show is Detective Andy Sipowicz, portrayed by Dennis Franz, who goes through a series of personal and professional struggles throughout the show.

David Caruso played Detective John Kelly in the first season of the show, but he left after that to pursue a movie career. He was replaced by Jimmy Smits, who played Detective Bobby Simone. Both characters were Sipowicz's partners and added their own unique flavor to the show.

Other main characters include James McDaniel as Lieutenant Arthur Fancy, the precinct's commanding officer; Sherry Stringfield as Assistant District Attorney Laura Michaels; Amy Brenneman as Detective Janice Licalsi; Nicholas Turturro as Detective James Martinez; Sharon Lawrence as Assistant District Attorney Sylvia Costas; Gordon Clapp as Detective Greg Medavoy; Gail O'Grady as Donna Abandando, a police administrative aide; Justine Miceli as Detective Adrienne Lesniak; and Kim Delaney as Detective Diane Russell.

Throughout its run, the show tackled various social issues such as racism, homophobia, and police corruption. It was known for its gritty and realistic portrayal of police work and received critical acclaim for its writing and acting.

The show was also notorious for its use of nudity and explicit language, which caused controversy and led to some advertisers pulling out. Despite this, it remained popular and won numerous awards including 20 Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.

As the show progressed, new characters were introduced such as Andrea Thompson as Detective Jill Kirkendall, Bill Brochtrup as Police Administrative Aide John Irvin, Ricky Schroder as Detective Danny Sorenson, Henry Simmons as Detective Baldwin Jones, Garcelle Beauvais as Assistant District Attorney Valerie Heywood, Charlotte Ross as Detective Connie McDowell, Esai Morales as Lieutenant Tony Rodriguez, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Detective John Clark Jr., Jacqueline Obradors as Detective Rita Ortiz, John F. O'Donohue as Detective Eddie Gibson, Currie Graham as Lieutenant Thomas Bale, and Bonnie Somerville as Detective Laura Murphy.

The show ended after 12 seasons, with its final episode airing on March 1, 2005. It left a lasting impact on the television landscape and paved the way for other realistic police procedural shows such as The Wire and Law & Order.

In conclusion, NYPD Blue was a groundbreaking and critically acclaimed police procedural drama that tackled social issues and portrayed police work in a gritty and realistic manner. Its talented cast and strong writing garnered it numerous awards and made it a staple of television for over a decade.

NYPD Blue is a series that ran for 12 seasons (263 episodes) between September 21, 1993 and on