‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Will Finally Be Available to Stream
‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Will Finally Be Available to Stream - The New York Times
Supported by
SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Will Finally Be Available to Stream
The celebrated 1990s police procedural is coming to Peacock in August.
The critically acclaimed 1990s police procedural “Homicide: Life on the Street” will soon be available to stream in its entirety.
All seven seasons of the crime drama, which ran on NBC from 1993 to 1999, as well as the 2000 film “Homicide: The Movie,” which served as the series finale, will arrive on Peacock on Aug. 19. The show has been syndicated over the years and has been released on DVD, but its absence from streaming services— thanks largely to the challenge of securing music rights, a frequent sticking point in streaming deals — has long been lamented by fans.
“Homicide” was based on a book by David Simon — then a Baltimore Sun reporter who had spent a year shadowing the Baltimore Police Department’s Homicide Unit. The series — along with “NYPD Blue,” which also premiered in 1993 — infused the cop genre with more grit and moral ambiguity, setting the stage for hard-edge cable dramas like “The Shield” and Simon’s own “The Wire,” one of the most celebrated series of all time.
“Homicide” was created by Paul Attanasio and executive produced by Barry Levinson, among others. (Simon was a producer.) Tom Fontana, who would go on to create the prison drama “Oz,” was the showrunner. “Homicide” had a devoted core following during its run but was never a ratings darling. It stayed on the air for seven seasons, winning four Emmy Awards out of 17 nominations and three Peabody Awards. It also boasted a memorable cast that included Andre Braugher, who won an Emmy for his role as Detective Frank Pembleton; Melissa Leo; Richard Belzer; and Giancarlo Esposito.
As the streaming boom resurfaced beloved titles from throughout TV history, “Homicide” regularly appeared on lists of shows fans most wanted to see come to a service. Simon previewed its arrival in a June post on X.
“Word is that NBC has managed to finally secure the music rights necessary to sell ‘Homicide: Life On The Streets’ to a streaming platform,” he wrote, adding later in a reply: “I did nothing. Tom Fontana, Barry Levinson and [the producer] Gail Mutrux undertook the lobbying effort.”
Maya Salam is an editor and reporter, focusing primarily on pop culture across genres. More about Maya Salam
Peacock
Explore More in TV and Movies
Not sure what to watch next? We can help.
-
A Throwback Amid Blockbusters: Can movies for grown-ups still sell tickets? “Fly Me to the Moon,” a period piece with an original script,
is a Hollywood experiment.
-
Never the Same Twice: Thanks to a software program, the length, structure and contents of “Eno,” a documentary about the visionary musician Brian Eno,
are reconfigured each time it’s shown.
-
Returning to Prison by Choice: Alongside Colman Domingo and Paul Raci, ex-inmates shot “Sing Sing” in a decommissioned correctional facility.
Then came the screening in the actual prison.
-
Streaming Guides: If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the
best offerings on Netflix, Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime and Hulu to make choosing your next binge a little easier.
-
Watching Newsletter: Sign up to
get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.