Black Mirror is arguably one of Netflix’s biggest hits, both in the realm of science fiction shows and the streamer’s slate of original programming. Most of its episodes, which tackle everything from the pitfalls of artificial intelligence to how social media is becoming entwined with our lives, have received critical praise and even awards nominations. Series creator Charlie Brooker recently confirmed that Black Mirror will be returning for Season 8, meaning that sci-fi fans will be in for more chilling tales about technology. Long before it was a mainstay in Netflix queues, Black Mirror started out life on cable television — specifically, Channel 4.

Brooker launched Black Mirror after working on comedy-based shows for other British channels, and decided to take his talents in the opposite direction with an anthology drama series. He cites The Twilight Zone as his biggest influence, specifically how Rod Serling would use science fiction and fantasy as a metaphor for real-life issues:

“In Serling’s day, the atom bomb, civil rights, McCarthyism, psychiatry and the space race were of primary concern. Today he’d be writing about terrorism, the economy, the media, privacy and our relationship with technology…That’s what we’re aiming for with Black Mirror: each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they’re all about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes’ time if we’re clumsy.”

While Black Mirror is primarily a sci-fi series, it still keeps the wicked streak of black humor that permeates Brooker’s earlier work. Case in point: the premiere episode, “The National Anthem”, has a member of the Royal Family kidnapped and the only way for her to be freed is if the Prime Minister commits a lewd act with a pig. It was both a sign that Black Mirror was going to be unlike anything on TV, and foreshadowed why it moved to Netflix.

Budget Issues Led to Netflix Picking Up ‘Black Mirror’

Image via Netflix

Black Mirror was able to score two seasons on Channel 4, and received equal parts praise and complaints, due to the aforementioned season premiere. It was even one of the most complained-about shows of 2011, which is an honor that’s rather fitting for the series. Yet Charlie Brooker and his producing partner Annabel Jones were told by Channel 4 that Black Mirror was facing budget restraints, and needed a co-producer to continue. This led to a bidding war involving different cable networks, including HBO and AMC, yet Netflix won out at the last minute.

The Netflix deal included a bigger budget and a bigger range of guest stars for Black Mirror. It also led to some of the show’s most iconic episodes, particularly Season 3’s “San Junipero” and Season 4’s “U.S.S. Callister“. Moving to Netflix also gave Brooker the freedom to push the series’ boundaries, including basing each season around a different theme and even releasing an interactive film with Bandersnatch. Such attempts wouldn’t have been possible on Channel 4, but Brooker was determined to make the most of his deal with Netflix, and it paid off in waves.

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I Don’t Care If You Hate Sci-Fi, This Dystopian Netflix Series Will Change Your Mind

It’ll make you question everything.

‘Black Mirror’ Was One of Netflix’s Biggest Success Stories

Black Mirror‘s biggest claim to fame is that it arguably helped cement Netflix, and the idea of streaming, as a major force in the entertainment world when its third season premiered in 2016. Not only did 2016 mark the debut of fellow sci-fi hit Stranger Things, but it was also when the streamer became available worldwide — allowing a larger audience to see more of its original programming and the films it had acquired. This meant that Black Mirror had the kind of reach that wouldn’t have been available on Channel 4, allowing it to transcend from a cult hit to a smash hit nearly overnight.

While people will no doubt be tuning into Black Mirror Season 8, a decade has once again changed how people watch television. Streaming services are getting more expensive, and cable is having a tough time as more people are deciding to cut the cord. It’s highly unlikely that Charlie Brooker could have made the same deal for Black Mirror now that he did then, but the series more than likely will keep its sharp edge when it returns for Season 8.

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Release Date

December 4, 2011

Network

Channel 4, Netflix

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Directors

Owen Harris, Toby Haynes, James Hawes, David Slade, Carl Tibbetts, Ally Pankiw, Bryn Higgins, Dan Trachtenberg, Euros Lyn, Jodie Foster, Joe Wright, John Hillcoat, Sam Miller, Tim Van Patten, Uta Briesewitz, Colm McCarthy, Jakob Verbruggen, James Watkins, John Crowley, Otto Bathurst, Anne Sewitsky, Brian Welsh

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Writers

Jesse Armstrong

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Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was allegedly under the influence of cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana and alcohol during an alleged confrontation with a truck driver last October, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly.

Attorneys for Perry Tole, 69, cite a “preliminary investigation” that revealed Sanchez, 39, had taken “multiple illegal substances.”

“[This is] including but not limited to cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl, and alcohol,” the filing reads. “Plaintiff has cause to believe that one or more of these substances may have been consumed in one of Huse’s establishments, which caused or contributed to Sanchez’s impairment and his subsequent negligent and/or knowing conduct.”

Sanchez and Tole were both hospitalized after the incident with Sanchez sustaining multiple stab wounds.

Related: Mark Sanchez’s Attorney Explains Quarterback’s Absence From Pretrial Hearing

Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was not in attendance at a pretrial hearing as he prepares to face charges in relation to a violent incident in Indianapolis earlier this month. “Thank you for allowing our client to be excused from today’s hearing,” Sanchez’s attorney Tim Delaney said inside a Marion County, Indiana, courtroom on Wednesday, […]

The filing did not include direct evidence that Sanchez knowingly and purposefully ingested the illegal substances, but called for an additional investigation. Sanchez’s attorney, Andrew M. McNeil, denied the allegations in a statement to Us.

“These are allegations in a civil filing, nothing more, and they should be treated accordingly,” the statement read. “Allegations are not evidence. The truth will be determined by facts and evidence presented at trial, and we look forward to presenting them at the appropriate time.”

The incident occurred in Indianapolis, Indiana, while Sanchez was in town to cover the Colts’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders the following day for Fox Sports. He is accused of accosting Tole, a truck driver, who was backing his vehicle into a hotel’s loading dock. Sanchez allegedly entered the truck without permission, preventing Tole from exiting. He is then accused of shoving Tole, who allegedly sprayed the former quarterback with pepper spray before he pulled a knife to defend himself.

Sanchez was booked in an Indianapolis jail and charged with three misdemeanors: battery resulting in injury, public intoxication and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. Prosecutors added a felony 5 charge days later, which carries a penalty of one to five years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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Related: Mark Sanchez Pleads Not Guilty, Remains Under ‘Medical Care’ After Stabbing

Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez has pleaded not guilty after being charged for his alleged role in a violent attack in downtown Indianapolis.  Sanchez, 38, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, October 7, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to The Athletic. […]

Fox Sports fired Sanchez in November amid the fallout from his arrest.

“We can confirm that Mark Sanchez is no longer with the network,” a Fox Sports spokesperson told Us at the time. “There will be no further comment at this time.”

Sanchez himself released a statement to Us through his brother, Nick Sanchez Jr., addressing his departure.

“It’s been a long month for Mark as he continues to recover from serious injuries while also grieving the loss of a close friend,” Nick wrote. “While the recent news — and its timing — is understandably disappointing, our priority remains his continued healing and recovery. Mark deeply values his time at Fox and the exceptional colleagues he’s had the privilege to work with. Those relationships are meaningful and will endure.”

Sanchez’s trial, which was originally slated for March 2026, will now begin April 9. The delay was the result of Sanchez’s lawyers, which requested a continuance of the case. Further delays are still possible, according to NBC Sports.

Hulu is starting the month of March in a good place, and hot off the heels of a successful revival of a classic show.

Scrubs is back for a brand new series on ABC, and that means it’s exclusively streaming on Hulu and climbing the charts.

That’s the only series on Watch With Us‘ picks for the three popular Hulu movies and TV shows to binge-watch this week.

Our other selections include a new science fiction movie and a Pixar film on loan from Disney+.

Related: New on Hulu in March 2026 — The Full List of Movies and TV Shows

It’s March, which means it’s Moira Rose’s favorite season — “awards.” The 98th Annual Academy Awards is scheduled to take place on March 15, and Hulu is celebrating all month long with a slew of great movies and series for your viewing pleasure. Watch With Us has compiled a complete list of the new movies […]

‘In the Blink of an Eye’ (2026)

Pixar’s Andrew Stanton, who directed classics like Finding Nemo and WALL-E, makes his second attempt at live-action with In the Blink of an Eye, an ambitious sci-fi that opens with the beginning of the universe and life as we know it. From there, it slows down quite a bit to focus on three different storylines. In the first, viewers are introduced to a Neanderthal family,  Thorn (Jorge Vargas) and Hera (Tanaya Beatty), as well as their daughter, Lark (Skywalker Hughes), and an infant child.

During the present-day sequences, anthropologist Claire (Rashida Jones) discovers bones that might belong to a member of the Neanderthal family while juggling relationship issues and a deep-seated sadness about the pending death of a loved one. And in the future, a woman named Coakley (Kate McKinnon) is charged with escorting embryos to humanity’s new home. How do these three tales link to one another thematically and otherwise? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out.

In the Blink of an Eye is streaming on Hulu.

‘Scrubs’ (2026)

Life comes at you fast in the new Scrubs revival. Fifteen years after leaving Sacred Heart Hospital, Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian (Zach Braff) is no longer married to the love of his life, Dr. Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke). J.D. has built his own life and charted his own career in medicine, which has now unexpectedly brought him back to Sacred Heart as the new Chief of Medicine and his ex-wife’s boss.

Related: Meet the ‘Scrubs’ Revival Cast — Including Alums From the Original Show

Most of the original Scrubs cast is reprising their roles for the highly anticipated revival — but who else is new to the show? Scrubs, which originally aired from 2001 to 2010, followed the lives of employees at the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital. The hit series starred Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Judy Reyes, […]

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J.D. is delighted to be reunited with his best friend, Dr. Chris Turk (Donald Faison), and a lot of familiar faces from the first series. But now, J.D. has to navigate trickier subjects that won’t always make him popular among his staff. At the same time, J.D. and the other veterans have to train a new generation of doctors and nurses at Sacred Heart, most of whom may clash with their perspectives on just about everything.

Scrubs is streaming on Hulu.

‘Toy Story’ (1995)

Computer animation has come a long way in the last three decades, but Toy Story was revolutionary when it hit theaters in 1995. Pixar delivered the first-ever feature-length 3D animated film, and it’s an all-time classic. Tom Hanks lends his voice to Woody, a cowboy doll who is comfortably assured of his place as the favorite toy of a young boy named Andy Davis (John Morris).

Any feeling of security goes out the window when Andy is gifted a new toy, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a Space Ranger who has no idea that he’s an action figure. Suddenly, Woody is shuffled to the side while Buzz becomes Andy’s new favorite. To reclaim his place in the toy hierarchy, Woody takes some drastic actions that may keep him and Buzz from ever seeing their friends again. If they want to make it back to Andy, Woody and Buzz will have to work together.

Toy Story is streaming on Hulu.

You might not usually like listening to music that’s many decades old, but even if that’s the case, there’s a not bad chance you make an exception for Fleetwood Mac. If not, that’s okay, but that guess/assumption is made because Fleetwood Mac feels particularly approachable for a pop/rock band of their era (when they were at their peak, in other words), and some of the band’s music is pretty close to timeless. In fact, they’ve got an entire album – 1977’s Rumours – that really does feel timeless from start to finish.

It’s boring to call it the band’s best album, but it is, though that’s not a suggestion that other memorable releases of Fleetwood Mac’s were bad or anything. There’s one other album of theirs included below, plus some other albums that might scratch the same itch. They’re broadly definable as rock, but often a mellower sort of rock, in line with the pop/soft rock sound of Rumours. So, if you want Led Zeppelin or Metallica or something harder, maybe look elsewhere.

10

‘Aja’ (1977)

Steely Dan

Steely Dan is a strange band, much of that coming about because they epitomize a genre that is genuinely called “yacht rock,” and because they’re literally called Steely Dan. Who calls a band Steely Dan? It turns out, there is a reason, or a source of that name, but if you go digging trying to find out, you might regret it. It’s a possible case of “the less you know, the better.”

Of all the Steely Dan albums, Aja tends to get brought up as their best, or maybe the album of theirs most worthy of classic status. It’s being included here because it is a mellow sort of rock that you kind of just put on and zone out to. So, the lyrics here don’t tend to be as affecting as what you might find on those hard-hitting Fleetwood Mac songs, nor some of the other albums mentioned here, yet the energy/vibe is kind of similar, and Aja was also released the same year as Rumours, so…

9

‘The Nightfly’ (1982)

Donald Fagen

Hopefully not too much of a hot take, but Donald Fagen’s solo album, The Nightfly, might be better than any of the other albums he did as part of Steely Dan. There’s even more of a lean toward pop here, over rock (rock of the yacht variety or otherwise), and it’s all almost a bit too smooth. Yet The Nightfly makes it work, or maybe it’s just that the shortcomings are easier to overlook when you’ve got a song as great as “I.G.Y.” kicking the whole thing off.

Lyrically, this one’s got quite a bit going for it, with the unusual and bittersweet way it looks toward the future, but from the past, and then you listen to it now, and it still sounds kind of futuristic lyrically, yet you put it in the past even more because it just sounds so ‘80s. Anyway, the rest of the album’s also very good. It shouldn’t be overlooked, just because it’s a Donald Fagen solo album rather than a proper/full-on Steely Dan one.

8

‘Tusk’ (1979)

Fleetwood Mac

Two years on from Rumours, Fleetwood Mac kept the momentum going to some extent, with Tusk, as there are songs here that are appealing in similar ways to many of the songs from Rumours, though it’s also a bit rougher and more intense at other times. It’s a double album, running for nearly 74 minutes, and with 20 tracks all up, so there are, pretty much literally, twice as many opportunities to play around and experiment a bit.

Tusk doesn’t experiment to the same extent as, say, the self-titled Beatles album that was also famously a double album, but nothing else in popular music history really does, so you can’t hold that against Tusk. Maybe Tusk is more comparable to the eclectic and ambitious London Calling, by The Clash, which is a great punk/rock album here, but harder to recommend when you’re specifically talking about Rumours-esque albums. For obvious reasons, Tusk is, on the other hand, not difficult to include here.

7

‘Graceland’ (1986)

Paul Simon

Very mellow as a rock album, and probably more pop, all the while also having other influences from a wide variety of genres, here’s Graceland, which could well be the best album Paul Simon was involved with (and that does include those he did while part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel). It’s musically creative and then lyrically, Graceland also tackles a whole bunch of topics, with some songs being socially conscious, and others being a little more introspective.

It feels like a product of its time, just not really in a bad way. Like, the quality of the songwriting and most of the production holds up; you can just tell, in some ways, it’s an album that’s now about four decades old (and counting). But then again, the thing still sounds great and largely delivers, so complaining about Graceland feels a little like nitpicking, in the end.

6

‘Tapestry’ (1971)

Carole King

The softness of the rock here is so soft it might well be a marshmallow, yet it’s still a classic and probably the kind of thing most people who like Fleetwood Mac would also like, so here’s Tapestry, by Carole King. It leans more toward the singer-songwriter side of things, with soft rock being a secondary genre, and it is quite mellow and gentle in sound, while having introspective and sometimes bittersweet lyrics that aren’t afraid to get emotional.

It was a classic of its time, and the sort of thing everyone over a certain age surely knows about, since it was monumentally popular in terms of sales and critical acclaim, yet King’s not always talked about as much in some modern-day online circles as much as Joni Mitchell (Blue could’ve gone here, yet describing that as being even rock-adjacent feels like more of a stretch than putting Tapestry in this spot).

5

‘After the Gold Rush’ (1970)

Neil Young

It was difficult here, as with Neil Young, After the Gold Rush does not feel as rock-focused as some of his other classic albums (like the kinda-sorta live album that is Rust Never Sleeps), though there is still some rock here. It’s folk rock, and occasionally harder rock, and often downbeat. Still counts, though. And it is indeed a gentle album and an oftentimes moving one as well.

Further, After the Gold Rush is an amazing album. It was originally at the top of this ranking, but then it was a bit like, “Wait, why put an album that good not near the end of the ranking, if it’s a ranking?” And “top” here means the bottom. Like, the bottom as in #10. And the top of the ranking is at the bottom of the page. #1 is the top of the ranking but at the bottom of the page. Confused? Just listen to After the Gold Rush, it’ll make everything feel okay again.

4

‘Hats’ (1989)

The Blue Nile

It’s hard to know what to say about Hats by The Blue Nile beyond being all, “Damn, this thing was really ahead of its time and stuff,” which isn’t very meaningful commentary, but it doesn’t make it wrong. It’s ahead of its time in some ways while also feeling very in line with certain traits associated with music in the 1980s, just in a unique way and with a certain atmosphere that sets it apart from its contemporaries.

The music here belongs to a genre called “sophisti-pop,” and that might make it far removed from rock, and even soft rock, yet it’s too emotionally stirring to not include here. Rumours is heartfelt and an emotional roller-coaster, and so is Hats. Further, Fleetwood Mac kind of dipped their toes into the sophisti-pop genre in at least a few songs on their 1987 album, Tango in the Night, so maybe that counts for something.

3

‘Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs’ (1970)

Derek and The Dominos

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs rocks the hardest of all the albums featured here, and so, yes, it probably qualifies most as “classic rock” in the traditional sense, and to a greater extent than Rumours. If the sound isn’t too Rumours, why include it, then? Well, lyrically, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is almost aggressively about love and its hardships (it’s in the album’s title and all), and so it works as a possible break-up album in a comparable way to Rumours.

The title track, “Layla,” demonstrates this particularly well, and it deserved to be part of the album’s title, since it is the clear standout moment on Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. This is also the only album Derek and the Dominos ever released, but Eric Clapton, as the short-lived band’s short-lived frontman, has certainly done a good many other things in the world of rock over the decades, including doing his own solo/acoustic version of “Layla” that is straight-up not nearly as good as the Derek and the Dominos one.

2

‘Hounds of Love’ (1985)

Kate Bush

It feels a little silly trying to tie Kate Bush to any genre, though if you really want to argue that Hounds of Love is too far removed from rock (like, any kind), then you’re welcome to. But it’s here because it’s a moving and creative album that’s very easy to appreciate and enjoy, even when it’s being kind of unusual and even borderline-challenging (see the album’s second half, for example).

Hounds of Love also has some absolute all-timer tracks on it, with “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” being the inevitable standout, though “Cloudbusting” really isn’t too far behind, quality-wise. Whatever Kate Bush was doing here, it’s never really been replicated since. Words can only go so far, when it comes to Hounds of Love, and it’s as much of a classic for its decade as Rumours was for the entirety of the 1970s.

1

‘Steve McQueen’ (1985)

Prefab Sprout

Back to the sophisti-pop genre, with emotions being unapologetically broad and big, here’s Steve McQueen (don’t mix it up with that actor guy, nor the filmmaker of the same name), which is a bit more rock-focused than Hats. It’s got a bit of energy in some of its tracks, while also having mellower ones too, and the balance here is pulled off incredibly well.

The band behind Steve McQueen, Prefab Sprout, is not nearly as popular nowadays as Fleetwood Mac, but at their best, they do scratch the same itch, and Steve McQueen is ultimately the band at their best. The first half of this album is genuinely perfect, and then the second half being “merely” very good is forgivable. As far as gentle (and maybe even sentimental) pop/rock music of the ‘70s/’80s is concerned, it doesn’t get much better than this album.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 3 seconds ago

By definition, child actors are often typecast by the roles that helped make them famous. The perfect example of this is Macaulay Culkin. He’s done great work in everything from Saved to Fallout, but everyone will always associate him with Home Alone. That’s a shame because most of this talented actor’s best work occurs far outside that seminal holiday classic.

For example, My Girl (1991) is a movie that taught an entire generation of moviegoers to cry thanks to its poignant portrayal of adolescent love and heartbreak. Culkin is excellent throughout, and his co-lead Anna Chlumsky helped cement this drama as the must-see children’s film of the ‘90s. When you’re ready to summon some serious nostalgia and see two of the best child actors in Hollywood history performing their hearts out, all you have to do is stream My Girl on Netflix.

Your Childhood Is Just A Click Away

The premise of My Girl is that the titular girl, Vada Margaret Sultenfuss, is the daughter of the local funeral parlor owner, and she’s dealing with constant hypochondria and a general obsession with death. What takes her mind off things is her growing friendship with a local boy who is allergic to just about everything. But even with their powers combined, she’ll have trouble accomplishing her primary goal: keeping her widower father from finding love with his new makeup artist.

For one of the ‘90s most impactful films, My Girl has a lean cast filled with big names, starting with Dan Aykroyd (best known for Ghostbusters) as a widower struggling with raising a daughter and running a funeral parlor. His life perks up when he begins dating a funeral makeup maven played by Jamie Lee Curtis (best known for Halloween). Together, these veteran actors provide a kind of emotional anchor for what is basically a children’s movie.

The Mac Is Back

 Speaking of which, the performances from McCaulay Culkin (best known for Home Alone) and Anna Chlumsky (best known for Veep) provide the heart and soul of My Girl. They give powerful performances that belie their young ages, and they each capture the pangs of adolescent awkwardness in different ways. The actors have wonderful chemistry with each other, and they do a great job of portraying the best thing in the world for an outcast kid: feeling less alone because you finally found a fellow weirdo to hang out with.  

While it ended up being a critical disappointment (more on this in a moment), My Girl was a major box office success, earning $121.5 million against a budget of only $17 million. This made a sequel downright inevitable, but the follow-up film My Girl 2 ended up being both a critical and commercial bomb. Fortunately, the sequel’s failure didn’t overshadow the importance of the original film, one which demonstrated just how heartfelt and emotionally impactful a children’s movie could be.

Critics Pronounced It Dead

Even though it’s considered a masterpiece by millennials, the reviewers weren’t kind to My Girl when it first came out. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 57 percent, with critics primarily complaining about the needlessly tearjerking climax of the film. Those same critics did acknowledge, however, that the sweet story was quite appealing and that the film is elevated by surprisingly nuanced performances from lead actors Macaulay Culkin and Anna Chlumsky.

In revisiting My Girl, I am more struck than ever before by the simple fact that the reviewers got it completely wrong with this one. Obviously, the movie is a tear-jerker, and it has a jaw-dropping ending that absolutely ruined those of us who watched the film as children. But given how many profoundly sad films (ranging from Schindler’s List to Moonlight) have gone on to win Best Picture Oscars, it’s clear that making audiences cry doesn’t mean that a film is bad.

All The Feels, All The Tears

While My Girl doesn’t pack the full weight of those Academy Award winners, it does deserve its flowers for telling an almost universally relatable coming-of-age story. There’s a reason that so many of us see ourselves in Anna Chlumsky’s character. All of the heartbreak and confusion that she goes through is an echo of what all of us experience growing up. This is our collective childhood onscreen, and seeing your own awkward youth captured so perfectly onscreen may have you crying long before this film’s shocking climax.

Plus, My Girl packs a surprising amount of warm nostalgia and genuine comedy into its relatively svelte runtime. The soundtrack helps you perfectly immerse yourself in its period setting, bringing the early ‘70s to vibrant life with confidence and style. Thanks to its heart, humor, and show-stopping performances, My Girl is like a warm childhood blanket that you’ll want to wrap yourself in while completely tuning out the outside world.

Will you agree that My Girl is a perfect coming-of-age classic, or would you rather fight off a swarm of bees than watch this one through to the end? You won’t know until you grab the remote and stream this 90’s heartbreaker for yourself on Netflix. Just be sure to keep a few tissues handy, because your eyes will definitely get misty before the credits roll!

Hillary Clinton
Ghislaine Was At Chelsea’s Wedding
… But Only as a ‘Plus-One’

Published
March 2, 2026
4:20 PM PST

The police procedural has a long and storied history, from the days of Dragnet to the recent premiere of CIA on CBS. The latter series is the latest creation from Hollywood heavyweight Dick Wolf, the man behind the One Chicago universe and the all-encompassing giant that is the Law & Order franchise. Like any procedural that wants to separate themselves from the pack, the flagship Law & Order series had a unique spin that used a “ripped from the headlines” formula, with episodes split between the police work of the first half that’s needed to bring criminals to justice through the courtroom drama of the second half. Yet the series of the Law & Order universe have nothing on Homicide: Life on the Street, a largely forgotten crime drama that changed the police procedural — and, by extension, television — forever.

‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Brings the Brutal Reality of Police Work to Television

At its simplest, Homicide: Life on the Street, which premiered in 1993, follows the experiences of the detectives in a fictional Baltimore Police Department homicide unit, based on a non-fiction book by Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon, who spent a year shadowing the day-to-day proceedings of the real Baltimore P.D. Homicide Unit (and served as consultant and co-producer). Those detectives, led by Lieutenant Al Giardello (Yaphet Kotto), include Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin), Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor), Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher), and John Munch (Richard Belzer), among a host of others.

There’s nothing simplistic about Homicide: Life on the Street. From the start, it was set up to showcase the ugly reality of working on a homicide unit: the psychological toll, cynicism, paperwork, the hours of interrogation spent talking, the dark humor, and the often-quarrelsome relationships between partners. Homicide: Life on the Street also dared to show the numbing indifference that real homicide detectives approach each case, with Simon saying:

“The greatest lie, I think, in dramatic TV is the cop who stands over a body and pulls up the sheet and mutters, ‘Damn’ and looks down sadly. To a real homicide detective, it’s just a day’s work.”

The on-location shooting in Baltimore, filmed using hand-held cameras, gave viewers that same front-line feel that Simon himself witnessed over his year with the homicide unit. All of it was seamlessly brought together to honor the truth of the thankless — yet necessary — role of a homicide detective.

‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Radically Changed the Police Procedural Going Forward

Homicide: Life on the Street was a radical departure from the glamorization of the police detective that beset television police procedurals historically, and one of the few shows to accurately bring the reality of that world to viewers (surprisingly, sitcom Barney Miller is cited as another). However, both NYPD Blue, which premiered the same year, and Law & Order, a 3-year veteran at that point, had also claimed a “gritty reality” through complex characters and boundary-pushing elements, a more Hollywood-ized reality than that of Homicide: Life on the Street.

But those series still featured cases that were largely wrapped up within the hour. Homicide: Life on the Street didn’t play by those rules, with a penchant for following concurrent investigations within an episode, some of which were resolved and some of which, as happens in real life, remained unsolved. The most prominent example of the latter comes with the first season episode “Three Men and Adena,” where the investigation into the death of an 11-year-old girl falls apart after 12 hours spent interrogating Risley Tucker (Moses Gunn in his last role) goes nowhere. Coupled with the ambiguity regarding Tucker’s guilt, the episode challenged the idea of a case-of-the-week with an antagonist that falls clearly into black hat territory.

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2 Years Before ‘The Wire,’ Its Creator Made a Gritty 6-Part HBO Crime Miniseries That Aged Perfectly

David Simon is the master of the crime genre.

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Homicide: Life on the Street proved that the police procedural didn’t need action pieces or neatly-wrapped stories, but rather focused on intelligent, intense, dialogue-driven scenes in the hands of a stellar cast, most notably Andre Braugher, who earned a Primetime Emmy Award in 1998. Braugher is charismatic in the role, with a deliberate and impeccable timing that radiated intensity and confidence — the same things he would utilize effectively is his self-parody role of Captain Ray Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

‘Law & Order’ and ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Had Crossover Episodes

Image via NBC

Interestingly, despite their difference in approaches, Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order held three sets of crossover episodes, the first of which, a two-part event across the former’s “For God and Country” and the latter’s “Charm City,” aired in February 1996. That opened the door for Belzer’s John Munch to join Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 1999, which, in turn, was opened after NBC cancelled Homicide: Life on the Street the same year.

David Simon would find vindication, however, when he created and produced famed crime drama The Wire, which utilized and expanded on his vision of truthfulness, finding a more willing partner in HBO than with NBC, who decried the risks and disregard for the rules of police procedurals (per The Guardian). Homicide: Life on the Street may have lost the battle, with police procedurals falling back to the case-of-the-week format, but it won the war by paving the way for series that defy conventional wisdom to deliver intelligent, challenging stories, and for that alone it should be celebrated.

Days of our Lives 2-week spoilers for March 02 – 13, 2026 divulge EJ DiMera‘s (Dan Feuerriegel) latest accusations, Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier) reaching a breaking point. And the mystery of the lady in the pod finally coming to a head.

Days of Our Lives Spoilers: EJ DiMera’s Sinister Scheme and the Secret DiMera Lab

EJ is worked up about the recent DiMera kidnappings and may be offering Liam Selejko (Hank Northrop) an ultimatum. EJ understands that Liam is broke and might offer him a payment to come clean before the police find out he was doing dirty work for Stephanie Johnson‘s (Abigail Klein) stalker. Meanwhile, the search for Stephanie continues as Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn) and Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) join the effort.

Rafe is planning to sneak into the secret lab within the DiMera lab. We expect this is when he finally sees the big blue human test tube while searching for Stephanie. Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord) is using an ISA tool to read the door codes. But EJ claims he will allow access to check if Stephanie is being held there. The tension is rising as the true purpose of this lab begins to surface.

DOOL Spoilers: The Search for Stephanie Johnson and Owen Kent’s Return

Steve and Jada Hunter (Elia Cantu) are out searching for Stephanie, who has been stashed in an industrial-looking storeroom. While the police are currently focusing on Jeremy Horton (Trevor Donovan) as the primary suspect, many in Salem are making dangerous assumptions. Julie Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes) is convinced of Jeremy’s guilt after seeing a photo of a man in a mask. But the evidence is thin on Days of our Lives.

In a shocking twist, Owen Kent (Wes Ramsey) is back in town. Steve recently grabbed a man in a black hoodie in the park, expecting it to be Jeremy. But it turned out to be Owen. This suggests that Jeremy might be a red flag and that Owen is the one actually responsible for the kidnapping. Stephanie is still fighting to get free, tied to a chair as her stalker closes in.

Abe Carver’s Scheme and the Lexi Carver Revelation on Days

Abe and EJ DiMera are discussing a shady side deal regarding the DiMera CEO position. EJ wants his son Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) to keep the job long-term as a way to stay in his life. But Abe wants Theo Carver (Cameron Johnson) out of the company for good. Abe is determined to prevent Theo from returning to the CEO role. And the revival of Lexi Carver (Renee Jones) plays a massive part in this plan.

It is nearly time for EJ to show Paulina Price (Jackee Harry) exactly who is in the stasis pod. All signs point to the “Pod Lady” being Lexi. This revelation is set to shock Paulina and could change the power dynamics in Salem forever. The timing of Lexi’s potential awakening is no coincidence, especially with the DiMera family legacy at stake.

Philip Kiriakis’ Frantic Financial Struggles and Gabi Hernandez’s Guilt on Days of Our Lives

Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier) is currently encouraging Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez). But his support is only making her feel guiltier. Gabi planted a bug that wrecked Titan and has been lying to Philip to cover her tracks. Now, she is entering a full-blown romance with him while keeping these massive secrets. Philip is frantic as Titan faces significant financial trouble. And Gabi’s omission could lead to a total betrayal.

Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering) is also working behind the scenes to prove that Gabi’s divorce documents were faked. He is gathering handwriting samples to have the FBI lab verify the forgery. As Philip struggles to save his family’s company, the truth about Gabi’s involvement is a ticking time bomb that could destroy their relationship and the Kiriakis empire.

Stefano DiMera’s Will and the Danger for Shawn-Douglas Brady on DOOL

The time has finally come for Stefano DiMera’s (Joseph Mascolo) last will and testament to be read. EJ is certain he knows what the document contains. But Stefano was famous for his last-minute shenanigans. There is a high probability that the Phoenix altered his will one final time to cause chaos from beyond the grave.

While the family prepares for the reading of the will, Shawn-Douglas Brady (Brandon Beemer) and Jack Junior (JJ) Deveraux (Casey Moss) are facing mortal danger. They are working with Liam to find the man who hired him. But a shooter named Klaus is expected in Salem soon to tie off loose ends. A stray bullet aimed at Liam might find a different target, putting Shawn’s life on the line during this high-stakes investigation.

Dax Shepard is ready to open up about his childhood sexual abuse in a new memoir.

Shepard, 51, revealed that he’s writing a memoir during the Monday, March 2, episode of his “Armchair Expert” podcast. While he plans to discuss being molested as a child in the book, the Parenthood actor admitted that he struggled for several months to put the story on paper.

“I have, for years on here, been acknowledging that I have been molested. And that was its own hurdle to just say that. And I got quite comfortable being able to say that. That was fine. And now I’m writing a memoir. And last year, really, the whole year was about, ‘Do I have the balls to write down the details of this?’” Shepard told guest Marcus Mumford, who detailed his own experience with childhood sexual abuse on his 2022 single “Cannibal.”

Shepard continued, “The details were always going to be mine. I didn’t want anyone to be envisioning me. It’s weird that that was still some wall between my shame. Like, I can say that happened, but I don’t need you to know anything that actually happened.”

Related: Dax Shepard’s Ups and Downs: Jonathan Van Ness Drama and More

Dax Shepard is always one to speak his mind — which has occasionally landed him in hot water. The “Armchair Expert” podcast host made headlines in September 2023 when he got into a heated discussion with Jonathan Van Ness about gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Van Ness, who is nonbinary and uses all pronouns, broke […]

Shepard said it took him “four months” to be able to tell the story in his memoir.

“And when I’m writing it, I cannot help but think of people knowing this about me and how still exposed that feels,” he admitted, adding that he was “emotional” during the months it took him to write the story.

“I was having really weird kind of spikes of emotions and moodiness. And I would forget that’s why I was having that,” Shepard added.

The Zathura star said he felt better once he finally finished that portion of the memoir, but the next challenge will be actually publishing the book.

“I finished it, and something about it existing there feels like a lot of weight is off my shoulders. But for me, there’s still the hurdle of, like, [putting the book out there],” he concluded.

Shepard first opened up about his experience in 2016.

“Yeah, I was molested,” he said on SiriusXM’s The Jason Ellis Show at the time, revealing that he was abused by an 18-year-old “dude in my neighborhood” when he was 7 years old.

Though Shepard called the molestation “minimal,” he added that it likely played a role in his struggles with addiction later in life.

“If you’ve been molested, you only have a 20 percent chance of not being an addict,” Shepard explained, noting that he thought his addiction was a result of heavy partying. “But when you hear a statistic like that, I’m like, ‘Oh, no, I was going to be an addict, period.’”

Shepard said it took him “12 years” to open up to someone about his experience.

“And then all that time, I was like, ‘It’s my fault,’ as generic as that is, I’m like, ‘It’s my fault. And I’m gay, I must have manifested this because I’m secretly gay.’ I had all these insane thoughts for 11 years or 12 years,” he continued.

Related: Kristen Bell Shares Photos of Kids With Dax Shepard to Celebrate His Sobriety

Kristen Bell is celebrating Dax Shepard’s 21-year sobriety journey by sharing some sweet photos of the actor with their kids. Bell, 45, posted a touching message to her husband of nearly 12 years via Instagram on Thursday, September 4, thanking him for “getting sober.” “This is what 21 years of sobriety looks like,” she captioned […]

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Shepard’s wife, Kristen Bell, whom he married in 2013, exclusively told Us Weekly at the time why her husband decided to go public with his story.

“Well, in truth, he has dealt with it many, many years ago,” Bell, 45, said at the time. “It wasn’t a moment he revealed. It’s a lifestyle he lives, where he’s honest and brave. The entirety of the radio show, he was relating to the host who had a similar revelation, and they were communicating.”

Bell continued, “I think that, to me, is the more profound thing, that he does talk about it. Anytime someone can admit a vulnerability, and it can be helpful to others, it should be done when said person is ready. That emotion is maybe one of the most profound ones we have. I, particularly, I’m taken with vulnerability when you’re in any sort of conflict. If you come at the other person, come back to the other person with vulnerability, you can never lose. It always makes the situation better.”

If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.