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Without A Net: Creating NYPD Blue

HOUSTON PRESS REVIEW

Without a Net -- Creating NYPD Blue screened at the Houston WorldFest on April 28, 2001. On April 19, the Houston Press released the following review:

Without a Net -- Creating NYPD Blue: Although technically part of WorldFest’s program of shorts, this video production really stands out. The vast majority of the other 88-odd shorts run less than 30 minutes each. This 66-minute documentary is more like a feature in that it has a dramatic arc, fly-on-the-wall access to one of America’s favorite TV shows, and an unforgettable lead character. The original premise was to document the last two weeks in co-creator David Milch’s final season with the show -- and it does just that. But it also draws an unforgettable portrait of a man who makes fictional madmen look tame. Milch won’t let other people write the scripts on schedule, and he won’t do it either. Instead, he dictates whole scenes off the top of his head to a pressured co-worker, who hands the lines to the actors only minutes before cameras roll. Needless to say, this management style creates chaos. Undoubtedly all this made for a lousy work environment, but it sure makes interesting viewing.