NYPD Blue: Raging Bulls

A Peabody winner in 1996, this landmark ABC police drama is honored with its second award for an indelible episode that brought racial tensions to a boil between white detective Andy Sipowicz and black Lt. Arthur Fancy. In “Raging Bulls,” the two characters sought to settle their differences with a fistfight that left each man bloodied and emotionally spent. The altercation lasted just several seconds, but its sound and fury spoke volumes about the larger social issues involved in race relations, especially among and between police officers, “perps,” and the public at large. Dennis Franz continues to bring guttural power to the role of Sipowicz and James McDaniel is rock-solid as the usually unflappable Fancy. The show’s exceptional cast also includes newcomer Rick Schroder, Nicholas Turturro, Kim Delaney, Gordon Clapp, and Andrea Thompson. NYPD Blue’s executive producers, Steven Bochco, David Milch, and Mark Tinker, keep the series at a consistently high level, with assistance from producers Doug Palau, Leonard Gardner, Meredith Stiehm, Bob Doherty, Paris Barclay, and Steven De Paul. For its daring and instructive handling of race relations, a Peabody Award is presented to NYPD Blue: Raging Bulls.