THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 10, 1994 TAG: 9410080044
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY BONKO, TELEVISION WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
GETTING RE-ACQUAINTED with the cast members:
Dennis Franz (Detective Andy Sipowicz) - He's 50, balding and overweight, but a sex symbol all the same. Franz won an Emmy for his portrayal of the detective who breaks cases while battling alcoholism. He's involved romantically with an assistant district attorney.
James McDaniel (Lt. Arthur Fancy) - He's worked for Bochco often in the past. In this show, McDaniel plays the man in charge of the squad room. You know the type. Tough but fair. Viewers get to peek into his home life, too.
David Caruso (Detective John Kelly) - He'll be leaving the series in November. John Kelly is a talented investigator who has been involved with two women in the first year of the series following his divorce.
Jimmy Smits (Detective Bobby Simon) - He's in the cast to keep the testosterone levels up when Caruso leaves. ABC isn't saying a whole lot about this Bobby Simon guy except that he'll be leaving an easy job to get down and dirty with Fancy's crew at the 15th Precinct.
Sharon Lawrence (Assistant District Attorney Sylvia Costas) - She appeared only briefly in early episodes, and then saw her role expanded as producers decided to cultivate a love thing between Costas and Sipowicz. The affair was going smoothly until Sipowicz's insecurities rose up and sent him back to the bottle.
Gail O'Grady (Administrative Assistant Donna Abandando) - If Caruso and Smits are aboard to keep the women interested, O'Grady is in the cast to keep the men from pulling the trigger on the remote. She's blonde and beautiful. She likes to ice skate, too, and is a very, very nice person.
Gordon Clapp (Detective Greg Medavoy) - The guy has problems. He left his wife and kids. His health isn't what he'd like it to be. Compared to the swaggering Caruso and the cool, professional Sipowicz, Medavoy comes off as insecure and wimpy.
Amy Brennneman (Officer Janice Licalsi) - Bochco gave her a thankless role from the start. First, she started messing around with a married man (Kelly). Then she found out her father was a cop on the take. Then she got involved with the mob and ended up shooting two bad guys. Afraid of pulling her lover Kelly into the cesspool by having him help cover up the murders, she turns herself in and awaits trail. After two episodes in 1994, she is history.
Nicholas Turturro (Detective James Martinez) - Cute success story here. Turturro went from being a doorman at a New York City apartment house to an Emmy-nominated actor in his role on ``NYPD Blue.'' Until now, Martinez hasn't been much more than Kelly's caddy. He's helped to solve a tough case or two, so it figures his part will get bigger. by CNB