Everything you need to know about Emmy award-winning series, Homicide: Life on the Street
This Emmy award-winning series follows a unit of homicide detectives in Baltimore, Maryland as they conduct gritty detective work. been referred to by critics as the “best police procedural there has ever been”.
It’s also credited as the catalyst for other classic crime procedurals including The Sopranos and The Wire.
The team are seen battling an overload of cases amid the brutal struggle to keep law and order on the tough streets of Baltimore, all the while wrestling with the toll their difficult work takes on their lives and relationships.
Drug deals gone wrong, gang-land executions, hostage situations, child murders: each episode presents a bold, no-holds-barred portrayal of life in the Baltimore Homicide squad, inspired by real cases and the experiences of real detectives.
The iconic show, which launched in 1993, was created by Paul Attanasio and based on The Wire writer David Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. It was the first drama ever to win three Peabody awards for Best Drama.
Built on an ensemble cast, including major guest stars and a career-defining performance by Andre Baugher as Detective Frank Pembleton, Homicide: Life on the Street is not only an emotionally raw portrayal of life on the front line, but a compelling character-driven drama with emotional depth.
Now back in stunning UHD for the first time, this raw, relatable, genre-changing police procedural is now available for streaming.
Who is in the cast of Homicide: Life on the Street?
Many of the main running cast of Homicide: Life on the Street have all gone on to continue their work as detectives in other beloved crime shows – both comedic and dramatic.
The key cast members for the series are:
Richard Belzer (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Scarface) as Detective John Munch
Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Gideon’s Crossing) as Frank Pembleton
Kyle Secor (The Purge: Election Year, Veronica Mars) as Tim Bayliss
Clark Johnson (The Wire, The Sentinel) as Meldrick Lewis
Yaphet Kotto (Alien, Midnight Run) as Al Giardello
Reed Diamond (Bosch, Designated Survivor) as Mike Kellerman
Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Conviction) as Kay Howard
Belzer, who appeared in every episode, also played Detective John Munch on Law & Order: SVU, “transferring to the New York department” after the end of Homicide: Life on the Street. He remained on SVU until 2014 as a regular, though made notable appearances in the following years until Belzer’s death in 2023.
Munch also made a cameo in an episode of The Wire, somewhat tying all the shows together into one universe. The character was initially based on the real person Jay Landsman, who was prominent in David Simon's book.
What is the age rating of Homicide: Life on the Street?
Homicide: Life on the Street is officially certified 15 by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
This means it has been deemed unsuitable for children and younger teenagers.
Reasons for this rating include:
Recurrent themes of violent and sexual crime, including to children.
Some inferences and discussions of sex and nudity
Graphic scenes of violence, including gun violence
Common presence of blood and gore
Depictions of loss and grief
Portrayals of mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder
Criminal topics that some may find upsetting (including pedophilia and murder)
Frightening and intense scenes that some may find unsettling
How many episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street are there?
Homicide: Life on the Street ran from 1993 to 1999, totalling seven seasons and a movie.
This totalled 122 episodes, all of which will be available on Sky.
How many awards has Homicide: Life on the Street won?
By the end of the show’s run, Homicide: Life on the Street has earned 25 awards.
Wins include:
4x Primetime Emmys - including Outstanding Casting and Outstanding actor for Andre Braugher
3x Peabody Awards
2x Television Critics Association Awards
The 1999 Humanitas Prize
How to watch Homicide: Life on the Street
Sky is the exclusive home of Homicide: Life on the Street in the UK. In the US, it is available to watch on Peacock.
All seven series of the classic have been remastered in HD and UHD and will be shown on British television for the first time on Sky and NOW from February 14th.