NYPD Blue was an American police procedural drama television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in
Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble cast. The series was originally broadcast on the ABC network, and aired between
September 21, 1993 and March 1, 2005. John Kelly and Andy Sipowicz are detectives in the 15th squad. Sipowicz is the elder partner, but is an alcoholic who drinks
on the job, as well as off duty, and his behavior causes doubt that the partnership will last much longer. Kelly has a genuine affection for his partner, but becomes
increasingly exasperated by Sipowicz's behavior. In addition to his alcoholism, Sipowicz is a deeply negative, misogynist, homophobic bigot. In the pilot, Sipowicz
is shot by a suspect he had attacked and humiliated earlier. This leads to his decision to sober up and save his job. While Sipowicz is recuperating, the squad's
lieutenant, Arthur Fancy, teams Kelly with young cop, James Martinez. Kelly's personal life is as frenetic as his professional life. He is reluctantly going through a divorce from his wife,
Laura, and is embarking on an affair with a uniformed cop, Janice Licalsi. To complicate matters further, Licalsi's police-officer father is on the payroll of mob boss Angelo Marino. Licalsi,
in an attempt to protect her father, has been ordered to do a 'hit' on Kelly. Instead, Licalsi murders Marino, and the repercussions come back to haunt them both. Sipowicz, meanwhile,
sobers up and begins a relationship with ADA Sylvia Costas.