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>>Interesting fact:
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>>Sipowicz from NYPD Blue (Dennis Franz) appeared in one or two episodes of "Hillie" where he was picking on, I think, Bobby Hill. They squared up for a fight but Franz sucker-punched him. Later that episode, Franz was found dead. Yet in a later series he joined the cast as one of our heroes, Lt Bunz. His character was exactly the same as that of his dead persona, as his later performance AS Sipowicz, as the @sshole security cop in Die Hard II, as, indeed, ANY role I've seen him in. OTOH his sarcastic, caustic char I loved most in NYPD Blue.
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>I don't recall that the two HSB characters had the same name. I "think" his name was "Bad Sal Benedetto - haven't googled this, strictly from memory.
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>I do recall that "Bad Sal" (who sucker-punched Andy Renko and was then flattened by Bobby Hill) was among the most riveting in the history of the show. The final scene where he kills himself is a true classic.
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>You're right about Franz playing essentially the same character ever since.


Dennis Franz (a Chicago guy who you have a pretty good chance of running into at Wrigley Field) played first Sal Benadetto and then later Norman Buntz on "Hill Street Blues."

I know this is subjective but I thought his character of Andy Sipowicz on "NYPD Blue" was more nuanced. Still sarcastic and caustic but more of a conscience and more good instincts. IMO, of course.