First screened in the US in 1981, Hill Street Blues introduced initially bemused viewers to a massive cast, hand-held camera techniques and a host of interweaving storylines. Set in a run-down area of an unnamed Eastern city, Hill Street Blues follows the day-to-day dramas of a group of dedicated police officers.

The station is ruled by the coolly capable Captain Furillo (Daniel J Travanti) and his grizzled sergeant Phil 'Be careful out there' Esterhaus (Michael Conrad).

The officers under their command include the trigger-happy SWAT leader Lt Howard Hunter (James B Sikking); liberal Sgt Henry Goldblume (Joe Spano) and the unkempt Det Mick Belker (Bruce Weitz) whose preferred methods of interrogation involve growling, barking and on occasion, biting.

Each episode features a typical ghetto cocktail of drugs, murder, prostitution and burglary, entangled with the messy private lives of the officers, including Furillo's affair with attractive and successful public prosecutor Joyce Davenport (Veronica Hamel) and the persistent alimony-grabbing attentions of his ex-wife Fay (Barbara Bosson).

In its day, Hill Street Blues was also remarkable for its liberal stance on issues such as racism and the characters reflected the ethnic diversity of America's inner cities.

The series gave a number of black and Hispanic actors the chance to play major roles, including Taurean Blacque as the hip Det Neal Washington and Rene Enriquez as Lt Ray Calletano. Completing the accomplished cast were Michael Warren (Hill), Kiel Martin (LaRue), Betty Thomas (Lucy) and Charles Haid (Renko).

Hill Street Blues: More4 Monday to Friday 2pm