The Blue Knight (film)

Plot

The film follows one week in the life of 20-year LAPD veteran Bumper Morgan, who is scheduled to retire. Before he leaves, he must work on the murder of a prostitute in one of LA's far corners. Along the way, he must grapple with vicious thugs, his fellow officers who feel mixed on his leaving, and his woman who wants him to leave the streets behind.

Cast

Production

Holden said he was surprised to be cast as Morgan, as he thought Ernest Borgnine or Rod Steiger would have been preferred. Shooting took seven weeks. The Blue Knight was filmed as a four-episode miniseries of 100 minutes each for the US market and a 100-minute theatrical film for European markets. It was one of the first miniseries on American television.

Reception

The first episode aired on November 11, 1973, and continued over the course of the next three days. The Blue Knight received positive reviews. Jay Sharbutt of the Associated Press praised the miniseries' realism and wrote that readers "ought to catch this show". Rick Du Brow of United Press International wrote that the miniseries' length allows it to unfold slowly and create a "cohesive dramatic atmosphere", unlike typical TV shows. Time Out London, in a retrospective review of the theatrical cut, called it "seminal stuff" and wrote that it is more interesting for its influence on following police dramas than its story.

Awards

Emmys went to William Holden (in his first TV film role), director Robert Butler, and editors Marjorie and Gene Fowler Jr. Lee Remick received an Emmy nomination. The show was also nominated for Outstanding Limited Series.