Bochco Ready To Kill Blue Over FCC Crackdown

When the gritty cop drama NYPD Blue debuted on ABC a decade ago, it was viewed as a major taboo-buster, airing coarse language and occasional nudity on a major network for the first time, but backing up the vulgarity with top-quality writing and award-winning acting. Over the years, Blue has come to be a mere blip on the radar screen of America’s self-appointed decency squads, largely because it was seen as an unhittable target due to its popularity and critical success. But with the new FCC crackdown on broadcasters, the show’s creator, Steven Bochco, says he’s been forced to cut multiple scenes from upcoming episodes, and is ready to give up on the show if the censorship continues.