10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Watch Homicide Life On The Street

10. One Of The Greatest Ensemble Casts Ever On TV

The breakout star of Homicide was arguably André Braugher. With great skill and an immediate command of the screen from his first scene onwards, Braugher quickly made us realize that Frank Pembleton was unlike any detective we'd seen before on TV.

Tim Bayliss (Pembleton's partner) was portrayed with understated effect by Kyle Secor. Melissa Leo's Kay Howard was the detective with the greatest clearance rate. Her first partner was Beau Felton (portrayed by the oft derided Daniel Baldwin). Fret not: Baldwin's natural performance is probably the best ever given by any Baldwin sibling.

The great Yaphet Kotto basically anchored the entire show in the role of Lt. Al Giardello. Physically imposing and sometimes quite threatening, but at the same time deeply moral, 'Gee' cared not only for his detectives but for every citizen of Baltimore. In the role, Kotto ensured a constant dignity to the proceedings.

For the first time, Richard Belzer presented us with his signature role of the ever-cynical Det. John Munch: a type which he would reprise in no less than eight other TV-shows. Clark Johnson provided comic relief and an occasional dramatic flavour in the part of wisecracking and street-smart Det. Meldrick Lewis.

Other notable actors who were part of the show's main lineup included Ned Beatty, Jon Polito, Giancarlo Esposito, Zeljko Ivanek, and Michelle Forbes.