Steven Bochco, creator of iconic TV series Hill Street Blues, dies at 74
Steven Bochco, creator of well-acclaimed shows like 'NYPD Blue' and 'Hill Street Blues' died at 74 on Sunday (April 1) after a long battle with leukemia. The news about his death was confirmed by his representative, Phillip Arnold told USA Today. "Steven fought cancer with strength, courage, grace and his unsurpassed sense of humor," the statement read. "He died peacefully in his sleep with his family close by."
In 2014, Steven was diagnosed with leukemia. Later the same year, he underwent a stem cell transplant in which he received a bone marrow from an anonymous 23-year-old donor. Steven could not believe it when he had been diagnosed with cancer as he thought he always lived a healthy lifestyle. "It’s a bolt out of the blue, and completely unexpected," Bochco said four years ago in a report about his treatment at the cancer center City of Hope.
"It’s the last thing in the world you expect when you spend your whole adult life basically working out to be healthy." After being diagnosed with cancer, life had completely changed for Steven. He even opened up about his battle in his 2016 memoir Truth is a 'Total Defense: My Fifty Years in Television'.
In his book, he wrote about how he looks at life in a completely different way after being diagnosed with leukemia. "I think about life and death differently than before. I treasure life more and fear death less. Life and its complications are simpler for me, now. I don’t sweat the small stuff, as they say," he wrote.
Steven, whose influential works include the detective series 'Columbo', was noted to be one of the most creative writer/producer of TV staples. 'Hill Street Blues', which ran from 1981 to 1987 brought him the fame that was due. After not doing so well with his next series, 'Bay City Blues', Steven went on to create the hit legal drama 'L.A. Law', which ran from 1986 to 1994.
After hearing the news about his death, many celebrities took to Twitter to express their grief. "It was his vision, style, taste, and tenacity that made me love watching TV," Steven’s star Sharon Lawrence wrote on Twitter. "It was being on #NYPDBlue that made me love working on TV.” While Judd Apatow wrote, "Steven Bochco sat with Jake Kasdan and myself before we started Freaks and Geeks and let us grill him for advice. We used all of it. He was a great man and will forever be an inspiration."
He is survived by his wife Dayna Kalins and his three sons.