‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Finally Set to Stream, Launching in August on Peacock

As a long-time movie buff with a soft spot for gritty, character-driven dramas, I can’t contain my excitement about the upcoming arrival of “Homicide: Life on the Street” on streaming platforms. This groundbreaking series, which first graced our screens in 1993, has always held a special place in my heart, and its absence from the digital realm has felt like a gaping hole in the TV landscape.


One of the most praised TV shows on NBC, “Homicide: Life on the Street,” is now available for streaming. Starting August 19 in the US, Peacock will debut both the Universal Television series and its follow-up movie, “Homicide: The Movie.” For the first time ever, these productions have been upgraded to high definition and 4K resolution.

Last year, there was growing interest in the reason behind “Homicide” not being available for streaming, following the sad passing of Andre Braugher in December. He was the talented actor who brought Detective Frank Pembleton to life on the police drama.

During that period, David Simon, the writer and producer of “Homicide: Life on the Street,” who also authored the book “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets” which served as the basis for the show, hinted in a social media update (on X/Twitter) that the series could be making a comeback on streaming platforms.

According to a trusted insider, NBC/Universal and Fremantle are now making efforts, along with working on the international rights, to obtain necessary music clearances for #Homicide in order to make it available for streaming. This is no small feat and there’s a lot of ground to cover. I’ve also been informed that Andre deserves such an accomplishment.

I’ve worked in the television industry for over two decades, and I can tell you that securing music rights is a lengthy and complex process. But after months of tireless negotiations, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with you all. In June, I received word from my contacts at NBC that they had finally managed to secure the necessary music rights to sell “Homicide: Life On The Streets” to a streaming platform.

Simon mentioned the actors Braugher, Belzer, Kotto, and Beatty, who were part of the main cast alongside Melissa Leo, Giancarlo Esposito, Daniel Baldwin, Jon Polito, Clark Johnson, Kyle Secor, Reed Diamond, Michelle Forbes, Peter Gerety, Isabella Hofmann, Toni Lewis, Michael Michele, Max Perlich, and Callie Thorn during the seven-season series.

Why did it take so much time to finalize the agreement for “Homicide”? According to Simon’s explanation on social media, “The rights for ‘Homicide’ were agreed upon before streaming was even an option as a viewing platform. A reasonable price had to be discussed for the new application.”

The crime drama series “Homicide,” which aired 122 episodes on NBC starting in 1993, also produced a 2000 movie. Paul Attanasio developed the show from Simon’s book, while Tom Fontana acted as both head writer and executive producer, alongside Barry Levinson, Henry Bromell, and Jim Finnerty. Other executive producers included Simon, Gail Mutrux, Julie Martin, James Yoshimura, Jorge Zamacona, and Anya Epstein.

Universal’s description portrays this series as exploring the meticulous and challenging investigations of Baltimore’s homicide team. Featuring a tenacious ensemble of characters who relentlessly pursue truth and justice, this engrossing hour-long show sets the bar for realistic police procedurals, both in their professional and personal endeavors.

As a devoted cinephile, I’ve always had a soft spot for “Homicide,” even though it never quite made it with the ratings. Yet, this NBC series was a critical sensation, which is why it managed to survive for so long. It raked in four Primetime Emmy Awards, including a best actor win for Braugher in 1998, and victories for Fontana in writing and Levinson in directing, both in 1993. Additionally, the show claimed an impressive three Peabody Awards in 1993, 1995, and 1997 – a remarkable feat for any drama series. Not to mention, it received recognition from esteemed organizations like the Television Critics Association, Directors Guild of America, NAACP, and Writers Guild of America.

In the United States, “Homicide” is provided for distribution by NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution. Meanwhile, Fremantle handles its international distribution.

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2024-07-22 18:16