Steven Bochco facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Steven Bochco
Bochco at the 1994 Primetime Emmy Awards
Born	Steven Ronald Bochco December 16, 1943 New York City, U.S.
Died	April 1, 2018(2018-04-01) (aged 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Carnegie Mellon University (BFA)
Occupation	Television producer, writer
Years active	1961–2016
Spouse(s)	Gabrielle Levin ​ ​ (m. 1964; div. 1969)​ Barbara Bosson ​ ​ (m. 1970; div. 1997)​ Dayna Kalins ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	3, including Jesse
Relatives	Joanna Frank (sister)

Steven Ronald Bochco (December 16, 1943 – April 1, 2018) was a famous American television writer and producer. He created many popular TV shows. Some of his best-known series include Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Doogie Howser, M.D., and NYPD Blue. Steven Bochco changed how TV dramas were made, making them more like real life with ongoing stories and many main characters.

Early Life

Steven Bochco was born in New York City on December 16, 1943. His mother, Mimi, was a painter, and his father, Rudolph, was a concert violinist. Steven grew up in Manhattan and went to the The High School of Music and Art. His older sister, Joanna Frank, became an actress.

In 1961, Steven went to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He studied playwriting and theater there. He earned his degree in Theater in 1966.

Television Career

Early Work

After college, Steven Bochco started working at Universal Studios. He wrote and edited stories for TV shows like Ironside, Columbo, and McMillan & Wife. He wrote the story for a famous Columbo episode called "Murder by the Book" in 1971. He also worked on a few movies. In 1978, he left Universal to work at MTM Enterprises. There, he had more freedom to produce his own shows. His first show there was Paris, a police drama starring James Earl Jones.

Major Successes

Steven Bochco became very successful with the police drama Hill Street Blues for NBC. He helped create, write, and produce the show, which ran from 1981 to 1987. Hill Street Blues was praised by critics and won many awards, including 98 Emmy Award nominations.

After leaving MTM, Bochco joined 20th Century Fox. There, he co-created and produced L.A. Law (1986–1994) for NBC. This show also won many awards. In 1987, he made a big deal with ABC to create ten new TV series. This led him to start his own company, Steven Bochco Productions.

From this deal came Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989–1993), a popular show about a teenage doctor. He also created Cop Rock (1990), which tried to mix police drama with singing and dancing. It was not a success. In 1992, he created an animated show called Capitol Critters.

Changing TV Drama

In 1993, Steven Bochco co-created NYPD Blue (1993–2005) with David Milch. This show was very popular and ran for 12 seasons. It was known for being more realistic and grown-up than other TV dramas at the time.

Bochco also worked on other shows like Murder One (1995–1997) and Over There (2005). These shows received good reviews but did not last as long as his earlier hits.

Steven Bochco changed how TV dramas were made. Before his shows, most American dramas had separate stories in each episode. Bochco helped popularize story arcs, which are stories that continue over many episodes. He also often used a large group of main characters in his shows, which was new for TV dramas.

From 2014 to 2016, he wrote and produced Murder in the First.

Steven Bochco Productions: TV Shows

Personal Life

Family and Home

Steven Bochco was married three times. He was married to Gabrielle Levin from 1964 to 1969. Then he married actress Barbara Bosson in 1970, and they divorced in 1997. His last marriage was to television producer Dayna Kalins in 2000, and they were together until his death.

Steven Bochco had three children. His son, Jesse Bochco, who he had with Barbara Bosson, is also a producer and director. Jesse directed many episodes of his father's shows, including NYPD Blue and Philly. When Jesse was a child, he even acted in one episode of Hill Street Blues, playing the son of his real mother's character.

At the time of his death, Steven Bochco lived in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles.

Health and Passing

In 2014, Steven Bochco was diagnosed with leukemia, a type of cancer. He had a bone marrow transplant later that year. He passed away from the disease at his home on April 1, 2018, at the age of 74.

Awards and Recognition

Steven Bochco won many awards for his work in television.

• Emmy Awards: He was nominated 34 times and won 10 Emmy Awards.
  • 1981: Outstanding Drama Series, for Hill Street Blues
  • 1981: Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, for Hill Street Blues (for the first episode)
  • 1982: Outstanding Drama Series, for Hill Street Blues
  • 1982: Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, for Hill Street Blues
  • 1983: Outstanding Drama Series, for Hill Street Blues
  • 1984: Outstanding Drama Series, for Hill Street Blues
  • 1987: Outstanding Drama Series, for L.A. Law
  • 1987: Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, for L.A. Law
  • 1989: Outstanding Drama Series, for L.A. Law
  • 1995: Outstanding Drama Series, for NYPD Blue

• Humanitas Prize: He won two Humanitas Prizes, which honor writing that promotes human dignity.
  • 1981: For Hill Street Blues
  • 1999: For NYPD Blue

• Edgar Awards: He won two Edgar Awards for best TV episode teleplay.
  • 1982: For Hill Street Blues
  • 1995: For NYPD Blue

• Directors Guild of America:
  • 1999: Diversity Award

• Producers Guild of America Awards:
  • 1994: Outstanding Producer of Television, for NYPD Blue
  • 1999: Lifetime Achievement Award

• Writers Guild of America: He won two Writers Guild of America Awards for writing in a drama.
  • 1982: For Hill Street Blues
  • 1985: For Hill Street Blues
  • 1994: Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement (a special award for his career)

• Peabody Awards:
  • 1981: For Hill Street Blues
  • 1987: For L.A. Law
  • 1996: For NYPD Blue
  • 1998: For NYPD Blue

In 1996, Steven Bochco was also added to the Television Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes people who have made a big impact on television.

See also

In Spanish: Steven Bochco para niños