Peacock gives ‘Homicide’ a new life

Q: Is there any hope of “Homicide: Life on the Street” becoming available on streaming platforms? All my searching has yielded only a complete series DVD package.

A: Rightly considered one of the best TV series of all time, “Homicide” originally aired in 1993-99 with a finale movie in 2000. Based on the book “Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets” by David Simon, it showcased a group of complicated police detectives in Baltimore and boasted a cast that included Andre Braugher, Richard Belzer, Yaphet Kotto, Melissa Leo, Ned Beatty and Giancarlo Esposito.

Although the series is on DVD, it was long unavailable for streaming because of rights problems. But there’s good news: Peacock finally has sorted out the rights and announced that the entire series and the finale movie will be on the streaming service as of Aug. 19. Anyone who cares about great TV should see it.

However, “Homicide” also did three crossovers with “Law & Order” during that show’s sixth, eighth and ninth seasons (titled “Charm City,” “Baby It’s You” and “Sideshow” respectively). Those “Law & Order” episodes are not on Peacock. You would have to hunt them down elsewhere.

Q: I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find all the seasons of “St. Elsewhere.” I don’t have any streaming services, and I can find only one season on DVD. I loved watching that show when I was in medical school and residency. The current doctor shows are so unrealistic (even for TV) that I can’t stand to watch them. They make me yell at the TV.

A: “St. Elsewhere” (1982-88) did not have high ratings, but it did have devoted fans, awards and critical acclaim, as well as a cast that included Denzel Washington, Mark Harmon, William Daniels, Norman Lloyd and Alfred Woodard.

Unfortunately, the series in its entirety has not made it to an authorized DVD. It appears there have been problems with the ownership of the series and with music rights. While Hulu has episodes from all six seasons, each season is missing episodes, and it appears that music is a culprit.

Q: What is the status of “Master Minds” on Game Show Network? Are there any more episodes being planned, or is the series canceled?

A: A representative of GSN simply said, “We aren’t currently in production.”

Q: I watched a show about a year ago and cannot remember the name. Survivors live in a tubular structure like a huge silo with individual rooms around the perimeter. The characters were clearly developed, and the many subplots were well written. Any idea what the show was?

A: That was “Silo,” which had its first season on Apple TV Plus in 2023. A second season is in the works and reportedly is “coming soon.”

Q: Will the great British TV series “Professor T” be back? My wife and I are enchanted by the series.

A: Based on a Belgian series, the English drama about an eccentric mystery-solving academic has been a hit for three seasons and was renewed for a fourth in February, before the third season even aired. Speculation has the fourth season arriving in 2025.

Write to brenfels@gmail.com.