Ah, the discreet charms of a New York City station house: water spots on the ceilings, fingerprints on the walls, and mildewing paperwork everywhere in between. It ain't exactly Martha Stewart — okay, it ain't even T.J. Hooker — but the officers of NYPD Blue call it home.
''It's gone beyond grimy,'' says Jimmy Smits, who plays Det. Bobby Simone on ABC's two-year-old drama. But who says grime doesn't pay? It is just that take-no-prisoners grittiness that has helped Blue grab more than 23 million viewers on Tuesday nights.
The 6,000-square-foot, amenity-free 15th Precinct (a.k.a. Fox Studios' Stage 9 in Los Angeles) stresses function over form, reality over regality. ''We're not looking to put up lace curtains here,'' says retired homicide cop and consulting producer Bill Clark. Notes NYPD Blue's production designer, Paul Eads: ''It's down and dirty. We wanted to hold a mirror right up to a detective's life.'' That reflection isn't always pretty, so we issue a brief warning: Reader discretion is advised.
The Squad Room
What's the secret to re-creating a detective's working environment? ''Clutter. Lots of clutter,'' says set decorator Mary Ann Biddle. That means mug shots of real-life criminals, ragged New York City street maps, crime-prevention posters pilfered from New York station houses, and photos of the real NYPD chain of command, all the way up to current police commissioner William J. Bratton. Actually, his photo may be the only thing current in the whole room — even the lone computer looks as if it's on its last chips. Says James McDaniel, who plays precinct boss Lieut. Fancy: ''It's amazing we even have push-button phones.''
The Arrest Room
The truth never escapes the men in blue in the spartan interrogation room, and now that the locks and windows have been upgraded, neither do the suspects. ''This room is almost military in nature,'' McDaniel says. ''There's a seriousness that surrounds it.'' The steel holding cell — which uncomfortably seats five — changed from key locks to slide bolts earlier this season. ''Now you don't have to worry about losing the key,'' Clark says, ''and it sounds much more dramatic when you put the bolts on.'' The detectives are also making a splash on the far wall; those dark smudges are created when they squeeze excess ink from fingerprinting rollers, a common practice in Big Apple precincts.
The Locker Room
The first indignity you notice about this police inner sanctum: There are no toilet seat covers. ''I had them removed,'' Clark says proudly. ''I've never seen them in a police bathroom.'' The second indignity: The mirror hangs too low. ''I have to stoop down to get my face in there,'' McDaniel says. ''I don't know whoit was designed for.'' The third: The bathroom and locker room are a combo deal. ''We were starting to go over budget on sets,'' Eads says, ''and I suggested that the bathroom do double duty. The producers loved that idea because it would create some interesting dramatic possibilities — and it was all nitty-gritty.'' Maybe a little too gritty: Though the showers and sinks have running water, the toilets don't flush.
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