Eight years after "Cop Rock," Steven Bochco's trying Cop Rick: Rick
Schroder, that is, who's slated to succeed Jimmy Smits on "NYPD Blue"
this fall as the partner of Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). Of course,
ABC.com's got the official scoop on the switch -- and asks what we hope
is a facetious question: "Will viewers catch a glimpse of his naked
butt?" That'd be a popular episode, if the sentiment on the Web is any
indication: No fewer than three photo-laden fan sites -- Young Male
Stars, Star Galaxy, and Star Oasis --feature delectable photos of the
"Silver Spoons" star in his towheaded youth. (In fact, there are almost
no online pics of the actor post-puberty, so you might never know that
he also appeared in 1995's "Crimson Tide" and both parts of the
"Lonesome Dove" miniseries.)
It's not just swooning girls who are likely to tune in next fall. Alan
Sepinwall, TV critic for Newark, N.J.'s Star-Ledger and maven of the
Web's biggest and best NYPD Blue fan site, writes hopefully: "Picture,
if you will, Detective Rick's first day at the One-Five. Andy [Sipowicz]
takes one look at this fresh-scrubbed, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, young
All-American Boy, and his reaction will likely be identical to that of
many Usenetters: 'Who in the hell are they kidding with this guy?' The
early comic and dramatic possibilities are endless.... This could really
revive interest in what's been, for the last couple of years, a fading
show, ratings-wise." -- Caren Weiner