Buntz Comes to Beverly Hills

56 — The Prince George Citizen TV TIMES — October 23rd, 1987 INTERVIEW -—- £ l ed Shaw __________________________________________________ •’ « « *-' __________________________________________________________________________ _________ _____________________________________ Buntz comes to Beverly Hills T alk about mixing patterns! Here’sto be, we didn’t even have a name,” said rounded kind of oddity where people realize Norm Buntz, a.k.a. Dennis Franz, Franz, reflecting on that day more than twohe’s tough but they also see another side of with a passion for tacky ties takingyears ago when a coupleH illof Street Blues him. They see sensitivity, they see a on the Perrier set in Beverly Hills. writers, David Milch and Jeffrey Lewis, first humorous side, a very vulnerable side and a Being a square peg in a round hole neverapproached him with the idea of joining hypocriticalthe side. bothered Buntz though, when he bullied hisseries as a regular. “I think he’s like w all are, he’s a pretty way around the squad room as Lt. Norman Franz had appeared onH ill Street for five complex guy and I ce linly enjoy playing Buntz onH ill Street Blues for two sea episodes in 1983 as the despicable narcoticshim.” sons. detective, Sal Benedetto, but was killed Franz likes to refer to his character as a The Blues are all behind him now, as he off. “human mutt”. “He dresses the way he does embarks on a new career as private eye Before that, he’d appeared in the because he thinks he’s a sharp dresser. If he’s Norm Buntz in the once-a-month situationshort-lived series,Chicago Story , as a beat got all browns on, it doesn’t matter if the comedy,Beverly Hills Buntz, debuting Oct. cop, and inBay City Blues , as coach of a little patterns don’t match. It's all the same 29 (Thursday at 9:30 p.m.) on NBC. league baseball team. He had also portrayed colour, right?” Tagging along is greasy conman, Sidpolicemen in the films,The Fury and Odd that N orm and Sid, out of all theH ill “The Snitch” Thurston (Peter Jurasik),Dressed To Kill. Street gang, should be the survivors in this Buntz’s favorite stool-pigeon. But his Benedetto showedH ill Street's TV equivalent of Origin of Species called ‘ j But, if Buntz has run as far as he can fromproducers what he could do and they wrotespin-off. his past, Dennis Franz is looking forivard anotherto part for him. But Franz has always been something of a exploring more facets of a character he grew Now Milch and Lewis are back as writers survivor, himself. Grc"ing up in a rough to like over two years Hon ill Street Blues. and co-creators ofBeverly Hills Buntz, section of Chicago, .he son of postal The 43-year-old Chicago native knowsallowing Franz to get better acquainted withworkers, Franz drifted into acting with Norm Buntz kept clothes on his back, albeitNorm Buntz. friends, creating opportunities where there cheap polyester, for a couple of seasons and“He started out as a bad apple who was were none, even co-writing theBleacher play he was able to work, on what some regard, asgoing to stir up the pot, and that idea reallyBums, about his expe ences following the the best TV show of the last decade. interested me,” said Franz. Chicago Cubs. “We didn’t know who this guy was going“But he’s turned into a real well- The fact that Bui inds from his hardships is nothing ranz. And, in talking to Milch, y Uze Buntz and Thurston have resiliency in their relation ship. Milch calls it “a sort of identifiable emotional dynamic.” Milch and Lewis were already cooking up Buntz’s sequel while exiting the last episode of H ill Street Blues, here was never any question his story, that of an outsider making his way in the world, would be the basis of a new show. Said Milch: “That’s the fundamental j appeal of this show, think. It’s telling a story of getting a second start in life.” The pilot forBeverly Hills Buntz is fast-paced and funny and even shows Buntz to be a budding romantic. Love affairs are definitely part of his future on the show, said Franz. Still, despite the enthusiasm of this group ofH ill Street holdovers, NBC only plans to showBeverly H ills Buntz on average once a month as one of its new designated-hitter shows. The others areM am a’s Boy (with another formerH ill Streeter, Bruce Weitz), and The Bronx Zoo. Finding a regular audience will be the biggest hurdle the show will face. And, rather than any lack of good graces or quick temper, that may prove to be N orm Buntz’s Dennis Franz ( r . ) and Peter Jurasik head for lotus land undoing..

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