IT'S been a long time coming, but Jimmy Smits, formerly of LA Law makes his debut in NYPD Blue (Pearl, 8.30 pm) this evening, swapping his porta-phone for something even more lethal.
It happened almost a year ago in America: Smits, as detective Bobby Simone, walks through the doors and immediately handcuffs a deranged man, which endears him to the chief, but not to Sipowicz (Dennis Franz), whose stomach prevents him from acting quickly.
This, of course, is the oldest trick in the book. Sipowicz takes an instant dislike to his new partner (he doesn't say 'yer cudd've got us all killed', but we know he's thinking it) which means we can enjoy the emotional wait for the inevitable reconciliation. That comes later, when Simone invites everyone for a drink and reveals his wife died of breast cancer and he raises racing pigeons.
Raisers of racing pigeons, like train spotters and fans of the Internet, don't usually have friends. But Simone's oddness endears him to Sipowicz. Later that night they help each other with paperwork. It's as moving as The Bridges Of Madison County.
SEAN YOUNG (Wall Street and Cousins ) is generally thought of as a woman who should not be in acting, but I must jump to her defence. In A Kiss Before Dying (World, 9.35 pm) she has two parts, as twins Ellen and Dorothy Carlsson, and makes a fair go of them both. Additionally, she features in a fine example of the shower scene. Not since Psycho has having a wash been as exciting.
The film is based on the thriller by Ira Levin (as was Sharon Stone's Sliver ) and is moderately effective, even though it is a considerable simplification of the book. That was an investigation of psychosis; this is a straight-forward 'my husband is a mass murderer and I didn't even notice' story.
Matt Dillon (Drugstore Cowboy ) is the mesmerising Jonathan, a young man who is taking revenge for something, although we do not find out what until the end.
