Over two decades, Steve Bochco ruled the television airwaves in North America by producing such huge hits as Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Doogie Howser, M.D., and NYPD Blue.

Today, he died at the age of 74 in New York City four years after he was diagnosed with leukemia.

Hill Street Blues, which he also wrote, reinvented television cop shows by humanizing officers and revealing their vulnerabilities. It was nominated for a whopping 98 Emy Awards in its seven-year run on NBC.

The show pioneered the use of handheld cameras and quick editing, and also brought downtrodden characters into the living rooms of middle-class Americans.

In Hill Street Blues, Sgt Phil Esterhaus (Michael Conrad) would always utter his famous line "Let's be careful out there" in his morning briefing until he tragically passed away in Season 4.

L.A. Law had a nine-year run, turning Corbin Bernsen, Harry Hamlin, and Jimmy Smits into household names and reviving the career of former Partridge Family star Susan Dey.

Bochco was born in New York City and won Peabody Awards for Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue.

He also won a diversity award from the Directors Guild of America and two Edgar Awards.