page_title: Lady Blue (TV series)
section_title: Production
hierarchical_section_title: Lady Blue (TV series) / Production
caption_attribution_description: English: North Halsted Street Canal Bridge, Spanning North Branch Canal at North Halsted Street, Chicago, Cook County, IL. Looking north east toward Cabrini Green Housing Project. North Halsted Street at right, West Division Street at left; Goose Island at bottom of frame.
context_page_description: Lady Blue is an American detective and action-adventure television series. Produced by David Gerber, it originally aired for one season on the American Broadcasting Company network from September 15, 1985, to January 25, 1986. It was picked up by ABC after its pilot aired as a television film on April 15, 1985. The show revolves around Chicago detective Katy Mahoney and her violent methods of handling cases. The supporting cast includes Danny Aiello, Ron Dean, Diane Dorsey, Bruce A. Young, Nan Woods, and Ricardo Gutierrez. Johnny Depp also guest-starred on the series in one of his earliest roles. With cinematography by Jack Priestley, the episodes were filmed on location in Chicago. Television critics noted Lady Blue's emphasis on violence, calling Mahoney "Dirty Harriet". Rose said she joined the project after being drawn to its genre. She prepared for the role by watching Eastwood's films, received advice from Eastwood on how to handle a gun, and practiced at a shooting range.
  After the pilot aired, Lady Blue was criticized by several watchdog organizations as the most violent show on television.
context_section_description: The executive producer of Lady Blue was David Gerber. Directors Guy Magar and Gary Nelson worked on the series, while Jack Priestley was the cinematographer. Produced by MGM Television and David Gerber Productions, its musical score was composed by John Cacavas. Actress Arnetia Walker performed the show's theme song, "Back to the Blue". Lady Blue was filmed on location in various areas of Chicago, including the Cabrini–Green Homes. Rose recalled having a difficult time in Cabrini Green since the residents threatened the cast and crew and threw bottles at them during filming.
  Mahoney was Rose's first role after playing Vickie Gioberti in the soap opera Falcon Crest; Reesman wrote that the decision to cast Rose in Lady Blue was a surprise, since she was primarily known for appearing as a child with Bugs Bunny in a Kool-Aid commercial. According to Reesman, Mahoney's "steely nerve and conservative stance on crime" contrasted with Rose's "more upbeat, fun-loving, liberal persona". Rose said that she was drawn to the show's genre: "Action shows are so fun because I got to be strapped to things, hoisted over things, shoot the gun, and jump on moving cars. It was like doing a western." According to the Orange County Register, Mahoney is one of the actress' best-known roles.
  To prepare for Lady Blue, Rose watched Clint Eastwood films (including the Dirty Harry franchise) and practiced steadying her gun hand. She had worked with Eastwood in the 1984 film Tightrope and a portion of the anthology series Amazing Stories, and received advice on how to mimic using a gun from Eastwood. In addition to Eastwood's assistance, Rose practiced gun-handling at a Chicago shooting range. Although Rose described her role as "physically demanding", she said she was not attempting method acting and relied on stunt doubles during filming. Rose resisted comparisons to Dirty Harry, and said: "It's still going to be a lot different because I'm a woman and I can show lots more emotions than Mr. Eastwood."
  According to Jamie Rose, Lady Blue had a similar concept as the crime dramas Police Woman and Get Christie Love!; Reesman stated that the latter was not as violent as Lady Blue. John J. O'Connor compared the series' violence to Eastwood's work, and saw it as a combination of Wonder Woman and Dick Tracy comic strips. In the 2011 book Triumph of the Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman's Zombie Epic on Page and Screen, horror fiction writer Vince A. Liaguno described Lady Blue and NYPD Blue as part of a movement towards "grittier depictions of violence". In a 2017 interview, Rose said that Lady Blue was the most violent series of its time and there had been little public exposure to a character as "bloodthirsty" as Mahoney; however, she said that the series was less graphic than future television programs.
caption: One episode was filmed in the Cabrini–Green Homes, pictured in 1999.
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