My Ten Favorite TV Characters: Mick Belker (#4)

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Before I head off into my Friday evening routine I'll give you another one of my favorite TV characters. If you've noticed, nearly all of these characters are comedic...even the ones who were in dramas. This is a prime example of that. #4: Detective Mick Belker A cross between Serpico and a German shepherd, Mick Belker was always good for a laugh in the classic, groundbreaking TV series Hill Street Blues. He didn't have to shoot at suspects. A growl usually sufficed to put them in their place. He wasn't very polite (referring to suspects/criminals as "dog face," "scumbag," and other less-than-politically correct terms). But the great thing was he could be chewing a suspect's rear end up one side and down the other one second and then, "Hi, mom," soft as a kitten into the phone when his mother called. Played by actor Bruce Weitz, who won an Emmy in 1984 for Best Supporting Actor in the role, Belker was a joy every time he showed up. And, of course, in "real life," Weitz didn't look anything like the unkempt detective he played. What endeared me to Belker even more was the fact that I had a Shore Patrol school instructor while in the Navy who quoted Belker religiously while in class. Here's to Mick Belker, and to all the real cops out there, as another Hill Street Blues character used to say, let's be careful out there. Detective Mick Belker Portrayed by Bruce Weitz From Hill Street Blues NBC, 1981-1987 Mick undercover (with the late, great character actress Florence Halop as the customer):