The series was originally based on David Simon's 1991 book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. Many of the characters and stories used throughout the show were based on events depicted in the book. This same book also provided inspiration for the HBO 2002–08 television series The Wire.
"Homicide: Life on the Street" ran for seven seasons (122 episodes) on NBC from January 31, 1993 to May 21, 1999, and was succeeded by Homicide: The Movie (2000), which served as the de facto series finale.
The show inspired the spin-off Homicide: Second Shift, which was shown exclusively online and did not include the regular cast.
The actor who portrayed one of the characters, Tim Bayliss, apparently wrote his own fanfiction which envisioned his Bayliss' life after the show had ended.
