Steven Bochco, creator of 'NYPD Blue,' dies at 74

Steven Bochco, the 10-time Emmy-winning producer and writer of a legion of seminal television series such as "NYPD Blue" and "L.A. Law" died Sunday morning. He was 74.

The legendary creator of the Neil Patrick Harris's breakout ABC show "Doogie Howser, M.D." and "Hill Street Blues" died of cancer, a spokesperson confirmed in a statement.

"Steven fought cancer with strength, courage, grace and his unsurpassed sense of humor," the statement reads. "He died peacefully in his sleep with is family close by."

Memorial service details were forthcoming.

Known as a risktaker, Bochco buckled the status quo by showing a kind of realism never before seen on television.

Bochco was a pioneer in delivering a realistic side of cops after 12 seasons of "NYPD Blue."

"I thought, 'If I can't find a way to revitalize this form, I'm going to be out looking for a real job,'" he said in a 2005 interview with ABC News. "People were tuning out hour dramas on broadcast television in favor of seeing grittier, more realistic, more adult fare on cable and pay services."

The New York City native studied theatre at Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh.

He kickstarted his Hollywood career back in the mid-1960s on the storied Universal Studios lot where he wrote and edited teleplays for an array of television shows.

Then back in the 1980s Bochco co-created "Hill Street Blues," which chronicled cops working at a made-up precinct.

He soon formed Steven Bochco Productions and with David E. Kelly produced "Doogie Howser, M.D." about a 16-year-old whiz kid practicing medicine.

In 1993, Bocho and prolific creator David Milch debuted "NYPD Blue" on ABC which was a controversial one-hour drama that included love scenes.

To this day, the show is credited with being the standard that other successful cop dramas try to emulate.

He continued to create other shows until he fell ill in 2014.

Bochco was married to actress Barbara Bosson and the couple had two children before they divorced after 27 years of marriage. In 2000, he married again to Dayna Kalins.