Jimmy Smits is returning to the 15th Precinct one last time.

Smits, who played Detective Bobby Simone on "NYPD Blue" for four-plus seasons, will host "NYPD Blue: A Final Tribute," ABC's retrospective on the show's 12 years. The special is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET Tuesday, March 1, preceding the series finale.

The tribute will feature interviews with current cast members Dennis Franz, Gordon Clapp, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Henry Simmons, Jacqueline Obradors, Bill Brochtrup, Currie Graham and Bonnie Somerville and a host of clips from landmark episodes of the series. Former cast members, including Smits, Kim Delaney, James McDaniel, Amy Brenneman and Nicholas Turturro, will also share their memories.

"Blue" is ending its 12-season run next week with 20 Emmy victories, including four for Franz and the 1995 award for outstanding drama series, and a place in the TV pantheon for its extension of the the boundaries of a network series.

A number of ABC affiliates refused to run the show at first, citing fears of a boycott by conservative groups over its rough language and occasional nude backside. The controversy seemed only to fuel interest in "Blue," however, and it quickly became a hit.

Ratings have ebbed over time, but the show's legacy is pretty well assured.