Shifting Loyalties : WITH DAVID CARUSO’S DETECTIVE KELLY GONE, WHAT IS JIMMY SMITS’ STRATEGY UNDER ALL THE SCRUTINY? SLIP INTO ORDERED CHAOS

Forget those forecasts of stormy weather. Producers of ABC’s “NYPD Blue” predict blue skies and a calm transition from David Caruso to Jimmy Smits. And, they believe, fans will still be with the force.

“Our philosophy to this show is, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” says Emmy winner Dennis Franz, who plays outspoken yet dedicated Detective Andy Sipowicz, partner of Caruso’s recently departed character, John Kelly. And soon-to-be-partner of Jimmy Smits, who will play Detective Bobby Simone. (The series will be preempted Tuesday by Election Day coverage).

“In this case, change is not a bad thing,” says Franz. “In fact, it’s turning out to be a real positive thing.”

Ask Smits how he feels about stepping in as Caruso leaves for what he hopes will be a feature film career and query Smits on whether viewers will accept him as a partner, and he’ll diplomatically beg off. His focus, he says, has been on getting into character and trying to mesh into the chaotic but smooth routine of the cast and the show.

“I’m know there’s going to be a lot of scrutiny, but I’m trying not to think about it,” says Smits, who is best known for his role as Victor Sifuentes on NBC’s “L.A. Law,” which he played from 1986 to 1991. Smits won a best supporting actor Emmy for the role in 1990.

“I hope people really give me a chance to just slip in there,” says Smits. “I know the show has loyal fans, and that’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to take a while. I just hope people are patient. In the best possible world, the work will speak for itself.”

Steven Bochco, the show’s creator along with David Milch, says: “Obviously the show will have different actors and different characters. To the extent that they are different, the show will be different. The sound of the show will be different, but ‘NYPD Blue’ will remain ‘NYPD Blue’ in every sense of the word.”

When asked about the difference between Caruso and Smits, Bochco quips: “Height.” But he still declines to go into details about Caruso’s abrupt departure. The redheaded actor jumping off his hit ship to pursue a movie career has many television insiders wondering whether he will go down the path of other TV actors who flopped when they followed the lure of the big screen.

“I would just as soon not remark on that at all at this stage of the game,” says Bochco. “It’s absolutely inappropriate. It’s done. All my focus and energy is devoted to the show, and putting Jimmy in the show. As the old saying goes, ‘You can’t un-ring a bell.’ ”

Smits is even more emphatic about talking about the circumstances that led him to “NYPD Blue.” “I’m not going to talk about how it all went down, and that’s the way it’s going to stay,” he says, softly but firmly.

There have been some suggestions that a strange irony exists in Smits replacing Caruso. Some said Smits left “L.A. Law” to find greener celluloid pastures, and is returning to television because “Old Gringo,” “Switch” and other of his films failed to give him marquee value.

Smits bristles at the comparison and the suggestions.

“All that talk about me leaving ‘Law’ to become a movie star--none of that came out of my mouth,” he says, the edge in his voice coming through loud and clear.

“I heard that a lot. But I left ‘Law’ because my five-year contract was up, and I felt that everything that I had had to say about that character had been said. I wanted to do diferent things. But I never said anything to any interviewer about wanting to be a movie star. I did not leave with a three-picture deal at Columbia. There are a lot of people who are snobbish about where you fit into this business. I’m not one of them.

“I’m a little pissed about things that are being said. I don’t feel I’m coming back to television because it didn’t happen for me. Au contraire. I did feature films, I did theater, I did TV movies. It just happened a different way. Good work is good work.”

Smits alludes to the entertainment industry’s continuing resistance toward Latino actors: “You have to be realistic about the way this business is. Certain things are, and certain things aren’t.” He said he is particularly happy that the race of his character on “NYPD Blue” is non-specific.

Says Bochco: “There are a lot of reasons for that. We didn’t want to create in any way any similarity between Simone and Sifuentes. That was a very conscious decision. To have a character whose ethnicity is vague gives us more opportunity for fun.”

The stars and producers have been relatively tight-lipped about other aspects of Smits’ detective, saying they want the audience to have the pleasure of discovery themselves. But this much is known: He will be teamed with Sipowicz, who is not too happy with the arrangement and the loss of his beloved partner. Simone’s previous job was in the police commissioner’s office. According to Smits, he will “be gritty and have an edge.”

But the big question that some fans of Smits and the show want to know is: Will Smits bare his body and soul on the show, as Caruso often did in steamy love scenes?

Smits gives the safest answer: “I don’t know.

“There are a couple of relationship things that are happening that will probably come to fruition or that need to be addressed,” he says. “But I feel about that the same way I felt about ‘L.A. Law.’ It was important for me to establish Sifuentes first as a real good lawyer. The majority of the things I did in those first few years were courtroom-oriented. I was really happy with that. It’s important for me in this situation to establish myself as a good cop. And so far, I’m not at the Stairmaster doing special butt exercises.”

As far as fitting into the established ensemble of the show--which garnered a record-setting 26 Emmy nominations its first season, losing best drama to “Picket Fences”--Smits says he could not be happier.

“I’m having a great time,” he says enthusiastically. “It’s like jumping on an express train. The crew is great, they’ve welcomed me with open arms. They’re making the transition good for me. It’s not awkward. It’s all about team playing. And Dennis is just incredible. You’re not going to meet a more generous guy. He’s made it so easy for me to walk on the set.”

Franz is equally enthusiastic about his praise for Smits. “Working with Jimmy is truly a delight. He’s an extremely conscientious worker, and he happens to be a gentleman. It’s the best of all possible worlds. We have someone who wants to step into David’s shoes. If that’s not where his wishes were, if that isn’t where his heart was, he should not be made to stay here.”

Franz describes the strain felt by everyone on the “Blue” set the first day they arrived back to face Caruso, who had announced his plans to leave.

“For the first half-hour of the first day that we all came back, it was pretty awkward,” says Franz. “We had all gone in several different directions for hiatus. People didn’t stay in touch, so we were reunited on the set. All that controversy was out in the open. I personally had had no conversation with David, and very few had spoken with him.

“And then after an hour, it was business as usual,” Franz says. “Back to work. Whether we had 22 episodes or one, we still had a job to do. Everybody handled themselves very professionally.”

And when the farewells came, it was swift, Franz adds. “We were starting another episode, we had more work. When David finished his involvement with the episode, he had things he needed to do. We all said our goodbys, and then we went back on stage and continued working.”

Franz says that despite the ups and downs, he is not concerned about how well “NYPD Blue” will fare with fans or critics.

“Yes, the success of the show really gives us something to live up to,” he says. “We have the responsibility to maintain the same level of excitement that we always have. But everyone is prepared for that battle.”

“NYPD Blue” airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on ABC (preempted this week).