Barney Miller
Encyclopedia
Barney Miller is a situation comedy television series set in a New York City
police station
in Greenwich Village
. The series originally was broadcast from January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982 on ABC
. It was created by Danny Arnold
and Theodore J. Flicker
. Noam Pitlik
directed the majority of the episodes.
's fictional 12th Precinct, located in Greenwich Village
. A typical episode would feature the detectives of the 12th bringing in several complainants and/or suspects to the squadroom. Usually there are two or three separate subplots in a given episode, with different officers dealing with different crimes. About once a year, there would be an episode which featured one or more of the detectives outside of the walls of the 12th Precinct, either on a stakeout or at one of their homes.
Primary characters featured on the series:
The show's focus was split between the detectives' interactions with each other and with the suspects and witnesses they detained, processed, and interviewed. Some typical conflicts and long running plotlines included Miller's frustration with red tape and paperwork, his constant efforts to maintain peace, order, and discipline, and his numerous failed attempts to get a promotion; Harris's preoccupation with outside interests, such as his living arrangements but mainly his novel (Blood On The Badge), and his inability to remain focused on his police work; Fish's age-related health issues, marital problems, and reluctance to retire; Wojciehowicz's impulsive behavior and love life; Luger's nostalgia for the old days with partners Foster, Kleiner and "Brownie" Brown; Levitt's quest to become a detective (which was eventually successful); the rivalry between the precinct's resident intellectuals, Harris and Dietrich and continually — but reliably — bad coffee (usually made by Yemana).
Decades after its cancellation, Barney Miller retains a devoted following among real-life police officers, who appreciate the show's emphasis on dialogue and believably quirky characters, and its low-key portrayal of cops going about their jobs. During his appearance on Jon Favreau
's Independent Film Channel
talk show Dinner for Five
, Dennis Farina
, who worked as a Chicago
policeman before turning to acting, called Barney Miller the most realistic cop show ever seen on television. Hal Linden has told interviewers that he is still occasionally called "Captain" by working police officers.
‡ Murdock, Gorman and Leiber all made guest appearances in other roles in addition to their regularly recurring series roles.
‡ The actor also was cast in at least one other role at some point during the series run.
Note that Buddy Lester
plays a bookie in three episodes, but twice the bookie is called Harry and once Sidney. It is not clear whether this was meant to be the same character.
Seen in two episodes apiece were delusional "werewolf" Mr. Stefan Kopeckne; Yacov Berger (Nehemiah Persoff
); and Flasher
Lyle W. Farber (Ron Feinberg
).
(in a total of six appearances); in Bernice's only Season 2 appearance she was portrayed by Doris Belack. In that episode, Fish also had a grown daughter named Beverly played by Emily Levine. Also seen as recurring characters in Season 3 were group home children Jilly (Denise Miller
) and Victor (John Cassisi
), who would eventually become Fish's foster children. In 1977, the Fishes were spun off
into their own show, Fish
.
) appeared in the pilot. Barney's children were written out of the show after the first episode (though they were still often mentioned), while his wife made appearances through the second season. Wyndham also reprised her role in two later episodes.
, The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller, that aired on August 22, 1974 as part of an ABC
summer anthology series, Just for Laughs. Linden and Vigoda were cast in their series roles; no other eventual cast members were present. Abby Dalton
played Barney Miller's wife, Liz. The pilot script was later largely re-used in the debut episode "Ramon".
's theme music, performed by studio musician Jim Hughart, are played over a shot of the New York skyline
as seen from the water of Upper New York Bay
— from Season 2 on, with a garbage barge being towed in the foreground — followed by shots of the characters. Several slightly different versions of the theme featuring minor variations in composition and performance were used during different seasons. The closing credits featured a different shot of the skyline.
of drama, unity of place and unity of time. The third unity, unity of action, was not followed, since each episode had multiple subplots.
The show became notorious in the industry for its marathon taping sessions. In the beginning, it was taped in front of a studio audience. After the audience left, creator and executive producer Danny Arnold
would begin to rewrite and restage scenes, sometimes heavily so; a taping session that began in the afternoon or early evening would then continue on into the early morning hours. Max Gail referred to this in the Jack Soo retrospective episode; he remarked that one of the clips shown was a scene that "we finished around 2:30 in the morning." In a 1977 blooper
, a crew member mentions it being 3:15 a.m.
Writer Tom Reeder described working on the show thusly:
Marty and Darryl were among the earliest recurring gay characters on American television. Danny Arnold worked closely with the Gay Media Task Force, an activist group that worked on LGBT representation in media, in developing the characters. Initially both characters were presented in a stereotypically effeminate manner but in later appearances Darryl began dressing and speaking in a more mainstream fashion. Officer Zitelli's coming out was the first gay story arc
on American television, occurring across the series' sixth and seventh seasons.
from the Directors Guild of America
in 1981.
The series won a Primetime Emmy Award
for Outstanding Comedy Series
in 1982, after it was concluded. It also won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series in 1980 and Outstanding Directing in a Comedy or Comedy-Variety or Music Series in 1979, and was nominated for numerous others.
It won the Golden Globe Award
for Best Television Comedy or Musical Series in 1976 and 1977, and was nominated for various other Golden Globe Awards.
The show won the Peabody Award
in 1979.
has released the first 3 seasons of Barney Miller on DVD in Region 1. Season 1 was released on January 20, 2004, to slow sales, and Sony decided not to release any more seasons. However, the decision was later reversed and Season 2 was released in 2008 (four years after the release of Season 1), followed by Season 3 in 2009.
On July 11, 2011, it was announced that Shout! Factory
has acquired the rights to the series and they released a complete series set on October 25, 2011. The 25-disc set features all 168 episodes of the series as well as many bonus features, including the first season of the spin-off, Fish
.
Season 1 was released on DVD in Region 4 on December 20, 2006.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
police station
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. The series originally was broadcast from January 23, 1975 to May 20, 1982 on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. It was created by Danny Arnold
Danny Arnold
Danny Arnold was an American producer, writer, comedian, actor and director known for producing Barney Miller, That Girl and Bewitched.-Life and career:...
and Theodore J. Flicker
Theodore J. Flicker
Theodore Jonas "Ted" Flicker is an American playwright, theatrical producer, television and film director, actor, screenwriter, author, and sculptor.-Early life:...
. Noam Pitlik
Noam Pitlik
Noam Pitlik was an American television director and actor. In 1979, Pitlik won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for his work on the ABC-TV sitcom Barney Miller.-Early life and career:...
directed the majority of the episodes.
Premise
The series takes place almost entirely within the confines of the Detectives' Squad Room (and Captain Barney Miller's adjoining office) of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's fictional 12th Precinct, located in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. A typical episode would feature the detectives of the 12th bringing in several complainants and/or suspects to the squadroom. Usually there are two or three separate subplots in a given episode, with different officers dealing with different crimes. About once a year, there would be an episode which featured one or more of the detectives outside of the walls of the 12th Precinct, either on a stakeout or at one of their homes.
Primary characters featured on the series:
- Captain Barney Miller (Hal LindenHal LindenHal Linden is an American stage and television actor and television director, best known for his role in the television comedy series Barney Miller and as presenter on the ABC educational series Animals, Animals, Animals....
): The sensible captain of the "One-Two" who tries to retain his sanity while dealing with the foibles of his staff and the unending stream of budget problems and paperwork which make up his job. - Sgt. Philip K. Fish (Abe VigodaAbe VigodaAbe Vigoda is an American movie and television actor. Vigoda is well known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in The Godfather, and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish on the sitcom television series Barney Miller from 1975–1977 and on its spinoff show Fish that aired from February 1977 to...
): The senior detective on the 12th Detective Squad. A crotchety, world-weary, and nearing-retirement Jewish-American cop, who always seems to be suffering through some physical ailment, but whose years of experience "on the Job" makes him a very good detective and mentor to other members of his squad. - Det. Stanley Thadeus "Wojo" Wojciehowicz (Max GailMax GailMaxwell Trowbridge "Max" Gail, Jr. is an American actor who has starred in stage, television, and film roles. He most notably portrayed the role of Detective Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz on the television sitcom Barney Miller....
): Naive, gung-ho but goodhearted Polish-American, who gradually transforms from a macho former-marine into a sensitive character who tries to see things from his decidedly humanitarian point of view while performing his duties as a detective. - Sgt. Ron Nathan Harris (Ron GlassRon GlassRonald E. "Ron" Glass is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as the witty Det. Ron Harris in the television sitcom Barney Miller , and as the spiritual Shepherd Derrial Book in the short-lived 2002 science fiction series Firefly and its sequel film Serenity.-Early life:Glass was...
): Ambitious, intellectual African-American, who lives well beyond his means, and who frequently seems more preoccupied with his attire and his career as a writer than with his police work. - Sgt. Nick Yemana (Jack SooJack SooJack Soo was a Japanese American actor. He is best known for his role as Detective Nick Yemana on the television sitcom Barney Miller.-Early life:...
); Surreally philosophical, wisecracking Japanese-American detective. Noted for his "off the wall" sense of humor and wry observations about life, as well as for his gambling habits, extraordinarily poor paperwork filing "skills" and for making extremely bad coffee for the other members of the squad. - Sgt. Chano Amanguale (Gregory SierraGregory SierraGregory Sierra is an American actor known for his roles as Detective Sergeant Chano Amenguale on Barney Miller and as Julio Fuentes, the Puerto Rican neighbor of Fred G...
): A dauntless, beleaguered Puerto RicanPuerto Rican peopleA Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
detective, who is very brave and very emotionally attached to his job. - Det. Arthur DietrichArthur DietrichDetective Arthur P. Dietrich is a fictional character on the TV series Barney Miller. He is a police officer assigned to the New York City Police Department's 12th Detective Squad, and was played by Steve Landesberg...
(Steve LandesbergSteve LandesbergSteve Landesberg was an American actor, comedian, and voice actor known for his role as the erudite, unflappable police detective Arthur P...
): An intellectual detective with a calm, unflappable nature and a seemingly endless supply of knowledge on a wide array of subjects. - Deputy Inspector Frank Luger (James GregoryJames Gregory (actor)James Gregory was an American character actor noted for his deep, gravelly voice and playing brash roles such as McCarthy-like Senator John Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate , the audacious General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and loudmouthed Inspector Luger in Barney Miller...
): Miller's rambling, out-of-touch and unapologetically old-school superior who frequently drops by the precinct to "chat with" (i.e., prevail upon) Barney. - Officer (later Detective) Carl Levitt (Ron CareyRon Carey (actor)Ron Carey was an American film and television actor. The 5-foot 4-inch actor was best known for playing cocky Officer Carl Levitt on TV's Barney Miller, in which he was almost always surrounded by male actors who stood at least 4" taller...
): A diminutive and obsequious (but competent and hard-working) uniformed officer who constantly, passive-aggressively badgers Miller about being promoted to detective. In later episodes, Levitt is often seen in plainclothes working as an "acting detective", but he is still not officially promoted to the position partly due to budget restraints, and partly due to his height.
- Elizabeth Miller (Barbara BarrieBarbara BarrieBarbara Barrie is an American actress and author of children's books.-Personal life:Barrie was born as Barbara Ann Berman in Chicago, Illinois, of Jewish heritage, the daughter of Frances Rose and Louis Berman. She was raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. She graduated from University of Texas,...
): Barney's wife, a dedicated social worker. Intended to be a regular character, and listed in the opening credits during Seasons 1 and 2, Liz was seen fairly infrequently on the show. She was, however, often referred to, and Barney would often be seen (and heard) on the phone with Liz.
The show's focus was split between the detectives' interactions with each other and with the suspects and witnesses they detained, processed, and interviewed. Some typical conflicts and long running plotlines included Miller's frustration with red tape and paperwork, his constant efforts to maintain peace, order, and discipline, and his numerous failed attempts to get a promotion; Harris's preoccupation with outside interests, such as his living arrangements but mainly his novel (Blood On The Badge), and his inability to remain focused on his police work; Fish's age-related health issues, marital problems, and reluctance to retire; Wojciehowicz's impulsive behavior and love life; Luger's nostalgia for the old days with partners Foster, Kleiner and "Brownie" Brown; Levitt's quest to become a detective (which was eventually successful); the rivalry between the precinct's resident intellectuals, Harris and Dietrich and continually — but reliably — bad coffee (usually made by Yemana).
Decades after its cancellation, Barney Miller retains a devoted following among real-life police officers, who appreciate the show's emphasis on dialogue and believably quirky characters, and its low-key portrayal of cops going about their jobs. During his appearance on Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
's Independent Film Channel
Independent Film Channel
The Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...
talk show Dinner for Five
Dinner for Five
Dinner for Five is a television program in which actor/filmmaker Jon Favreau and a revolving guest list of celebrities eat, drink and talk about life on and off the set and swap stories about projects past and present...
, Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina
Dennis Farina is an American actor of film and television and former Chicago police officer. He is a character actor, often typecast as a mobster or police officer. His most known film roles are those of mobster Jimmy Serrano in the comedy Midnight Run and Ray "Bones" Barboni in Get Shorty...
, who worked as a Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
policeman before turning to acting, called Barney Miller the most realistic cop show ever seen on television. Hal Linden has told interviewers that he is still occasionally called "Captain" by working police officers.
Regulars
| Actor | Character | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hal Linden Hal Linden Hal Linden is an American stage and television actor and television director, best known for his role in the television comedy series Barney Miller and as presenter on the ABC educational series Animals, Animals, Animals.... |
Captain Barney Miller | |
|
| Abe Vigoda Abe Vigoda Abe Vigoda is an American movie and television actor. Vigoda is well known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in The Godfather, and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish on the sitcom television series Barney Miller from 1975–1977 and on its spinoff show Fish that aired from February 1977 to... |
Sergeant Philip K. Fish Phil Fish Detective Phil Fish was a fictional police officer in the TV series Barney Miller. He was played by Abe Vigoda.Fish was an odd character for a television detective: aged, grumpy, and suffering from a variety of maladies for which he constantly needed medication. The most recurring malady was... |
|
Vigoda was a regular for the first three seasons. Though still in the opening credits, he appeared in only about half of the episodes in the last half of Season 3. (The character was simultaneously seen on the spin-off show Fish at this same time.) Fish "retired" as of Season 4, Episode 2, though he returned for two guest appearances, one later in Season 4 and one in Season 7. |
| Max Gail Max Gail Maxwell Trowbridge "Max" Gail, Jr. is an American actor who has starred in stage, television, and film roles. He most notably portrayed the role of Detective Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz on the television sitcom Barney Miller.... |
Detective Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz | |
|
| Ron Glass Ron Glass Ronald E. "Ron" Glass is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as the witty Det. Ron Harris in the television sitcom Barney Miller , and as the spiritual Shepherd Derrial Book in the short-lived 2002 science fiction series Firefly and its sequel film Serenity.-Early life:Glass was... |
Detective Ron Harris Ron Harris (detective) Ron Harris was a fictional police detective from the television show Barney Miller. He was played by actor Ron Glass.In addition to his police work, Harris was also a writer. He published a book called "Blood on the Badge" about the experiences of a New York police officer... |
|
|
| Jack Soo Jack Soo Jack Soo was a Japanese American actor. He is best known for his role as Detective Nick Yemana on the television sitcom Barney Miller.-Early life:... |
Sergeant Nick Yemana | |
A regular in Seasons 1 to 5, Soo died on January 11, 1979 (midway through Season 5). A special memorial episode was aired, with the actors breaking character and recalling their favorite Yemana scenes. The episode ended with entire cast raising their coffee cups in tribute. |
| Barbara Barrie Barbara Barrie Barbara Barrie is an American actress and author of children's books.-Personal life:Barrie was born as Barbara Ann Berman in Chicago, Illinois, of Jewish heritage, the daughter of Frances Rose and Louis Berman. She was raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. She graduated from University of Texas,... |
Elizabeth "Liz" Miller | |
Though appearing in only a handful of episodes after the pilot, Barrie received billing in the opening credits of every episode in Seasons 1 and 2. Often mentioned, her character returned for a two-part guest appearance in Season 5. |
| Gregory Sierra Gregory Sierra Gregory Sierra is an American actor known for his roles as Detective Sergeant Chano Amenguale on Barney Miller and as Julio Fuentes, the Puerto Rican neighbor of Fred G... |
Sergeant Chano Amenguale | |
|
| James Gregory James Gregory (actor) James Gregory was an American character actor noted for his deep, gravelly voice and playing brash roles such as McCarthy-like Senator John Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate , the audacious General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and loudmouthed Inspector Luger in Barney Miller... |
Deputy Inspector Franklin D. Luger | |
A regular character throughout the series, usually seen in about a third to a half of any given season's episodes. Gregory was only listed in the opening credits during Season 4; in other seasons, he was listed as a "Special Guest" in the closing credits. |
| Steve Landesberg Steve Landesberg Steve Landesberg was an American actor, comedian, and voice actor known for his role as the erudite, unflappable police detective Arthur P... |
Detective Arthur Dietrich Arthur Dietrich Detective Arthur P. Dietrich is a fictional character on the TV series Barney Miller. He is a police officer assigned to the New York City Police Department's 12th Detective Squad, and was played by Steve Landesberg... |
|
Landesberg was first seen as a one-shot character, a priest (Father Paul), in Season 2 Episode 1 - "Doomsday". Later that year, he appeared in one episode as Dietrich, a transfer from the 33rd when budget cuts closed that precinct. He became a semi-regular in Season 3 and a full-time cast member from Season 4 onwards. |
| Ron Carey Ron Carey (actor) Ron Carey was an American film and television actor. The 5-foot 4-inch actor was best known for playing cocky Officer Carl Levitt on TV's Barney Miller, in which he was almost always surrounded by male actors who stood at least 4" taller... |
Officer Carl Levitt | |
Carey first appeared as a perp, Angelo "The Mole" Molinari, in the last episode of Season 2. He began his role as a recurring character, Officer Levitt, in Season 3, becoming a full-time cast member by Season 4. |
Other officers and staff
| Actor | Character | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milt Kogan Milt Kogan Milt Kogan is an American actor. He is best known for playing the desk sergeant, Officer Kogan, on the television series Barney Miller in 1975.... |
Officer Kogan | |
Though not seen after Season 2, Kogan (the downstairs desk sergeant) was frequently referred to throughout the series run. |
| Paul Lichtman | Mr. Beckman, the building repairman | |
|
| George Murdock George Murdock (actor) George Murdock is an American actor.Known for frequently playing judges, , he also performed the role of "Big Daddy" in Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with the Arizona Theater Company during the 1988... ‡ |
Lt. Ben Scanlon, Internal Affairs | |
A member of the Internal Affairs Department Internal affairs (law enforcement) The internal affairs division of a law enforcement agency investigates incidents and plausible suspicions of lawbreaking and professional misconduct attributed to officers on the force... , the eternally suspicious Scanlon was not attached to the 12th Precinct. His visits from headquarters involved trying to find corruption inside the 12th Precinct. |
| Linda Lavin Linda Lavin Linda Lavin is an American singer and actress. She is best known for playing the title character in the sitcom Alice and for her Broadway performances.After acting as a child, Lavin joined the Compass Players in the late 1950s... |
Detective Janice Wentworth | |
After a short run as a regular guest on Barney Miller (beginning with Episode 8 of the first season, "Ms. Cop"), Lavin left the series to star in Alice Alice (TV series) Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to July 2, 1985 on CBS. The series was based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start her life over again, and finds a job... . Wentworth's name can still be seen on the staff duty roster through most of Season 3. |
| June Gable June Gable June Gable is an American Character actress, best known for her role as Estelle Leonard of The Estelle Leonard Talent Agency in the American sitcom Friends.-Life and career:... |
Detective Maria Battista | |
Short-lived addition to the 12th Precinct's detective room, lasting only 2 episodes |
| Mari Gorman Mari Gorman Mari Gorman is an American actress perhaps best known for her work in television. One of her first major roles was as murder victim and mob pawn Taffy Simms on the soap opera The Edge of Night, in the 1970s.... ‡ |
Officer Roslyn Licori | |
Gorman made a guest appearance (Season 4, Episode 3) as an amateur prostitute housewife, and then, after a three episode run as Licori, in Season 4, she played another recurring role on the show during Season 8, that of Mrs. Binder, wife of frequent precinct visitor Bruno Binder. |
| Dino Natali Dino Natali Dino Natali is an American actor who is best known for playing Officer Zatelli, the gay police officer, on the sitcom Barney Miller.He also guest-starred on The Lucy Show and Get Smart and had a small appearance in the movie Love at First Bite .-External links:... |
Officer Zatelli | |
A gay officer. Particularly loathed by the homophobic Lt. Scanlon, who desperately wants to find a reason to fire him. |
| Paul Lieber Paul Lieber Paul Lieber is an American stage, television, and film actor. He is best known for playing Eric Dorsey in the television series Barney Miller in 1980.He also appeared in other television series including:* Californication* St... ‡ |
Detective Eric Dorsey | |
Another short-run detective (3 episodes). |
‡ Murdock, Gorman and Leiber all made guest appearances in other roles in addition to their regularly recurring series roles.
12th Precinct regulars
The 12th Precinct had a number of regular complainants, habitués of the holding cell, or other people who often dropped by. Characters seen on three or more episodes included:| Actor | Character | # of appearances | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack DeLeon Jack DeLeon Jack DeLeon was an American actor. He is best known for playing Marty Morrison on the television series Barney Miller from 1975 to 1982. His grave is located at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Simi Valley, California. He was the voice of Sergeant Samuel McPherson in the Dr. Seuss animated telefilm... |
Marty Morrison | |
|
Marty, a gay man, is arrested for snatching purses in the series' second episode. Later he is occasionally brought in as a suspect, other times as a complainant. |
| Alex Henteloff Alex Henteloff Alex Henteloff is an American actor.Born in Los Angeles, California, he portrayed the attorney Arnold Drake Ripner in a recurring on the television series Barney Miller... ‡ |
Arnold Ripner | An ambulance-chasing attorney, Ripner visited the precinct whenever he had a client to defend. (He also sometimes visited just to drum up business amongst those in the holding cell.) Ripner later sued Harris for Harris' depiction of him in his novel Blood On The Badge. | ||
| Stanley Brock ‡ | Bruno Binder | A vigilante frequently in trouble for his overzealous ways. | ||
| Ray Stewart | Darryl Driscoll | Marty's somewhat more sensible and grounded lover, who lent Marty moral support during his visits to the precinct. | ||
| Jack Somack | Mr. Cotterman | Owner of the frequently-robbed Cotterman's Liquor Store. | ||
| John Dullaghan John Dullaghan John Dullaghan is an American television actor who portrayed Ray Brewer on Barney Miller .-External links:... ‡ |
Ray Brewer | A lonely transient, Ray stopped by the precinct during open houses to talk and sample the coffee. | ||
| J.J. Barry ‡ | Arthur Duncan | A small-time crook and frequent arrestee. | ||
| Doris Roberts Doris Roberts Doris Roberts is an American character actress of film, stage and television. She has received five Emmy Awards. She began her career in 1952, and may be best-known as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond from 1996–2005.... ‡ |
Harriet Brauer | Along with her husband Phillip, a frequent complainant. | ||
| Peter Hobbs | Phillip Brauer | |||
| Ralph Manza ‡ | Leon Roth | A blind shoplifter who was caught on several occasions. |
‡ The actor also was cast in at least one other role at some point during the series run.
Note that Buddy Lester
Buddy Lester
Buddy Lester was a veteran actor of dozens of character roles of film and television, who regularly appeared in Jerry Lewis features, including The Patsy, The Ladies Man, The Nutty Professor, Three on a Couch, Smorgasbord, Hardly Working" and The Big Mouth.Lester also portrayed Vince Massler, one...
plays a bookie in three episodes, but twice the bookie is called Harry and once Sidney. It is not clear whether this was meant to be the same character.
Seen in two episodes apiece were delusional "werewolf" Mr. Stefan Kopeckne; Yacov Berger (Nehemiah Persoff
Nehemiah Persoff
Nehemiah Persoff is an American film and television character actor. He was born in Jerusalem, Palestine Mandate.Born in what is now part of Israel, Persoff emigrated with his family to the United States in 1929...
); and Flasher
Exhibitionism
Exhibitionism refers to a desire or compulsion to expose parts of one's body – specifically the genitals or buttocks of a man or woman, or the breasts of a woman – in a public or semi-public circumstance, in crowds or groups of friends or acquaintances, or to strangers...
Lyle W. Farber (Ron Feinberg
Ron Feinberg
Ronald A. Feinberg was an American character actor and voice actor who appeared in films and on television. He can be seen playing the character Fellini opposite Don Johnson in the postapocalyptic film A Boy and His Dog. Ron made a number of appearance on Mission: Impossible...
).
Fish's family
Fish's wife Bernice made an appearance from time to time in Seasons 1 to 3. In Seasons 1 and 3 she was played by Florence StanleyFlorence Stanley
Florence Stanley was an American actress of stage, film, and television.-Early life and career:Florence Stanley was born as Florence Schwartz in Chicago, the daughter of Hanna and Jack Schwartz. She began a long career on stage, film and TV starting in the 1940s...
(in a total of six appearances); in Bernice's only Season 2 appearance she was portrayed by Doris Belack. In that episode, Fish also had a grown daughter named Beverly played by Emily Levine. Also seen as recurring characters in Season 3 were group home children Jilly (Denise Miller
Denise Miller
Denise Miller was an American actress who appeared in television sit-coms Archie Bunker's Place, Fish, and the made-for-television movie Sooner or Later....
) and Victor (John Cassisi
John Cassisi
John Cassisi is a former American child actor who starred in the television show Fish and in the movie Bugsy Malone as Fat Sam. He is now married with three children and is involved in construction work.-External links:...
), who would eventually become Fish's foster children. In 1977, the Fishes were spun off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
into their own show, Fish
Fish (TV series)
Fish was a spin-off television series of the sitcom Barney Miller. It starred Abe Vigoda as New York Police Department Detective Phil Fish and Florence Stanley as his wife Bernice.- Overview :...
.
Barney's family
In addition to Barney's wife Liz, Barney's son David (Michael Tessier) and daughter Rachel (Anne WyndhamAnne Wyndham
Anne Wyndham is an American actress who is best known for portraying Rachel Miller, the daughter of Barney Miller, in the television series Barney Miller....
) appeared in the pilot. Barney's children were written out of the show after the first episode (though they were still often mentioned), while his wife made appearances through the second season. Wyndham also reprised her role in two later episodes.
Pilot
The series sprang from an unsold television pilotTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
, The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller, that aired on August 22, 1974 as part of an ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
summer anthology series, Just for Laughs. Linden and Vigoda were cast in their series roles; no other eventual cast members were present. Abby Dalton
Abby Dalton
Abby Dalton is an American actress.Born as Marlene Wasden in Las Vegas, Nevada, she has made numerous appearances on television, including the recurring role of "Julia Cumson" on Falcon Crest...
played Barney Miller's wife, Liz. The pilot script was later largely re-used in the debut episode "Ramon".
Opening theme
The distinctive opening notes of the bass line of Jack Elliott and Allyn FergusonAllyn Ferguson
Allyn Malcolm Ferguson Jr. was an American composer, best known for the themes for 1970s television programs Barney Miller and Charlie's Angels, which he co-wrote with Jack Elliott...
's theme music, performed by studio musician Jim Hughart, are played over a shot of the New York skyline
Skyline
A skyline is the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of fingerprint of a city, as...
as seen from the water of Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay, or Upper Bay, is the traditional heart of the Port of New York and New Jersey, and often called New York Harbor. It is enclosed by the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island and the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Jersey City and Bayonne.It...
— from Season 2 on, with a garbage barge being towed in the foreground — followed by shots of the characters. Several slightly different versions of the theme featuring minor variations in composition and performance were used during different seasons. The closing credits featured a different shot of the skyline.
Production
As the show progressed, and especially by the final seasons, the program became unusual for its increasing resemblance to a stage play, in that its scenes almost never strayed from the single set of the precinct station's squadroom, with its prominent open-barred holding cell, and Miller's adjoining office. Almost all of the action and dialog took place on this single set. Characters came and went, but they were virtually never shown outside or in other buildings. Moreover, each episode in the later seasons usually took place within the course of a single workday. Thus, Barney Miller tended to obey two of the three classical unitiesClassical unities
The classical unities, Aristotelian unities or three unities are rules for drama derived from a passage in Aristotle's Poetics. In their neoclassical form they are as follows:...
of drama, unity of place and unity of time. The third unity, unity of action, was not followed, since each episode had multiple subplots.
The show became notorious in the industry for its marathon taping sessions. In the beginning, it was taped in front of a studio audience. After the audience left, creator and executive producer Danny Arnold
Danny Arnold
Danny Arnold was an American producer, writer, comedian, actor and director known for producing Barney Miller, That Girl and Bewitched.-Life and career:...
would begin to rewrite and restage scenes, sometimes heavily so; a taping session that began in the afternoon or early evening would then continue on into the early morning hours. Max Gail referred to this in the Jack Soo retrospective episode; he remarked that one of the clips shown was a scene that "we finished around 2:30 in the morning." In a 1977 blooper
Blooper
A blooper, also known as an outtake or boner is a short sequence of a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms of misspoken words...
, a crew member mentions it being 3:15 a.m.
Writer Tom Reeder described working on the show thusly:
Marty and Darryl were among the earliest recurring gay characters on American television. Danny Arnold worked closely with the Gay Media Task Force, an activist group that worked on LGBT representation in media, in developing the characters. Initially both characters were presented in a stereotypically effeminate manner but in later appearances Darryl began dressing and speaking in a more mainstream fashion. Officer Zitelli's coming out was the first gay story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
on American television, occurring across the series' sixth and seventh seasons.
Ratings
- 1974–1975: #70
- 1975–1976: #38
- 1976–1977: #17
- 1977–1978: #18
- 1978–1979: #16
- 1979–1980: #21
- 1980–1981: #33
- 1981–1982: #54
Awards and honors
Barney Miller won the DGA AwardDirectors Guild of America Awards
The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D.W. Griffith....
from the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
in 1981.
The series won a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
for Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an Emmy given to the best television comedy series of the year.-Winners and nominees:...
in 1982, after it was concluded. It also won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series in 1980 and Outstanding Directing in a Comedy or Comedy-Variety or Music Series in 1979, and was nominated for numerous others.
It won the Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for Best Television Comedy or Musical Series in 1976 and 1977, and was nominated for various other Golden Globe Awards.
The show won the Peabody Award
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
in 1979.
DVD releases
Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentSony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
has released the first 3 seasons of Barney Miller on DVD in Region 1. Season 1 was released on January 20, 2004, to slow sales, and Sony decided not to release any more seasons. However, the decision was later reversed and Season 2 was released in 2008 (four years after the release of Season 1), followed by Season 3 in 2009.
On July 11, 2011, it was announced that Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
has acquired the rights to the series and they released a complete series set on October 25, 2011. The 25-disc set features all 168 episodes of the series as well as many bonus features, including the first season of the spin-off, Fish
Fish (TV series)
Fish was a spin-off television series of the sitcom Barney Miller. It starred Abe Vigoda as New York Police Department Detective Phil Fish and Florence Stanley as his wife Bernice.- Overview :...
.
Season 1 was released on DVD in Region 4 on December 20, 2006.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| The First Season | 13 | January 20, 2004 |
| The Complete Second Season | 22 | January 22, 2008 |
| The Complete Third Season | 22 | March 17, 2009 |
| The Complete Series | 168 | October 25, 2011 |