Weekend Buff

Barney Miller (1975-1982)

Barney Miller (1975-1982)

An absolute classic show. Barney Miller is the gold standard for police comedies, one with many imitators but no duplicators. This was the first police show that I remember watching as a kid as my grandparents tuned in regularly.

Barney Miller relates the investigations, problems, and hijinks of the fictional 12^th Precinct Detective Squad in Greenwich Village New York City. It is a sitcom in the real sense of the word – almost the entire show takes place in the 12^th Precinct Squad room.

Led by Captain Barney Miller, the 12^th Squad is not the ideal of an efficient team of investigators, but they get the job done, just like real NYPD detective squads. The show relies on humor to handle investigations from the ridiculous to the deadly serious. I can tell you from my experience in several NYPD detective squads, that is more like the real thing than most people would guess. Working in a precinct detective squad was my favorite, and funniest, assignment. Humor makes the show and humor eases the tension for real detectives. It is a comedy that hits true to reality.

And that’s why, decades after it went off the air, it remains one of the most authentic police shows ever made. It’s not authentic in the sense of tactics, investigative techniques, or cinematic gunplay. It is authentic in the way detectives recognize immediately. They see themselves in the show. The squad room, the characters, the problems, they just feel right. The exhaustion feels right. The weirdness feels right. The job feels right.

Captain Barney Miller was played by Hal Linden, a Bronx native who is still alive and kicking at 95. Linden won numerous Golden Globes and Emmies for his portrayal of the tired and sarcastic Captain Miller. Linden’s Barney Miller is a subtly funny and competent manager who seems perennially exhausted from long days corralling cats. That’s what being a squad commander feels like. Just managing the chaos.

Linden is supported by a phenomenal cast of characters and actors that portray them. You will find carbon copies of these characters in any detective squad across the country.

Max Gail plays the dedicated but quirky Detective Stanley “Wojo” Wojciehowicz. As other detectives get tired of the routine, Wojo shows up to work ready to conquer the world.

1^st Grade Detective Ronald Harris is played by Ron Glass. He exudes the typical 1^st Grader (perhaps the hardest rank in the NYPD to achieve) vibe – well dressed, professional, and intelligent. He handles his cases with ease and is always looking for his next gig as a writer or actor to get ahead.

The ageless Abe Vigoda portrays Detective Phillip Fish. Vigoda was only 54 when the show started, but he looked like he had aged out of police work years before. And that was the role. Detective Fish was exhausted.

Jack Soo plays Sergeant Nick Yemana, who is hysterical. Yemana is the master of the deadpan one liner. He is competent, has seen it all, but is not bitter. He seems mildly amused by everything going on around him – but don’t drink his coffee, that stuff will kill you.

Other characters include Detective Chano Amengual portrayed by Gregory Sierra, Detective Arthur Dietrich played by Steve Landesberg, Deputy Inspector Frank Luger played by James Gregory, and Liz Miller, Barney’s wife, portrayed by Barbara Barrie.

The actors in this show had a bond that mirrors the bond amongst cops. The cast was close-knit and maintained relationships long after the show ended. Taping was largely drama free and friendly. The first few seasons were filmed in front of a live studio audience and then involved long hours of edits and overwrites. Filming would often last well into the wee hours of the morning. The cast was brought together in tragedy when Jack Soo died of cancer in 1979 while the show was still in production.

Decades after the show ended it is still a favorite of cops across the country. Ask any detective and 90% of them will claim this as their favorite cop show. Not every case is a homicide. Most detectives are catching a mountain of mundane misdemeanors. It gets you bone weary after a while. Barney Miller is a show detectives feel a bond with.

Barney Miller lasted 8 seasons and 171 episodes. Season 3 is probably the best, as the show found its groove. Each episode runs about 25 minutes. You can catch many of them on YouTube for free. Enjoy this timeless classic that rings true and will leave you laughing. Most of the time, this is what police work looks like.

Thanks for reading The Ops Desk. Stay Safe!