Barney Miller


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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About

From Wikipedia:

Barney Miller is an American sitcom set in a New York City Police Department 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.

Captain Barney Miller (Hal Linden) tries to remain sane while leading the 12th Precinct's detectives: crochety, nearing-retirement Jewish-American Philip K. Fish (Abe Vigoda); naive, gung-ho but goodhearted Polish-American Det. Stanley "Wojo" Wojciehowicz (Max Gail); ambitious, intellectual, arrogant African-American Det. Ronald "Ron" Nathan Harris (Ron Glass); philosophical, wisecracking gambler Japanese-American Nick Yemana (Jack Soo); and dauntless beleaguered Puerto Rican Chano Amanguale (Gregory Sierra). Miller also has to deal with his unapologetically old-school superior, Deputy Inspector Frank Luger (James Gregory), and diminutive and obsequious uniformed Officer Carl Levitt (Ron Carey), who passive-aggressively badgers Miller constantly about being promoted to detective. Amanguale was replaced by intellectual Arthur Dietrich (Steve Landesberg) from the third season on.

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 (incontinence), 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 Brown; Levitt's (eventually successful) quest to become a detective; 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.

Highlights
Hal Linden on being cast as the title character in Barney Miller
07:06
George Spiro Dibie on being the director of photography (D.P.) for Barney Miller and creating a distinctive look for the lighting
08:51
Marcy Carsey on suggesting Barney Miller go on the air
00:43
Bill Davis on directing Barney Miller
04:26
Marla Gibbs on the constant rewriting she endured when she was a guest-actor on the Barney Miller episode "Vigilante"
00:48
Who talked about this show

Thomas Azzari

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Thomas Azzari on doing set design for Fish and Barney Miller
06:14

Bruce Bilson

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Bruce Bilson on directing Barney Miller
01:59

Dann Cahn

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Dann Cahn on forming Charlie Chaplin, Jr. productions for a script written by Danny Arnold of That Girl and Barney Miller fame
01:05

Marcy Carsey

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Marcy Carsey on suggesting Barney Miller go on the air
00:43

Bill Davis

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Bill Davis on directing Barney Miller
04:26

George Spiro Dibie

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George Spiro Dibie on being the director of photography (D.P.) for Barney Miller and creating a distinctive look for the lighting
08:51
George Spiro Dibie on lighting Barney Miller
01:22
George Spiro Dibie on lighting multicamera, taped Barney Miller to look like a single camera show
26:02

Ron Friedman

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Ron Friedman on acting as a troubleshooter for shows, including A Year at the Top, and on writing for Barney Miller
02:23

Marla Gibbs

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Marla Gibbs on the constant rewriting she endured when she was a guest-actor on the Barney Miller episode "Vigilante"
00:48

Eddie Foy III

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Eddie Foy III on casting Barney Miller
03:10

David Lee

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David Lee on getting his foot in the door as a writer on The Jeffersons
02:51

Hal Linden

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Hal Linden on being cast as the title character in Barney Miller
07:06
Hal Linden on the character "Barney Miller" on Barney Miller
03:55
Hal Linden on how Barney Miller was described to him
05:24
Hal Linden on shooting the pilots for Barney Miller
06:07
Hal Linden on the choice not to shoot Barney Miller in front of a live audience
09:30
Hal Linden on the weaknesses of "Barney Miller" on Barney Miller and other traits of the character
04:28
Hal Linden on dealing with Standards & Practices on Barney Miller
03:55
Hal Linden on Ron Glass as "Ron Harris" on Barney Miller
03:16
Hal Linden on Gregory Sierra as "Chano Amenguale" on Barney Miller
05:19
Hal Linden on Ron Carey as "Carl Levitt" on Barney Miller
01:07
Hal Linden on Steve Landesberg as "Arthur Dietrich" on Barney Miller
02:33
Hal Linden on Jack Soo as "Nick Yemana" on Barney Miller
08:50
Hal Linden on Abe Vigoda as "Phil Fish" on Barney Miller
03:54
Hal Linden on James Gregory as "Frank Luger" on Barney Miller
06:26
Hal Linden on Barbara Barrie as "Elizabeth Miller" on Barney Miller
03:32
Hal Linden on the ensemble cast of Barney Miller
02:01
Hal Linden on the set and guest actors on Barney Miller
04:29
Hal Linden on his favorite episodes of Barney Miller
02:17
Hal Linden on Barney Miller's relationship to New York City
02:25
Hal Linden on the end of Barney Miller
04:51
Hal Linden on the legacy of Barney Miller
06:12

Warren Littlefield

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Warren Littlefield on Hill Street Blues starting out as "an hour-long Barney Miller"
01:40

Lori Openden

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Lori Openden on getting hired as a secretary on Barnery Miller and getting interested in casting
03:01
Lori Openden on the casting process on Barnery Miller
05:19
Lori Openden on when she left Barnery Miller and began working for MTM - casting The Betty White Show and Rhoda
01:21

Carroll Pratt

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Carroll Pratt on providing a laugh track for Barney Miller, The Love Boat, Mork & Mindy, Eight is Enough, Taxi, and Benson
05:29

John Rich

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Director John Rich on wanting a casting change for the wife in Barney Miller
05:37

Doris Roberts

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Doris Roberts on appearing on Barney Miller
00:24

Alfred Schneider

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Alfred Schneider on Producer Danny Arnold throwing him off the set of Barney Miller
01:10

Jeffrey Tambor

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Jeffrey Tambor on appearing on Barney Miller
02:10

Lou Weiss

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Lou Weiss on packaging Barney Miller
01:43

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