![]() That is, it’s not as if there’s brilliant drama here heck, many of the year’s narratives are lame retreads from earlier, better seasons. This reinforces my macro analysis of Barney Miller‘s shortcomings relative to its contemporaries, for with a legacy built on believability, the season that projects it best - the most perfect on this metric - proves to not only be less funny (next to One as the least), but actively dismissive of humor, without a worthwhile trade. Yet this focus also minimizes results - namely, laughs, which I specify because, actually, Seven manages to preserve some drama, with a serious and occasionally dour sensibility (sometimes didactic) that can be effective, but squashes comedy, rendering levity even less of a presence than ever before. Indeed, Seven is the most naturalistic year of the entire run. It’s evidenced both in the year’s dramatically intelligent continuity, which reaches a climax via the libel arc with Harris’ book, and in producer Tony Sheehan’s (and Frank Dungan & Jeff Stein’s) 180-degree rejection of Reinhold Weege’s truth-stretching style, as they hone their sincere aesthetic that developed during Six by further tamping down on extremes, underplaying everything - even big ideas are muted - so that the leads, and the show, can grow more true-to-life. Season Seven is the apex of Barney Miller‘s realism. Please read my new book, “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” on Amazon ( link here ).Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, we’re continuing our coverage on the best of Barney Miller (1975-1982, ABC), which is currently available in full on DVD.īarney Miller stars HAL LINDEN as Barney, MAX GAIL as Wojo, RON GLASS as Harris, RON CAREY as Levitt, and STEVE LANDESBERG as Dietrich. It matters not whether you grew up in New York City you will laugh and smile. If you are interested in a throwback television show, this one is for you. ![]() Bad coffee, dysfunctional bathroom, malfunctioning air conditioning, absent senior headquarters, and a host of typical people coming into the squad room and the detectives solving their problems. Usually, there are two or three subplots in a given episode. The plot regularly revolves around the detectives bringing several complainants or suspects into the squad room. And although there are many others, Jack Soo stands out as Sergeant Nick Yemana, a Japanese American who is a wisecracking, dry-witted, gambling, erratic drinker who makes terrible coffee. Gregory Sierra, as Sergeant “Chano” Amenguale, the Puerto Rican who is emotionally attached to his job and regularly reverts to manic Spanish when things go awry. Abe Vigoda, as the older Sergeant Philip Fish, crotchety, near retirement, suffering from some physical ailment. Ron Glass, as the only black detective Ron Harris, ambitious, intelligent, with a taste for the finer things in life, is preoccupied with being a writer. As detective “Wojo” Wojciehowicz, Max Gail is the naïve, gung-ho, Catholic Polish-American who gradually transforms from macho Marine to humanitarian. Hal Linden as Captain Miller, the sensible, poised precinct captain who remains calm and deals with the quirks of his staff with a sense of humor. What made the show stand out, and this is my wife’s opinion as well, was the “strong characters” employed. ![]() As part of the scene, the crew is part of the NYPD fictional 12th Precinct located on the west side of Lower Manhattan in NYC. The show takes place almost entirely in the confines of the detective’s squad room and Captain Barney Miller’s adjoining office (to make it easier to film before a live audience). If you grew up in New York City, there are plenty of references only New Yorkers can understand. The success of Barney Miller is the chemistry between actors, good writing, believable but zany plots, and plenty of humor that made the show enjoyable to watch. It takes a lot of horsepower and fortitude to keep a television show going for more than one season. One day she said, “Hey, you got to see this show.” I remembered watching it years ago before I was married. My wife, Nancy, is always looking for something to watch. It was with great interest that drove me to watch an old television sitcom from my past, Barney Miller (1975 to 1982), set in a New York City Police Department police station.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |