Barney Miller

[bagga]

my favorite episode of barney miller was when they brought a guy in that said he was a werwolf.

 

[heysox]

The thread has wandered, so I don't feel amiss in mentioning that Hal Linden was an excellent singer and musician as well as an actor.

 

[Buford57]

Someone mentioned cops copying things they see on TV & I saw this too. When Hill Street was running our young uniformed officers wanted to look like the actors on that show, wearing all sorts of unauthorized stuff. I was the midnight shift commander at the time and we'd watch a few minutes of the show after roll call, but had to make sure our charges followed the uniform rules.

In either the first or second episode Sgt. Esterhouse orders the shift to deposit any unauthorized weapons on the table during roll call. Everything from razors to nunchucks to any gun you can imagine comes out of coat pockets, boots and ditty bags. Just after "be careful out there" he tells them to "get all this junk out of my muster room" and it all goes back whence it came.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

my favorite episode was called "The Harris Incident" that was about a racial issue and had a great "Wojo" speech at the end that brought the guys all together after a tense situation. A touchy subject well done and realistically.
Sometimes Barney's Det. Special wears black pearl plastic grips. And Harris with white grips and maybe nickel plated. "Deitrich" would be a formidable Trivial Persuit opponent. The stuff he comes up with is some of my favorite parts about the show.

 

[Chazman1946]

Being a retired Chicago Homicide Detective, I can only add to other comments that this was the most realistic Police show about Detectives ever made, at least as far as the Squad room banter.

 

[Rudi]

It was a great show. Good writing, characters, and actors.

 

[crazyphil]

OP, funny how you and I notice these kind of things.
Steve

Some of the places we see them wearing their guns makes me
think they would have to be contortionists to get hold of their
guns.

 

[crazyphil]

Very early this morning I watched a Barney episode that was kind of
a tribute to Jack Soo. It must have been filmed not too long after he
passed away. Lots of outtakes from previous episodes featuring Jack.
He was well loved by the cast.

 

[Chazman1946]

Some of the places we see them wearing their guns makes me
think they would have to be contortionists to get hold of their
guns.

In a Detective squad room there was always a small group of "house mouse's" who seldom if ever hit the street, the desk men, the unit secretaries, those on limited duty that manned the phones.

It wouldn't be unusual to see them carrying a five shot chief in the most comfortable manner they could, not really ready to use it, and in most cases not even carrying extra ammo.

 

[DevilDog72]

oh....... well

Now I got to go and watch reruns...…. I do remember watching this show and Dragnet. Wow forgotten good times.

 

[S.B.]

Now I got to go and watch reruns...…. I do remember watching this show and Dragnet. Wow forgotten good times.

I just watched Jack Webb in the "DI" a night or so back, brought back memories.
Steve

 

[Mikecu]

After spending 39 years working in the criminal justice system I only have one thing to say about Barney Miller-- The most realistic police show ever filmed!!!!!

How do feel about "The Wire"?

 

[kmyers]

Peak I don't believe I have ever seen an episode that a gun was actually shot. I did see an episode recently where all were being held at gun point but even then no gun was fired.

From articles I read Andy Griffith was anti gun which might have been why he seldom had a gun on himself in the shows. Even Barney had his one bullet in his pocket.

There was an episode where Andy does shoot his pistol in the line of duty. One of the later seasons where Barney has moved on. There was a printing shop opened in Mayberry where counterfeiting was going on and when the criminals were fleeing Andy shoots at the car to stop them from escaping.

Barney Miller a wonderful show and favorite for both of us here. My favorite scene from the show was the one with Jeff Corey(the original Tom Chaney from True Grit) as a mugged Amish man:

"Some scalawags mocked my garb and stole my purse."

Harris: "Scalawags? I will look through the records of the local ne'er do wells.".

 

[PALADIN85020]

Oh, Barney Miller. For a moment there, I thought you were referring to this world-famous law enforcement officer...

John

 

[.357magger]

It was a great show. Good writing, characters, and actors.

Agreed.

Shame of it is that this show wouldn't even be considered to be made today, since police officers are no longer people to some. Particularly those who decide what shows to make. Sad.

 

[pantannojack]

I was watching an old re-run of Barney Miller this morning.
Noticed that Nick was wearing his revolver in a cross-draw
that looked like a Hunter Combat Action holster. The model
with the spring and opening at the rear of the holster. As I
watched I observed what some of the other detectives were
wearing. Good old show for holster watchers.

PS I know, I know, I have to get a life.

What better life could thee be than binge watching Barney Miller?

 

[ostlund]

I'm another fan of the show. I think with the re-runs I've finally seen all the episodes. Not to throw water on this but there is only one thing I didn't like and that was his stance on gun control.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Pretty hard to find an image of that character showing gun and holster. Back then, in real life, holsters used would have come from Jay-Pee or one of the other makers of authorized holsters.

 

[quikdraw67]

The thread has wandered, so I don't feel amiss in mentioning that Hal Linden was an excellent singer and musician as well as an actor.

A clarinet player IIRC.

Yes, it was a great show, very good cast.

It shows how good TV used to be back in the day of the 3 networks and PBS.

Today, don't get me started.

 

[clang444]

Not just a good show, but one of the best theme songs ever.

 

[max503]

From articles I read Andy Griffith was anti gun which might have been why he seldom had a gun on himself in the shows. Even Barney had his one bullet in his pocket.

Yes but you can tell he knows how to properly handle a gun. If you notice, almost every time he handles a gun on the show he points it away from everyone and checks the chamber to make sure it's empty.
Most actors treat guns like tennis rackets and such.

 

[sigp220.45]

Not just a good show, but one of the best theme songs ever.

How right you are.

I worked at the bus station on the 3pm to 11pm shift when I was in college. The office folks upstairs left at 5, at which point I would go across the street to Kelly's Brass Rail for take out brats and tall boys. By 630 my ticket counter buddy and I would be feeling good and Barney Miller would be starting up on the little TV we had stashed away. I would hold the PA mike up to the TV and blast that awesome start to the song for all to enjoy.

 

[ZGrand]

I just watched a re-run episode of Barney Miller a couple of days ago. It was an early one, where Chano was still on the show. I always liked him.

Had to shake my head when the opening credits showed the NY skyline with the Twin Towers standing proudly.

 

[WR Moore]

I've posted this elsewhere, but in the '70's I had a lot of (professional) contact with detectives in a major city PD. I was puzzled by all the folks who carried their snubby's on the point of the opposite hip. I'd have bet a months pay that they needed the other hand to put the gun in the shooting hand. But, I figured they managed to qualify and actually got face to face with very few bad folks suddenly.

Then I happened to be where I could watch a few qualify. They'd take their old duty holsters, pistols and ammo carriers out of a brief case, put them on their pants belt and shoot. Afterward, went back into the brief case till next year.

 

[fishwishin]

I love cop shows of all types, but for the life of me I just cannot get into Barney Miller, never have been. I know, I know- wet blanket!

 

[Muley Gil]

I've posted this elsewhere, but in the '70's I had a lot of (professional) contact with detectives in a major city PD. I was puzzled by all the folks who carried their snubby's on the point of the opposite hip. I'd have bet a months pay that they needed the other hand to put the gun in the shooting hand. But, I figured they managed to qualify and actually got face to face with very few bad folks suddenly.

Then I happened to be where I could watch a few qualify. They'd take their old duty holsters, pistols and ammo carriers out of a brief case, put them on their pants belt and shoot. Afterward, went back into the brief case till next year.

My department was like that for a number of years. One of our detectives carried a S&W M59 on duty, but on range day, he showed up with a 6" Python in a cowboy Buscadero rig!

We finally got to the point where everybody qualified with their duty sidearms.

 

[STCM(SW)]

I like the show and watch it every night it is on during the week.
Classic good TV show.

 

[S-W4EVER]

My Counselor in College (a retired Police Lieutenant) told us that "Barney Miller" was the most realistic cop show on TV.

No, there were no scenes where a gun was fired that I remember. Almost every scene was set in the squad room, so you wouldn't expect much gunfire. They would refer to shooting incidents. I recall one episode that dealt with Chano shooting a guy and how he dealt with it...

I think the show where Chano shot those two robbers moved me more than any other episode. Chano seemed to have an extra measure of compassion to begin with and like all good LEO's he never wanted to hurt anyone. IIRC at the end of the shift he went home to an empty apartment to grieve.

As far as "Hill Street Blues", our shift (except for the Sergeant) used to meet to watch it (IIRC it was every Thursday night) as no one we knew had a VCR.

 

[jag312]

When we started our careers, we identified with Wojo. By the time we started to retire, we identified with Fish.

 

[dasnake]

For me.

Yes but you can tell he knows how to properly handle a gun. If you notice, almost every time he handles a gun on the show he points it away from everyone and checks the chamber to make sure it's empty.
Most actors treat guns like tennis rackets and such.

One time he was showing Barney's gun to Opies friend, the gun had already been fired (Barney) and Andy showed the proper way to clear it, finger off the trigger and pointed away to dry fire, not bad TV gun handling.