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DVD Barney Miller - The First Season
The brainchild of veteran writer-directors Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker, the comedy/drama Barney Miller (1975-1982) offered a very human look at the inner workings of a New York City police precinct; its wry and observant scripts, aided by a stellar cast, helped earn the series three Emmy Awards and a devoted fan base, which should be pleased by this two-disc set that compiles its entire first season. Viewers familiar with the series' later seasons will notice substantial differences in the cast and storyline; episodes divide Barney's (Hal Linden) time evenly between the 12th Precinct and his apartment, which he shares with wife Barbara Barrie and two children (all of whom would be phased out of the series). The first season squad was composed of Abe Vigoda's dyspeptic Fish, the overeager Wojciehowicz (Max Gail), dry-witted Yemana (Jack Soo, who passed away during the fifth season), and street-smart Chano (Gregory Sierra, who departed the series after the second season); Ron Glass's dapper Harris would not be listed in the opening credits until subsequent seasons.
Arnold, along with Chris Hayward (Get Smart) and other scribes, would pen the majority of the first season, which set the tone for the series by pitting the squad against a host of offbeat criminals, other cops, and regular citizens, several of whom would become semi-regulars; James Gregory's crusty Inspector Luger makes his debut in "Vigilante" (episode 9), while unscrupulous lawyer Arnold Ripner (Alex Henteloff) and Detective Wentworth (a pre-Alice Linda Lavin) have their first appearances in "The Experience" (episode 2) and "Ms. Cop" (episode 8), respectively.
Columbia/TriStar's two-disc set offers all 13 episodes of the first season, as well as short credit lists for some of the major players; the little-seen 1974 pilot, "The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller," might have made an interesting supplemental feature, but fans should be pleased to have this set regardless. --Paul Gaita
I would give this six stars, if we were allowed more....
For anyone who isn't familiar with Barney Miller, I reccomend you purchase your very own copy of the first season of this brilliant show, and acquainte yourself with its wit, intelligence and authenticity. My only qualm is that this is the only season that has been released on DVD (they really need to transfer the rest of the seasons). What sets Barney Miller apart from other sit coms/dramas I have seen on television, is its distinctive and intelligent approach to humor. The characters are not only believeable and very down to earth, but really potentially loaded topics are handled in a very sensitive and insightful way. You walk away feeling not only entertained, but more intelligent. This is a timeless quality to the series that makes it just funny, now, as it was thirty years ago.
Captain Barney Miller (Hal Linden), head of the 12th Precinct in New York City, works and interacts with a range of characters (in and outside his office). These characters include the hilarious and swarthy Sargaent Amenguale, crusty Det. Phil Fish (Abe Vigoda), child-like Det. Stanley "Wojo" Wojciehowicz (Max Gail), insightful Det. Nick Yemana (Jack Soo), poetic and outspoken Det. Ron Harris (Ron Glass) and lone female Det. Janice Wentworth (Lina Lavin). Together, they make quite a team, abundant with classic one liners and insightful observations about the world.
Episodes run the gamet of just about every scenario you can imagine (everything from prostitution to mental illness to drug addiction). The subject matter is handled sensitively and thoughtfully. Capt. Miller is more of a social worker, than a cop, and we see his character as a strong, yet compassionate, man. If you thought NYPD Blue gave you glimpse into the work of detective and police work in NYC, give Barney Miller a try. You will be glad you did.......
FANS WANT MORE!!!!!!
This show was consistently smart and hysterically funny throughout most of it's run. But what's the delay with ensuing seasons?!?!?!
You can get virtually every season of current shows like "Buffy", "Charmed" and "Smallville", but you can't get season 2 of seminal sitcom classics (and I DO MEAN CLASSICS!!!!) like "Barney Miller", and "The Odd Couple". What gives??? Is this an ABC network issue?
Fans of these shows have $$$$ to spend on these classics, but if you wait too long, age could become a factor and there will be no one left to buy them!!!
; )
Cop Says: BEST COP SHOW...EVER!
As a kid growing up in Brooklyn in the 70's I never missed an episode of BM.
When I eventually grew up and joined the NYPD in 1987, I realized that a lot of squad rooms around the city had (characters)cops, sergeants, Lt's and Captains just like those seen on TV.
This was the most life-like comparison to the real squads in the NYPD - in some cases BM was more normal.
Hail, Taxi. It's great to finally have one of the defining sitcoms of the 1970s available on DVD to take out for a spin. This character-driven humane comedy from the creators of The Mary Tyler Moore Show rolled out of the garage with a full tank of gas: a lightning-in-a-bottle ensemble, smart, witty, and compassionate writing, and extraordinary characters. The Sunshine Cab Company was a much grittier workplace than the sunny WJM newsroom. Its down, but never out employees--single mother Elaine (Marilu Henner), aspiring actor Bobby (Jeff Conaway), hapless boxer Tony (Tony Danza), reptilian dispatcher Louis (Danny DeVito), naive rube John (Randall Carver), and indeterminately foreign mechanic Latka (comic iconoclast Andy Kaufman)--struggled to keep rolling along. Judd Hirsch's... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Judd Hirsch DVD Release Date: Released the 12 October 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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I recently showed my wife taxi for the first time. She says she enjoys the series. She likes the variety of personalities and how each episode takes one of those personalities.
Great Show!! All three seasons are fun!! Looking forward to season four. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Judd Hirsch DVD Release Date: Released the 01 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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It doesn't seem possible, but the second season of Soap is even better than the first. Only the greatest primetime sitcoms achieve triple-threat genius: Casting, writing, and direction reached their zenith as the 1978-79 season began with a resolution to season 1's cliffhanger murder. Chester (Robert Mandan) loses his memory and wander out west while his ditzy wife Jessica (Katherine Helmond) enjoys a fling with the detective (new cast member John Byner) she'd hired to find Chester. Across town, the working-class Campbells have their own melodramas to contend with: Despite being gay, stepson Jodie (Billy Crystal) is an expectant father and moves in with pregnant Carol (Rebecca Balding), and later a lesbian roommate; Mary (Cathryn Damon) suspects Burt (Richard Mulligan) of having an... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Billy Crystal DVD Release Date: Released the 20 July 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Even before it premiered on September 13, 1977 (Tuesdays at 9:30 pm on ABC), Soap was mired in controversy (including 32,000 letters of protest) and primed to make television history. Conceived as a primetime satire of daytime melodramas, this groundbreaking series toppled many of the TV taboos that remained after All in the Family and M*A*S*H, openly addressing a variety of risky topics (homosexuality, infidelity, impotence, familial murder) with a deft combination of irreverent wit, wacky slapstick, supreme stupidity, and--key to its success--engaging drama from characters you could really care about, regardless of their rampant quirks and foibles.
As a friendly announcer informs us, "this is the story of two sisters" in suburban Connecticut--wealthy dimwit... More Info about this DVD Director(s): J.D. Lobue DVD Release Date: Released the 16 September 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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In addition to inspiring a college drinking game that's never gone out of style, The Bob Newhart Show gave one of America's greatest stand-up comedians a perfect sitcom showcase. This wasn't Newhart's first TV show (following the success of his comedy albums, he hosted a short-lived variety show in 1961-62), but it was the first to transfer his wry, inimitable wit to an effective alter ego, and as mild-mannered psychologist Bob Hartley, 43-year-old Newhart found a sublime character conduit for stone-faced sarcasm that was biting but never malicious.
Watch our exclusive... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 12 April 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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