YES! YES! YES! One of my all-time favorite sit-coms from the 70s is finally being released on DVD. I know it probably seems like every TV series is a favorite of mine, but that really isn’t the case. It’s just that there were so many good shows on TV back when I was growing up, and they all seem to be coming out on DVD at the same time. In this particular case, the ‘fave show’ in question is “Barney Miller.” That’s right, I see all of you who are over 40 nodding your heads. You know the show and you know the characters. “Barney Miller” ran from 1975 to 1982 and took place in New York’s 12th Precinct. It still stands as one of the best and funniest police sit-coms ever. There were no great location shots or car chases, just some terrific character actors using perfect comedic timing to deliver hysterically funny dialogue. Hal Linden led the pack as Miller, who was a no-nonsense cop, holding together as diverse a group of people as you might ever find. Linden played this character with a sincere realism, which served to make the series believable, even in the face of some ridiculous situations.

Abe Vigoda starred as Detective Fish, whose lugubrious nature made him one the show’s most memorable characters, in spite of only being in the first two seasons. We also had Max Gail as Wojciehowicz (Wojo), Ron Glass as Harris, Jack Soo as Yemana and Gregory Sierra as Chano. Each and every one of these actors brought something special to the show, so much so that when Vigoda left after the second season to do a spin-off series, his presence was sorely missed. And then when Jack Soo passed away in 1979, once again a void was created that was never completely filled.

Along with the core group that held the series together, there was no shortage of guest stars and welcome recurring characters. Some of my favorite episodes included visits to the station by Inspector Frank Luger. As played by the great James Gregory, Luger was a constant ‘inspiration’ to the men with his loooonnnngggg drrrraaawwwnnn out stories of the old days. And even though she was only around during the first two seasons, I loved Florence Stanley as Fish’s wife, Bernice. That woman could berate a man like no one else.

Sony / Columbia Tristar, who has been at the forefront of DVD releases for these older series, is at it again with a 2-disc set offering up all 13 episodes of the 1975-1976 season. They’ve included a small folded pamphlet that lists all the episodes, along with brief descriptions. As little of an extra as this might seem, there are still a couple of studios that are not doing this, and I for one find it quite helpful. Beyond this insert, there are no real extras to speak of aside from short biographies of some of the cast members.

There is no question that “Barney Miller” deserves this DVD release considering its fan base, as well as it’s much deserved 1976 and 1977 Golden Globe Awards and (long overdue) 1982 Emmy Award. It sits with all the other great ensemble series, like “Cheers”, “Taxi” and “Night Court.” It’s nice to be able to visit these shows once and a while on the various TV Channels that offer them. But these versions are often heavily edited to allow more commercial time. DVD is the only place where you can watch them uncut, the way we were meant to see them.

Starring: Hal Linden, Abe Vigoda, Gregory Sierra, Max Gail, Ron Glass, Linda Lavin, Jack Soo
Extras: TV-ographies, Bonus Trailers
Specifications: Full Frame (1.33:1)
Studio: Sony / Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 1/20/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Barney Miller: Season 1 a B.