Anybody agree?

No, I think he fit perfectly into the mix of comedy styles. You had the "woe is me" dry humor of Fish, Harris' overblown egoism which was unintentionally funny (except his euphemisms for the mental health van, those were on purpose!), Yemana's often 'wtf?' deadpans, Wojo's earnest and blunt naivete, and Dietrich's wry, referential sarcasm.

Honestly, I think I may have laughed more at Dietrich than at anyone else!

I don't agree - I found him hilarious! Dietrich was one know-it-all who really did know it all. :lol: Steve Landesberg did a great job with the character.

Dietrich was my favorite of the detectives at the 12th precinct. But then again sarcasm is my native language!! :lol:

Plus, the Harris/Dietrich "feud" was golden. :lol:

I'll have to add my name to the people who don't agree with you, Brian. :)

I loved Dietrich's dry sarcasm. In fact, I did a report on Steve Landesberg's style of humor for a class in high school.

Them be fighting words! :boxing:

I think Steve Landesberg is one of the most underrated sitcom actors of all
time and that his Dietrich character on Barney Miller was classic.

Them be fighting words! :boxing:
I knew you were going to chime in about this sooner or later!!! :D

I knew you were going to chime in about this sooner or later!!! :D
But of course. :D

Here is Steve Landesberg - as Dietrich and beyond. At the time Barney Miller was going on, Steve's girlfriend was an actress from another ABC sitcom - Diana Canova (Corrine Tate, Soap). She guested on a Barney Miller ep, pictured below (which is I'm guessing how they met).

^ I always had a crush on "Corinne Tate", :).

I thought Canova and Landesberg really had some good chemistry in that episode (she was a prostitute, if I remember correctly).

Sigh. I wonder if I'll ever feel about TV again like I did back then. It's looking doubtful.

Diana Canova guested in the episode "Strip Joint", which aired in Season 6. She played (what else) a stripper. The episode also featured James Cromwell as a guest star.

Diana Canova guested in the episode "Strip Joint", which aired in Season 6. She played (what else) a stripper. The episode also featured James Cromwell as a guest star.

Ahh, OK, thanks for clearing that up. I knew the job was in the 'adult entertainment' field, :lol:.

Ahh, OK, thanks for clearing that up. I knew the job was in the 'adult entertainment' field, :lol:.
No problem! The other "dancer" in that episode was played by Rosanna De Soto, who had previously played one of the hookers in S1's "The Courtesans". She later went on to co-star in Gregory Sierra's (:eyes:) AES Hudson Street and played the mom in 1987's La Bamba.

As for Steve Landesburg and Diana Canova's relationship, it ultimately didn't last. Today, both are married and have children with other people.

Sorry, Brian - you're definitely in the minority here. Not for nothing did Steve Landesberg earn three Emmy nominations for his portrayal of Dietrich. (He lost to Harry Morgan of M*A*S*H in 1980, Danny DeVito of Taxi in 1981, and Christopher Lloyd of Taxi in 1982.)

Dietrich had so many classic lines, delivered in that deadpan style - always had me rolling.

For example:

Clown: Who are you calling "clown"?
Dietrich: Well, if the shoe fits...

Dietrich: Swan Lake is one of the best ballets ever written. It's an artistic
milestone!
Marty: Have you seen it?
Dietrich: I had hockey tickets.

Dietrich: "Those 'Good news, Bad news' jokes kill me..."
Harris: (warily) "But you're not going to tell me one, are you?"
Dietrich: "No...that's the good news..."

When Dietrich is hooked up to a lie detector:

Test Administrator: "Where were you born?"
Dietrich: "It's hard to say, it was long, long ago... in a galaxy far, far away..."
(The lie detector registers that he's telling the truth!!)

Dietrich is booking a prisoner and typing his info, he asks the man's name and he responds "Klein"... unsure of the spelling, he asks, completely DEADPAN...:
Dietrich: "E - I?"
Man: "E - I."
Dietrich: "Oh!"

:rofl:

Oh, here's my favorite Dietrich line - from the Season 4 opener "Goodbye Mr. Fish, Part I". Everyone is worried that Fish hasn't shown up for his last day of work. Barney suggests that Fish just might be out for a walk.

Dietrich: I knew a guy who when he got depressed would just put on his coat, leave the house, and just start walking.

Barney (to Wojo): See?

Dietrich: Sometimes for hours on end. One time he was gone for almost a whole day.

Barney: Yeah, some people just like to be alone. He came back, didn't he?

Dietrch: Yeah.

Barney (to Wojo): See?

Dietrich: The tide brought him in.

:eek: :lol: :rofl:

Those are great lines! And I love Steve Landesberg's delivery of them! :lol:

Steve Landesberg is one of the great underrated comedic actors around. His line delivery on Barney Miller was always priceless. :D

I think one of my favorites was when he was going to check out a pawn shop that was selling stolen stuff. He had a wok in his hand and said to Barney "I'm just going to take a wok over there." :lol: I'm a sucker for a good pun.

I think one of my favorites was when he was going to check out a pawn shop that was selling stolen stuff. He had a wok in his hand and said to Barney "I'm just going to take a wok over there." :lol: I'm a sucker for a good pun.
Me, too - that was a good one. :lol:

My favorite is always the one where after being questioned by someone (I forget who) about his atheism, the other party says something like "what will do you do if after you die, you see God?" and Dietrich replies, after a wonderful pause..."Whoops..."

:lol:

My favorite is always the one where after being questioned by someone (I forget who) about his atheism, the other party says something like "what will do you do if after you die, you see God?" and Dietrich replies, after a wonderful pause..."Whoops..."

:lol:
That was either Yemana or Wojo - I can't remember which one offhand.

That was either Yemana or Wojo - I can't remember which one offhand.

Yeah I want to say Wojo, but I'm not real confident on it, either. :)

Yeah I want to say Wojo, but I'm not real confident on it, either. :)
I'm almost positive it was Yemana, but don't quote me on that.

You're both wrong, it was Barney. That's the last scene in the episode Moonlighting, the wok pun was from Moonlighting too.

You're both wrong, it was Barney. That's the last scene in the episode Moonlighting, the wok pun was from Moonlighting too.
Thanks for the correction!!! It's been eons since I've seen that ep. :lol:

I mean, I guess you are entitled to own opinion....but how could you not like Dietrich? lol, I love him. At first I didn't like him cus I really liked Fish and I didn't like the idea of Fish leaving, but a few episodes and I started really liking Dietrich. He's on my very very short list of replacements that worked out well for a show.

I mean, I guess you are entitled to own opinion....but how could you not like Dietrich? lol, I love him. At first I didn't like him cus I really liked Fish and I didn't like the idea of Fish leaving, but a few episodes and I started really liking Dietrich. He's on my very very short list of replacements that worked out well for a show.
Plus, I guess he was also a replacement for Chano - my favorite. But I grew to like Dietrich a lot - because he was just SO unique. :cool:

I always loved how Landesberg would smile when delivering one of those one-liners. It was like he either found the line very funny himself or wanted to convey that the character was being playful with it. Whatever the reason, it always cracked me up! :lol:

Yeah, he always looked liked the cat that just swallowed the canary. :D

I always loved how Landesberg would smile when delivering one of those one-liners. It was like he either found the line very funny himself or wanted to convey that the character was being playful with it. Whatever the reason, it always cracked me up! :lol:
I think Steve Landesberg had a hard time keeping a straight face in general. He pretty much admitted that in the Jack Soo retrospective, but there are a few epidsode where you can see or hear him start to break up. I always loved it when that happened, it made Dietrich seem that much more cute. :eyes:

^ I agree - Steve Landesberg looked like he had so much fun with the character and the show in general. :cool:

It's frankly stunning to me that Landesberg (and in fact, the entire BM cast) never was able to duplicate the success he had on BM. His timing and delivery were spot on, and he's one of those actors who can really convey intelligence. Lots of people try to act smart on TV, but with Landesberg you really believed it (most likely because he IS).

^ Exactly. :nod:

"Howard, go away, Beverly is busy!" :rofl:

I thought Canova and Landesberg really had some good chemistry in that episode (she was a prostitute, if I remember correctly).

In 1978, 4 ABC shows participated in a Family Feud special. The first game was Barney Miller vs. Eight is Enough, and the second was Soap vs. Welcome Back, Kotter. At the end, where the trophies are given and the casts of all the shows are all gathered on stage and then chat while the credits roll - you can see Steve and Diana holding hands, looking into each other's eyes, and they look oblivious to everyone else. :love: It's on Disc 4 of the All-Star Family Feud DVD set.

They went together for several years (and even co-habitated for awhile), but ultimately went their separate ways and married other people. Of course, Steve is sadly no longer with us. But they sure made a stunning couple.

It was a great cast on Barney Miller; I thought they were all funny, but I thought Dietrich was the funniest: Dry wit, facial expressions, timing (as mentioned in other posts)

Steve Landesberg was also a stand-up comedian; I would've loved to see his act. :cool:

I think Leavitt was the least funniest character on BM. I know he wasn't a detective, but he was sort of annoying.

He did finally become a detective - in the final episode. That was when Barney was also promoted to deputy inspector.

Really nice pics, Monika. They do a great job of capturing two people obviously in love with each other at the most vital times of their lives.

Makes me happy and sad at the same time, you know?

He did finally become a detective - in the final episode. That was when Barney was also promoted to deputy inspector.

Oh, I know, Monika. But as that didn't happen until the very end, I never think of him as being a detective. He was that little guy outsider who desperately wanted entrance into the clubhouse.;)

Definitely bittersweet.

I had a crush on Canova back in the day. She had such a radiant smile and such gorgeous hair. Always wished she could have done more; never really got into "Throb" much, unfortunately.

She looked breathtaking in her wedding garb when Corinne Tate was about to marry Timothy Flosky on Soap:

^ Yes, she certainly did. I really liked Corinne, in spite of or perhaps because of, all her imperfections. She was a good person at heart and it was great to see her grow as a character.

Come to think of it, I can easily see Canova being a hit in Woody Allen films. She's got the kind of wry, off kilter sensibility and intelligence that Diane Keaton had; heh, what could have been...!

Last I heard, Ms. Canova retired from acting some time ago and lives with her family in CT. I wonder what her thoughts were on the passing of Mr. Landesberg; she didn't publicly comment.

I had a crush on Canova back in the day. She had such a radiant smile and such gorgeous hair. Always wished she could have done more; never really got into "Throb" much, unfortunately.
Did you ever see "I'm a Big Girl Now starring Canova and Danny Thomas? She was good on that show. I wish it lasted longer. I had a crush on her too. lol

Did you ever see "I'm a Big Girl Now starring Canova and Danny Thomas? She was good on that show. I wish it lasted longer. I had a crush on her too. lol

Think I caught that one, briefly. It was on such a short time, if you blinked you missed it, lol.

Never saw that show, but I do know that's the reason why she left Soap.