The series sprang from an unsold television pilot, The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller, that aired on August 22, 1974 as part of an ABC summer anthology, Just for Laughs. Linden and Vigoda were cast in their series roles; no other eventual cast members were present. Abby Dalton played Barney Miller's wife, Liz. The pilot script was later largely re-used in the debut episode "Ramon".

My question is, nobody other than Linden & Vigoda were used in the original pilot....do you think it still could've been a winner?

It's hard to tell. If I ever get to see the original pilot, I'd have a better idea. But as far as I know, the original pilot no longer exists. I'd especially love to see Abby Dalton as Liz Miller - I've never seen her in any other role than Julia Channing Cumson on Falcon Crest.

It's hard to tell. If I ever get to see the original pilot, I'd have a better idea. But as far as I know, the original pilot no longer exists. I'd especially love to see Abby Dalton as Liz Miller - I've never seen her in any other role than Julia Channing Cumson on Falcon Crest.

It doesn't exist anymore? Was it destroyed?

It doesn't exist anymore? Was it destroyed?

I don't know if it was destroyed, or got lost, or is just forgotten about in a vault somewhere. I never found it on YouTube, and places like ioffer don't have it. I HOPE it still exists!!!

I don't know if it was destroyed, or got lost, or is just forgotten about in a vault somewhere. I never found it on YouTube, and places like ioffer don't have it. I HOPE it still exists!!!


Me too! I would love to see it!

Supposedly, one of the cops in that pilot was played by Charles Haid, who went on to play another cop several years later on Hill Street Blues.