I'm new to this message board and a new fan of the series since a network in Canada started showing episodes a few months ago. I started watching in the middle of Season 2 and am currently at the beginning of Season 7. It's such a smart, well written, funny show with a lot of the subject matter still relevant today. As with any show I get into, I start noticing characters' quirks & nuances as well as general details. Here is a list of those obvious and not so obvious things. (And I apologize in advance if a thread like this has already been done):

-Hal Linden in left-handed, although he holds his gun in his right hand.
-Chano was the only cop who wore casual clothes rather than a suit or shirt & tie.
-A large number of bald men came through the precinct.
-In a era where facial hair was the norm, none of the cops had beards.
-Harris really did look lovely in drag! :)
-Hal Linden and Steve Landesberg both had very slight stutters.
-There are episode titles that included the names of most of the characters but not one with the title character.
-Dietrich has only raised his voice 3 times (that I recall).
-The cops rarely used their guns and a shot was never fired in the Squad Room.
-The theme song was so ****in' cool! :cool:

People at that time - and even later - who were lefties, were changed to righties by teachers in school. I'm not surprised to see someone using both hands at that time.

I'm new to this message board and a new fan of the series since a network in Canada started showing episodes a few months ago. I started watching in the middle of Season 2 and am currently at the beginning of Season 7. It's such a smart, well written, funny show with a lot of the subject matter still relevant today. As with any show I get into, I start noticing characters' quirks & nuances as well as general details. Here is a list of those obvious and not so obvious things. (And I apologize in advance if a thread like this has already been done):

-Hal Linden in left-handed, although he holds his gun in his right hand.
-Chano was the only cop who wore casual clothes rather than a suit or shirt & tie.
-A large number of bald men came through the precinct.
-In a era where facial hair was the norm, none of the cops had beards.
-Harris really did look lovely in drag! :)
-Hal Linden and Steve Landesberg both had very slight stutters.
-There are episode titles that included the names of most of the characters but not one with the title character.
-Dietrich has only raised his voice 3 times (that I recall).
-The cops rarely used their guns and a shot was never fired in the Squad Room.
-The theme song was so ****in' cool! :cool:


-In a era where facial hair was the norm, none of the cops had beards.


Detective Paul Gardeno (guest star Michael Lembeck) had a beard, but ended up shaving it off ! ;)


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Bonniegirl, thank you for reminding me of that. :)

A few more character/actor specific observations:

-Barney rarely smiled with teeth.
-Wojo's tie was sometimes bunched up and/or on crooked.
-When Dietrich was explaining things/giving facts in detail to someone, he stood very close to them.
-Ron Glass had the cutest dimples! :)
-Steve Landesberg would break character occasionally and it was usually in his scenes with Ron Carey.
-Season 7 saw noticeable hair changes for 3 characters: Wojo's hair was shorter and pushed to the side, Dietrich's hair was poofier & curlier and Harris' afro was considerably smaller.

Another rather amusing observation:

At the end of every episode when it says "CREATED BY DANNY ARNOLD AND THEODORE J. FLICKER" the font makes "FLICKER" look like "****ER" :rotflmao:

-we never find out what the middle initial in Philip K. Fish, Arthur P. Dietrich, Carl E. Levitt and Frank D. Luger stand for.

-all the male cops have been flirted with at least once.

-not one character appeared in every single episode; Barney did not appear in "Wojo's Girl Part 2 (5x17). Wojo was only absent from Mrs. Cop (1x08).

-In a era where facial hair was the norm, none of the cops had beards.


Detective Paul Gardeno (guest star Michael Lembeck) had a beard, but ended up shaving it off ! ;)


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"Freeze I'm a police officer"

Yemana bursts into laughter. :lol:

People at that time - and even later - who were lefties, were changed to righties by teachers in school. I'm not surprised to see someone using both hands at that time.

If he was changed to a rightie wouldn't he always use his right hand, especially to write, since that's when the teacher would have tried to switch him to being a rightie, while he was writing?

I've noticed a lot of athletes (mostly in hockey) are right handed but they play hockey left handed, and I am right handed play most sports left handed. Maybe Hal Linden has that same trait but in reverse.

I never noticed Barney using his gun so I didn't notice he used his right hand for that.

If he was changed to a rightie wouldn't he always use his right hand, especially to write, since that's when the teacher would have tried to switch him to being a rightie, while he was writing?

I've noticed a lot of athletes (mostly in hockey) are right handed but they play hockey left handed, and I am right handed play most sports left handed. Maybe Hal Linden has that same trait but in reverse.

I never noticed Barney using his gun so I didn't notice he used his right hand for that.

I noticed that in athletes too.

The only time I saw Barney hold his gun was in "Dog Days" (5x05) when a man was in put in the cage for illegal dog fighting. The German Shepherd had the squad cornered in the Squad Room and Barney threatened to shoot him if the man didn't call him off.

"Freeze I'm a police officer"

Yemana bursts into laughter. :lol:

He WAS so young looking and very cute!!! :):love: Here he is in the hospital after being shot!!! Poor baby!!! :(

OMG!!! I wish I were a nurse in that hospital!!!! :happyface:eyes::D


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The episode "Liquidation" ends with a hung over Harris being tormented by a guy in the cell singing "High Hopes." Are there other episodes where someone from outside the precinct gets the last word?

Not the last word, but the terrific Season 6 finale "Fog" (6x22) ends with a street musician (arrested for assaulting classical musicians playing on his corner) playing his trumpet in the cage with the guys listening in the dimly lit Squad Room.

In "Resignation" (7x07) Dietrich almost resigns after he feels extreme guilt for shooting a teenager. His colleagues gang up on him and convince him otherwise and a man who robbed nuns in Arizona turns to Dietrich and has the last line: "I'm glad you're staying".

I'm sure there are some other examples but the main characters almost always got the last word. Good observation, Alan Brady's Hair.

People at that time - and even later - who were lefties, were changed to righties by teachers in school. I'm not surprised to see someone using both hands at that time.

I'm left-handed, and people of that era were mostly not forced to right-hand. (I grew up in the 50s and 60s and was not forced).

I think a lot of left-handed people are more ambidextrous than right-handed people. I played (most) sports with the right hand (as I think many lefties do), and I drink with the right hand. A girl who sat next to me at work used scissors with her right hand.

The forced to right-hand stuff happened in the 30s and 40s and probably before. My mother's best friend was forced to be right-handed.

I'm left-handed, and people of that era were mostly not forced to right-hand. (I grew up in the 50s and 60s and was not forced).

I think a lot of left-handed people are more ambidextrous than right-handed people. I played (most) sports with the right hand (as I think many lefties do), and I drink with the right hand. A girl who sat next to me at work used scissors with her right hand.

The forced to right-hand stuff happened in the 30s and 40s and probably before. My mother's best friend was forced to be right-handed.

Michael Lembeck ( Det.Paul Gardeno) is left handed ! ;)When he first comes on board in Barney Miller and is checking in you can clearly see he is signing in on the board with his left hand! Also in One day at a time (as Max) ,he is for sure left handed as we can see in his writing and eating!! ;):):love:

Michael was born in 1948 , wondering if his parents or in school tried to make him right handed ?:confused: But than he wasn't in school till the 1950's ! ;):heart:


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The forced to right-hand stuff happened in the 30s and 40s and probably before. My mother's best friend was forced to be right-handed.

Yeah, my dad is 77 and he was forced to be right-handed.

Thanks for these! I think "Fog" might give the last line to JJ Barry (who usually plays Arthur Duncan), who looks up as the man is playing and asks, "What year is this?" Always cracks me up.

That's right! It was a rather dark episode (the main storyline revolved around a depressed Barney getting turned down for Deputy Inspector for the third time) but that line during that bittersweet final scene was perfect and made me laugh. The show was so good at injecting humour whenever things got too dramatic and/or tense. :)

Does anyone know the episode where Harris disappears for several minutes, returns after crazy stuff has happened, and just says, "There is not one tea bag in this entire precinct." I haven't seen it in years, so am assuming it's something that gets cut for syndication?

It's from "Tontine" (8x08) which I saw just a couple of weeks ago. It's a really good one: a man wants to commit suicide to leave the tontine to other surviving member and his cousin. The cousin almost dies but is saved by a CPR instructor. As the ambulance is wheeling him out of the Squad Room an absent Harris returns and Barney asks him "Where have you been?" and he answers with the afformentioned line.

Something I'm noticing now (watching the first episodes of season 1) that I didn't notice a few months ago when the show first started airing season 1, Wojo is so goofy and annoying and kind of rude, too. He's chewing gum, loudly, all the time and he isn't very nice to Fish or Nick. The character changes somewhere along the line, and I hope it's sooner rather than later, but right now I see him as the weak link in this show, very unappealing. All the other actors are great and I know that eventually Wojo catches up but as of season 1, episode 4, I mostly can NOT stand him.

Something I'm noticing now (watching the first episodes of season 1) that I didn't notice a few months ago when the show first started airing season 1, Wojo is so goofy and annoying and kind of rude, too. He's chewing gum, loudly, all the time and he isn't very nice to Fish or Nick. The character changes somewhere along the line, and I hope it's sooner rather than later, but right now I see him as the weak link in this show, very unappealing. All the other actors are great and I know that eventually Wojo catches up but as of season 1, episode 4, I mostly can NOT stand him.

I agree. I missed the first couple of seasons the first time they aired on TV but now that they started over again, I'm watching with my mom every night and we both agree he's almost unbearable. His goofy laugh, constant gum chewing and macho, chauvanistic attitude is a real turn off. He does slowly become a more well rounded, likeable character though. I think by Season 5 is when we really start to see it. I'm really glad the writers decided to change him.

Nick was never in a scene outside the Squad Room.

Watching "The Courtesans" (1x05) last week, I noticed the laughter from the studio audience was awkward, like they didn't know to laugh after the jokes. Also, the editing in the opening scenes with all the hookers was badly done. I know the network I watch it on splices a bit off to make more room for commercials, so maybe that's why. Does anyone who owns the DVD confirm if this is indeed the network's fault or just a badly edited episode with awkward laughter?

Did you notice how HOT and ADORABLE he is????????:eyes::love: For obvious reasons, my favorite Barney Miller episode!!!!!:heart:


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I'm really noticing how entertaining Linda Lavin is as Wentworth. I didn't even realize she was on this show and only know her from being on "Alice," a show where she is the least memorable character to me, I'm sorry to say. But on "Barney Miller" she is so great and funny and crazy. I wonder how her character would have evolved if she remained on the show. I'm guessing they would have mellowed the character a bit, as the years went by.

agree with you about Wentworth, KatieAnn. She only appeared in 5 episodes but really left her mark. I liked her spunky, gung ho attitude and how she was able to hold her own with the men. If Linda Lavin hasn't left to star in "Alice", I think she would have continued her role and it would've been interesting to see how her character would develop over time.

I see the name Noam Pitlik a lot and found out he directed half the series' 170 episodes. He directed all 22 episodes in Season 6 and all but 3 episodes in Season 5 (which were directed by Max Gail). Very impressive!

I think that Wojo was supposed to be "the dumb Polack" at first. There was undoubtedly intended at the start of the show to have a strong component of ethnic contrast. That was wiped out very fast, but I guess it was tricky to change Wojo, as he couldn't be turned into a generic wisecracker very easily.

Around the end of season 2 I've been noticing they toned Wojo down a bit, although he's still got the gum thing happening sometimes. He seems more of this "innocent" guy who worries about disaster and wanting to help and he's not really rude anymore, but still manages to say the wrong thing at times. This is the Wojo that I remember.

-Dietrich's debut episode "Fish" (2x12) was the first and only time he wore a brown suit rather than a grey one (brown was a better colour on him).

-"The DNA Story" (6x10) was the only episode with a scene inside the Men's Room.

-Fish doesn't appear in "Goodbye Mr. Fish Part 1" (4x01) despite his name being in the episode title.

-Nick always wore his brown leather jacket and rose coloured shades when he went out on calls.

A few more:

There is no laugh track in "Landmark Part 1" (8x20) although you can hear occasional laughs from the film crew.

Harris got the first and last lines in the Squad Room:
"12 Precinct, Detective First Grade Harris".
"Come on li'l Sergeant".

In "Jack Soo: A Retrospective" (5x24), Ron Glass doesn't say anything about his departed friend. I've only seen episodes in syndication so maybe his tribute was edited out?

In season 5 episode 6, "The Accusation," in the last two or three minutes of the episode, Wojo walks out the door with his jacket on, escorting a prisoner, and the scene continues with the woman who made the accusation against Deitrich talking to Deitrich and then Barney. She's hesitant to leave alone, and when Barney asks her if she's suggesting another police officer take her home again, all the officers, including Wojo, are at their desks acting like they have a lot of work to do.

In season 5 episode 6, "The Accusation," in the last two or three minutes of the episode, Wojo walks out the door with his jacket on, escorting a prisoner, and the scene continues with the woman who made the accusation against Deitrich talking to Deitrich and then Barney. She's hesitant to leave alone, and when Barney asks her if she's suggesting another police officer take her home again, all the officers, including Wojo, are at their desks acting like they have a lot of work to do.

I saw that episode recently and totally didn't notice that! pretty bad continuity error.

In "The Radical" (5x11), Dietrich tells Harris he protested the Vietnam War back in '57 when he was 14. Yet in "Voice Analyzer" (5x14) the last line is him telling the guys he was born on October 23rd, 1947. Was he just messing with Harris or was he actually an alien? :confused:

Both Levitt and Dietrich appeared first on the show as another character.

Something that I noticed but forgot about until today, Harris calls Levitt "little Levitt" often during the last few seasons of the show.

Now re-watching the series (we're on to season 6 on the channel that airs the show) the first episode that I've noticed that Harris calls Levitt that is episode 6 of the sixth season, "Strip Joint."

I don't know why he started calling Levitt that, and Levitt doesn't seem to mind. One of the guest stars (a Hispanic stripper) does call Levitt "Poco" which does translate to "little bit" but Levitt doesn't understand the word, and the woman lies about what it means when he asks her.

It seems mean of Harris to pick on Levitt in that way, especially because Levitt is so sensitive about his height or lack of height, but I feel like I missed something about how it started, if Harris just picked up on what the woman was calling Levitt in that episode.

"The Desk" (6x8) had storylines about a violent criminal who got an amygdalotomy and an Amish man who was mugged. The following episode "The Judge" (6x9) had a subplot about Nick's desk being removed from the squad room (only to have it brought back at the end for Levitt). This episode should have been titled "The Desk".

A few more:

In "Jack Soo: A Retrospective" (5x24), Ron Glass doesn't say anything about his departed friend. I've only seen episodes in syndication so maybe his tribute was edited out?

Yes he does, it was edited out on TVLand and a few other places for some reason. Ron talks about Jack affectionately and about the episode “Hash” with much amusement. I have no idea why it was edited out. Maybe because of the drug reference? Pretty stupid if so.