I've been watching the first season of Barney Miller, and I noticed that Jack Soo and Ron Glass are not in the opening credits. I wonder if they were originally planned to be regular cast members. Does anyone know?
Also, the early shows are good, but really improved as time went on. I think most early shows seem sort of stiff. The characters haven't been fully developed yet, and things seem different. The opening music is different on Barney Miller...same tune...but not as strong.
Most sitcoms improve after the first season. Seinfeld is one of my favorites, and I can barely watch the first season.