Was Phil Fish the Wrong Character to Spin Off OR The Wrong Concept? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 05-22-2010, 03:54 PM

What exactly went wrong with "Fish"? Was Abe Vigoda's character wrong to spinoff or was the environment that they put his character in wrong?

catlover79 · 05-22-2010, 03:56 PM

I think both. Plus, I think Fish was better off as a supporting character.

Brian Damage · 05-22-2010, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

I think both. Plus, I think Fish was better off as a supporting character.

Hmmm so you don't think a different concept would've worked for him?

catlover79 · 05-22-2010, 04:15 PM

I don't think so - I think the foster kids were the wrong concept for Fish. Plus, I have to admit that Bernice as a lead character didn't work. She was good only in small doses. No offense to the late Florence Stanley (who I thought was great as the voice of Grandma Ethyl on Dinosaurs), but I thought Doris Belack was a lot less annoying as Bernice. (Doris Belack subbed for Florence Stanley in the S2 episode "Fish".)

Retro4Life · 05-22-2010, 04:30 PM

Yeah, on this we agree, Monika.

Fish was a great supporting character but as a lead he just was a bit off putting. In order to be a lead I think he needed to be injected with a bit more warmth, and to be fair, they tried to and it seemed false somehow. Fish was a cantankerous, world weary, beleaguered old cop who wasn't happy with the way just about everything in his life was going; his job, his family, and getting old. Making him "warm and fuzzy" made him seem, well, like someone other than Fish.

catlover79 · 05-22-2010, 04:43 PM

I just didn't buy Fish as a foster parent - that's my main beef.

Marvo301 · 05-22-2010, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

I just didn't buy Fish as a foster parent - that's my main beef.

Me neither. This was the wrong concept for Phil Fish. They probably should have just left him at the 12th precinct where he was a perfect fit as a supporting character. I really don't understand the fascination with spinoffs anyway. Especially when you have a great ensemble show like Barney Miller. Keep the ensemble together!

comedyfreak · 05-27-2010, 12:14 PM

I liked the show and thought it was pretty good.

catlover79 · 05-27-2010, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

I liked the show and thought it was pretty good.

Well, Abe Vigoda is always worth watching, no matter how good or bad the project is.

WatcherofOldTV · 03-19-2016, 02:52 AM

As good as he was, he was too much of a depressing character for people to see regularly.

It's like everytime you saw him, he was saying, "ughhhhh...."

MikeLutton · 12-27-2021, 03:38 AM

i just found episodes to watch on crackle.com

SarahBellum · 12-27-2021, 11:25 AM

I was not very fond of Fish on Barney Miller. I got tired of his constant complaining about his age, health and Bernice. I never watched the spin-off. I assumed it was more of the same.

Reinhold_Weege · 12-27-2021, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SarahBellum

I was not very fond of Fish on Barney Miller. I got tired of his constant complaining about his age, health and Bernice. I never watched the spin-off. I assumed it was more of the same.

The problem is that few of the characters had any semblance of a personal life that could segue into a spin-off. It was a choice between either Fish or Barney Miller himself.

TVFactFan · 01-01-2022, 05:08 PM

wonder if it aired directly after barney miller would it have lasted longer

05-22-2010, 03:54 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,108	Was Phil Fish the Wrong Character to Spin Off OR The Wrong Concept? What exactly went wrong with "Fish"? Was Abe Vigoda's character wrong to spinoff or was the environment that they put his character in wrong?
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05-22-2010, 03:56 PM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I think both. Plus, I think Fish was better off as a supporting character.
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05-22-2010, 04:30 PM	#5
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,706	Yeah, on this we agree, Monika. Fish was a great supporting character but as a lead he just was a bit off putting. In order to be a lead I think he needed to be injected with a bit more warmth, and to be fair, they tried to and it seemed false somehow. Fish was a cantankerous, world weary, beleaguered old cop who wasn't happy with the way just about everything in his life was going; his job, his family, and getting old. Making him "warm and fuzzy" made him seem, well, like someone other than Fish.
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05-27-2010, 12:14 PM	#8
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,058	I liked the show and thought it was pretty good.
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12-27-2021, 03:38 AM	#11
MikeLutton Mike Lutton DVD Legend! Forum Veteran Join Date: Jan 05, 2005 Location: usa pennsyvania Posts: 6,870	i just found episodes to watch on crackle.com
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05-22-2010, 04:15 PM	#4
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I don't think so - I think the foster kids were the wrong concept for Fish. Plus, I have to admit that Bernice as a lead character didn't work. She was good only in small doses. No offense to the late Florence Stanley (who I thought was great as the voice of Grandma Ethyl on Dinosaurs), but I thought Doris Belack was a lot less annoying as Bernice. (Doris Belack subbed for Florence Stanley in the S2 episode "Fish".)

05-22-2010, 04:43 PM	#6
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I just didn't buy Fish as a foster parent - that's my main beef.

03-19-2016, 02:52 AM	#10
WatcherofOldTV Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 23, 2011 Posts: 138	As good as he was, he was too much of a depressing character for people to see regularly. It's like everytime you saw him, he was saying, "ughhhhh...."

12-27-2021, 11:25 AM	#12
SarahBellum Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 15, 2007 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 3,873	I was not very fond of Fish on Barney Miller. I got tired of his constant complaining about his age, health and Bernice. I never watched the spin-off. I assumed it was more of the same.
	Last edited by SarahBellum; 12-27-2021 at 05:33 PM.

01-01-2022, 05:08 PM	#14
TVFactFan Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Aug 17, 2002 Posts: 98,951	wonder if it aired directly after barney miller would it have lasted longer