Hal Linden Feared Being Typecast As 'Barney Miller'...Was He Anyway? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 01-09-2011, 12:49 PM

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...l+linden&hl=en

Hal Linden was so fearful of being typecast as Barney Miller in the late 70's early 80's that he acted on his months off from the sitcom as different characters unlike Miller. Was he successful?

Retro4Life · 01-09-2011, 02:45 PM

It's hard to say. He never really made much of an impact on TV after BM ended, but he did appear on Broadway quite a bit. I'd guess he probably did get typecast a bit as the patient, slightly world weary authority figure. Also by the time BM was done he was 51 years old and it's hard to sustain a career in TV once you hit that age, as unfair and illogical as that is.

tv star collector · 01-09-2011, 03:07 PM

Well, Hal Linden did star in three other TV series after Barney Miller (all
of which were, unfortunately, short-lived). Each role was very different from
Captain Miller. He was a magician, with Harry Morgan as his father, in the
drama Blacke's Magic; starred in the comedy-drama Jack's Place
(in which John Dye was a bartender); and opposite Suzanne Pleshette as his
wife, in the sitcom The Boys Are Back. I thought all three shows were
good, but none of them really caught on. He also starred his own TV variety
special. As far as his age goes, I can think of several older actors who were
successful in television, including Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke, Gene Barry,
Angela Lansbury, Walter Brennan, etc.

catlover79 · 01-09-2011, 03:23 PM

Maybe he was, in a way. I did see an episode of Blacke's Magic on YouTube, where he was reunited with guest star Gregory Sierra. (

) It was a very quirky show, and it's a shame it never caught on. I remember when The Boys Are Back was on. It was fun seeing two stars from my favorite 70s shows (Barney Miller and The Bob Newhart Show) together.

70s show watcher · 01-10-2011, 04:35 AM

did anyone see the ep of will and grace where hal played a man who tried to turn will into his boytoy it was laugh out loud funny

also did anyone ever see the 1980 tv movie father figure he gave a great dramatic preformance in it?

catlover79 · 01-10-2011, 10:53 AM

Never saw either, but I do know Hal appeared on The Golden Girls.

01-09-2011, 12:49 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	Hal Linden Feared Being Typecast As 'Barney Miller'...Was He Anyway? http://news.google.com/newspapers?id...l+linden&hl=en Hal Linden was so fearful of being typecast as Barney Miller in the late 70's early 80's that he acted on his months off from the sitcom as different characters unlike Miller. Was he successful?
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01-09-2011, 02:45 PM	#2
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,706	It's hard to say. He never really made much of an impact on TV after BM ended, but he did appear on Broadway quite a bit. I'd guess he probably did get typecast a bit as the patient, slightly world weary authority figure. Also by the time BM was done he was 51 years old and it's hard to sustain a career in TV once you hit that age, as unfair and illogical as that is.
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01-09-2011, 03:07 PM	#3
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,486	Well, Hal Linden did star in three other TV series after Barney Miller (all of which were, unfortunately, short-lived). Each role was very different from Captain Miller. He was a magician, with Harry Morgan as his father, in the drama Blacke's Magic; starred in the comedy-drama Jack's Place (in which John Dye was a bartender); and opposite Suzanne Pleshette as his wife, in the sitcom The Boys Are Back. I thought all three shows were good, but none of them really caught on. He also starred his own TV variety special. As far as his age goes, I can think of several older actors who were successful in television, including Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke, Gene Barry, Angela Lansbury, Walter Brennan, etc.
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01-09-2011, 03:23 PM	#4
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Maybe he was, in a way. I did see an episode of Blacke's Magic on YouTube, where he was reunited with guest star Gregory Sierra. () It was a very quirky show, and it's a shame it never caught on. I remember when The Boys Are Back was on. It was fun seeing two stars from my favorite 70s shows (Barney Miller and The Bob Newhart Show) together.
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01-10-2011, 04:35 AM	#5
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,548	did anyone see the ep of will and grace where hal played a man who tried to turn will into his boytoy it was laugh out loud funny also did anyone ever see the 1980 tv movie father figure he gave a great dramatic preformance in it?

01-10-2011, 10:53 AM	#6
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Never saw either, but I do know Hal appeared on The Golden Girls.