Familiar Face Brightens Humdrum TV Season

[Zoneboy]

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This has been one of those disappointing TV seasons where, in the absence of great big treats, you make do with small pleasures.

So recently I was happy to see, on the so-so new CBS sitcom "Gary Unmarried" a couple of appearances by a droll, distinctive character actor named Max Gail.

Gail showed up as the groovy old stoner dad of the title character, played by Jay Mohr. It makes me flinch to use the words "old" and "dad" in reference to the actor, because in my mind he'll always be the gung-ho, boyish Det. Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz of "Barney Miller," a sort of Huck Finn among the hipsters, cynics and wise guys who dominated the ensemble.

One of TV's great workplace comedies, right up there with "Mary Tyler Moore," "Taxi" and "The Office," this 1975-'82 series -whose dozens of Emmy nominations included a win for best comedy in its final season - starred Hal Linden as the fatherly captain in a New York City police squad room visited regularly by aggrieved citizens and improbably colorful criminals.

But it wasn't so much the captain, the crooks or the neighborhood cranks who made the show sparkle as it was Wojo and the other detectives, especially Steve Landesberg's quirky, unflappable, surprisingly intellectual Dietrich and Ron Glass' complicated and completely engaging Harris.

With his sharp suits, even sharper put-downs and occasional displays of radical African-American political sympathies, Harris was one fascinating dude. In his spare time, he even managed to write a crime novel, "Blood on the Badge" - "BOB," to insiders - whose success became one of the series' best running jokes.

The actors who played Wojo, Harris and Dietrich, all in their 60s now, are almost as different as the three characters: Gail with his linebacker's build and aging-boy-next-door amiability, Glass with his leading-man looks and elegant bearing, Landesberg with that basso profundo voice, sleepy delivery and oddball vibe.

They have at least one thing in common, though: Since "Barney Miller," all three have worked regularly in TV but have never found parts that let them shine the way they did in the cop series.

A regular on the short-lived Fox fantasy "Firefly," Harris is more typically cast as a judge, prosecutor or other authority figure. Landesberg, ever the eccentric, has for the last two seasons played the supporting role of a psychotherapist badly in need of therapy on Showtime's over-the-top but only sporadically funny "Head Case."

Gail, who produces documentaries when he's not acting, actually did land a regular role worthy of his talents on ABC's terrific extended-family comedy of 2006, "Sons & Daughters." Unfortunately, the rest of America didn't find the series as winning as a few critics and fans did, and it vanished after a handful of episodes.

In the spirit of appreciating small pleasures, I suppose I should note that, since he's already done a pair of guest shots on "Gary Unmarried," Gail could easily return to the show.

And in that same spirit, it's nice to see that full episodes of "Barney Miller," which hasn't been seen lately on cable or in syndication, are available for free viewing at www.hulu.com, www.imdb.com and other sites. The series' first two seasons are out on DVD, with Season 3 due in March '09.

[catlover79]

Thanks for sharing this article, Charles!! Very interesting and insightful, and it's always a pleasure to hear what Mr. Gail is up to.

I was a bit disappointed, though...when I saw the title of your thread, I was hoping that the certain familiar face belonged to someone with the initials G.S. You guys know me too well!!

[LeeBlue]

Thanks for posting -- it's always nice to run into one of the cast members from Barney Miller -- it really was an extraordinary cast.

Haven't watched Gary Unmarried yet -- I'll have to try it out -- maybe I'll be lucky and catch an episode with Max Gail.

[catlover79]

I've never seen it either. I DID catch Max Gail on an episode of Days of Our Lives a couple of years ago - he had like a two-day gig on that show.

[AB]

Nice Article! Here's a couple of pictures of Max Gail on the show.

[catlover79]

^ Great pics, Ann!! Thanks for posting them.