What Cast Departure On 'Barney Miller' Hurt the Show More? Jack Soo Or Abe Vigoda??? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 04-27-2011, 10:09 PM

We all know the death of actor Jack Soo was painful, but did it hurt the show any? What about the departure of Abe Vigoda? Which departure hurt the show more Or did the show never miss a beat? (no pun intended)

catlover79 · 04-27-2011, 10:36 PM

Of those two, I have to go with Jack Soo. Abe Vigoda DID come back for several guest appearances, in addition to starring in his spinoff. When Jack Soo died, a lot of the heart left the show. Things never quite were the same without Yemana.

Retro4Life · 04-27-2011, 11:32 PM

Yep, that's a tough question.

I guess I'd agree with Monika. As far as the show goes, I think both characters added something very special but when you factor in the knowledge that Fish COULD (and did) return, and Soo had actually died, the impact of losing Yemana was a bit stronger.

Marvo301 · 04-28-2011, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro4Life

Yep, that's a tough question.

I guess I'd agree with Monika. As far as the show goes, I think both characters added something very special but when you factor in the knowledge that Fish COULD (and did) return, and Soo had actually died, the impact of losing Yemana was a bit stronger.

I agree with Monika as well. Abe did return as a guest star and we could also see him on Fish. With Jack Soo passing away Nick was gone for good.

comedyfreak · 04-29-2011, 01:02 AM

I definately felt the loss of Jack Soo, we could see Abe return for guest appearances but not Jack.

catlover79 · 04-29-2011, 01:26 AM

Plus, you just knew Jack would have stayed until the end of the show had he lived. You could just tell how much he loved the role and the show!

70s show watcher · 04-30-2011, 03:30 AM

i agree jack soo

BM Bolo · 04-30-2011, 04:44 PM

The show was so well written, acted, and directed, that it absorbed most of that pain. Abe Vigoda was so good at playing a cop about to retire(although in his mid-fifties), that his going almost seemed natural. Jack Soo did hurt more in the sudden loss of a truly, unique actor and human being.

Guy Incognito · 04-30-2011, 10:20 PM

Of the two, Jack's death definitely hurt the show more than Abe's departure. Things just weren't the same after Nick was written out, and (IMO) his absence impacted the tone of the series until the end. Any sense of lightness and fun was gone, and the heaviness of the day-to-day grind seemed to wear the characters (and the actors) down without Nick around to make a quip or an astute observation about the goings-on in the squad room. Levitt and his endless attempts at promotion were clearly supposed to fill the comedic void left behind, but he was a poor substitute.

LeeBlue · 05-04-2011, 11:23 PM

I loved 'Barney Miller' from the first episode to the last.

But some of the heart and humor of the show was gone when Jack Soo passed away.

catlover79 · 05-05-2011, 12:41 AM

Besides, who else could pull off that "squint" line but Jack?

McGillicuddy · 10-31-2011, 05:37 PM

Steve Landesberg was a great addition, though. He helped fill the void.

catlover79 · 11-01-2011, 07:55 PM

^

04-27-2011, 10:09 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: 63,107	What Cast Departure On 'Barney Miller' Hurt the Show More? Jack Soo Or Abe Vigoda??? We all know the death of actor Jack Soo was painful, but did it hurt the show any? What about the departure of Abe Vigoda? Which departure hurt the show more Or did the show never miss a beat? (no pun intended)
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04-27-2011, 10:36 PM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	Of those two, I have to go with Jack Soo. Abe Vigoda DID come back for several guest appearances, in addition to starring in his spinoff. When Jack Soo died, a lot of the heart left the show. Things never quite were the same without Yemana.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

04-27-2011, 11:32 PM	#3
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	Yep, that's a tough question. I guess I'd agree with Monika. As far as the show goes, I think both characters added something very special but when you factor in the knowledge that Fish COULD (and did) return, and Soo had actually died, the impact of losing Yemana was a bit stronger.
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04-29-2011, 01:02 AM	#5
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,060	I definately felt the loss of Jack Soo, we could see Abe return for guest appearances but not Jack.
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05-04-2011, 11:23 PM	#10
LeeBlue Member Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 16, 2006 Location: NYS Posts: 871	What Cast Departure on 'Barney Miller' Hurt the Show More? Jack Soo Or Abe Vigoda??? I loved 'Barney Miller' from the first episode to the last. But some of the heart and humor of the show was gone when Jack Soo passed away.

04-29-2011, 01:26 AM	#6
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	Plus, you just knew Jack would have stayed until the end of the show had he lived. You could just tell how much he loved the role and the show!

04-30-2011, 03:30 AM	#7
70s show watcher Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: May 20, 2008 Location: between point place and studio 8 h Posts: 4,549	i agree jack soo

04-30-2011, 04:44 PM	#8
BM Bolo Member First Time Poster Join Date: Apr 30, 2011 Location: 6th St., around the corner from MacDougal Alley Posts: 1	The show was so well written, acted, and directed, that it absorbed most of that pain. Abe Vigoda was so good at playing a cop about to retire(although in his mid-fifties), that his going almost seemed natural. Jack Soo did hurt more in the sudden loss of a truly, unique actor and human being.

04-30-2011, 10:20 PM	#9
Guy Incognito International Man of Misery Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 30, 2011 Location: The Solar System Posts: 83	Of the two, Jack's death definitely hurt the show more than Abe's departure. Things just weren't the same after Nick was written out, and (IMO) his absence impacted the tone of the series until the end. Any sense of lightness and fun was gone, and the heaviness of the day-to-day grind seemed to wear the characters (and the actors) down without Nick around to make a quip or an astute observation about the goings-on in the squad room. Levitt and his endless attempts at promotion were clearly supposed to fill the comedic void left behind, but he was a poor substitute.

05-05-2011, 12:41 AM	#11
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	Besides, who else could pull off that "squint" line but Jack?

10-31-2011, 05:37 PM	#12
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	Steve Landesberg was a great addition, though. He helped fill the void.

11-01-2011, 07:55 PM	#13
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,382	^