Television Show
New York City Police
Fictitious 12th Precinct
Gold Color Collar Brass Set (2 pieces)
Used on the Show
Screw Post & Wheel Attachment

Barney Miller takes place almost entirely within the confines of the detectives' squad room and Captain Barney Miller's adjoining office of New York City's fictional 12th Precinct, located in Greenwich Village.[1] A typical episode featured the detectives of the 12th bringing in several complainants and/or suspects to the squad room. Usually, two or three separate subplots are in a given episode, with different officers dealing with different crimes. Once a year, an episode would feature one or more of the detectives outside of the walls of the precinct, either on a stakeout or at one of their homes.

 

Primary characters:

 

    Captain Barney Miller (Hal Linden) is the sensible captain of the precinct who tries to retain his sanity while dealing with the foibles of his staff and the unending stream of budget problems and paperwork that make up his job.

    Sgt. Philip K. Fish (Abe Vigoda) is the senior detective on the squad. Crotchety, world-weary, and near retirement, he always seems to be suffering through some physical ailment, but his years of experience as a police officer make him a very good detective and mentor to other members of his squad. Frequently, he is on the phone dealing with a minor marital crisis with his wife Bernice. The character was eventually spun off into its own series.

    Det. (later Sgt.) Stanley Thaddeus "Wojo" Wojciehowicz (Max Gail) is the naive, gung-ho but goodhearted Catholic Polish-American, who gradually transforms from a macho former Marine into a sensitive character who tries to see things from a decidedly humanitarian point of view, while performing his duties as a detective. He takes and fails the sergeant's examination four times, but finally passes on his fifth try and gets promoted in season four.

    Sgt. Ron Nathan Harris (Ron Glass) is an ambitious, intellectual African American, who lives well beyond his means, and who frequently seems more preoccupied with his attire and his career as a writer than with his police work. A long-running plotline about his various attempts to establish a writing career eventually has Harris emerge as a published author, with his lurid memoir Blood on the Badge.

    Sgt. Nick Yemana (Jack Soo) is a surrealistically philosophical, wisecracking Japanese American detective. He is noted for his "off the wall" sense of humor and wry observations about life, as well as for his gambling habits, extraordinarily poor paperwork filing skills, and for making extremely bad coffee for the other members of the squad.

    Sgt. Miguel "Chano" Amanguale (Gregory Sierra) is a dauntless, beleaguered Puerto Rican detective, who is very emotionally attached to his job.

    Sgt. Arthur Dietrich (Steve Landesberg) is an intellectual detective with a calm, unflappable nature and a seemingly endless supply of knowledge on a wide array of subjects.

    Deputy Inspector Frank Luger (James Gregory) is Miller's rambling, out-of-touch, and unapologetic old-school superior who frequently drops by the precinct to "chat with" Barney.

    Officer Carl Levitt (Ron Carey) is a diminutive and obsequious (but competent and hard-working) uniformed officer who constantly, passive-aggressively badgers Miller about being promoted, and in the last season is promoted to detective.

 

Barney and Liz Miller

 

    Elizabeth Miller (Barbara Barrie): Barney's wife, a dedicated social worker is intended to be a regular character, and listed in the opening credits during seasons one and two, Liz is seen fairly infrequently; she is, however, often referred to, and Barney is often seen (and heard) on the phone with her.

 

The show's focus was split between the detectives' interactions with each other and with the suspects and witnesses they detained, processed, and interviewed. Some typical conflicts and long-running plotlines included Miller's frustration with red tape and paperwork, his constant efforts to maintain peace, order, and discipline, and his numerous failed attempts to get a promotion; Harris's preoccupation with outside interests, such as his living arrangements but mainly his novel (Blood on the Badge), and his inability to remain focused on his police work; Fish's age-related health issues, marital problems, and reluctance to retire; Wojciehowicz's impulsive behavior and love life; Luger's nostalgia for the old days with partners Foster, Kleiner, and "Brownie" Brown; Levitt's quest to become a detective (which is eventually successful); the rivalry between the precinct's resident intellectuals, Harris and Dietrich; and continually—but reliably—bad coffee, usually made by Yemana.

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