A indicate was known & swell loved for its range of distinctive characters & wry humor. Captain Barney Miller (Linden) seeks to remain reasonable when running off the station house populated by pessimistic retirement-age Philip K. Fish (Vigoda), naif Stanley "Wojo" Wojciehowicz (Gail), suave African-American Ronald Nathan Harris (Glass), philosophical Japanese-American Nick Yemana (Soo), detective wannabe Carl Levitt (Carey) & befuddled superior Inspector Franklin Luger (Gregory). In the foremost year exclusively, Gregory Sierra played neurotic Puerto Rican Detective Chano Amangual; his character was replaced by soi-disant noetic Arthur P. Dietrich (Landesberg) from either a 2nd year in.

Recurring characters involved Barney's boy David (Michael Tessier) and girl Rachel (Anne Wyndham); Officer Kogan (Milt Kogan); the gay few Marty Morrison (Jack DeLeon) and Darryl Driscoll (Ray Stewart); attorney Arnold Drake Ripner (Alex Henteloff); Detective Janice Wentworth (Linda Lavin); Detective Eric Dorsey (Paul Lieber); Detective Maria Battista (June Gable); Officer Rosslyn Licori (Mari Gorman); gay police officer Zatelli (Dino Natali); Internal Affairs Lt. Ben Scanlon (George Murdock); Inspector Kelly (Dick O'Neill); liquor store owner Mr. Cotterman (Jack Somack); vigilante Bruno Binder & his married woman (Stanley Brock and Mari Gorman); building superintendent Beckman (Paul Lichtman); group personal kids Jilly (Denise Miller) and Victor (John Cassisi); werewolf Mr. Kopeckne (Kenneth Tigar); blind man Leon Roth (Ralph Manza); Sidney the bookmaker (Buddy Lester); married couple Phillip & Harriet Brauer (Peter Hobbs and Doris Roberts); rabbi Yacov Berger (Nehemiah Persoff); Ray Brewer (John Dullaghan); crook Arthur Duncan (J.J. Barry); Mr. Lukather (Judson Morgan).

Fallowing deuce seasons, Barney Miller's personal was written away from a indicate. Ms. Barrie would produce occasional guest appearances. Once in a while, Phil Fish's married woman Bernice (Florence Stanley) was shown. Inside 1977, the characters of Phil & Bernice Fish were spun off onto their own indicate, Fish.

Within 1979, Jack Soo died. His character was & then dear per audience and his fellow actors, that, as the consequence his dying, a favorite memorial episode aired. Per final seasons, a program was unusual within its resemblance to a stage play, in this its scenes virtually never strayed from either the lof these placed of the one-room precinct station (by owning its large open-barred holding cell) and Miller's adjoining professional. Characters come & went from either a placed, however were never shown outside or even inside more buildings.

A foremost year is presently available in DVD. Occasionally of the indicate's originative staff—though none of the independent cast—went in to produce a series Night Court, which, while besides popular, long-running off, & similar within numbers of key themes (perfect down to a catchy bass line at a beginning), did non receive the equivalent critical plaudits, even because its comedic situations were wide & less subtle, & its characters less swell developed, than victims of Barney Miller.