Through the 1970s and 1980s there were many police shows on television. Most were action shows full of car chases and shootouts, or shows dealing with the serious dramas of contemporary society. Barney Miller was different. From 1975 to 1982, this situation comedy presented the human stories of the detectives and officers of the 12th Precinct in New York (Greenwich Village Area) as well as the stories of the criminals and victims that they dealt with. Though it had its share of serious topics, it managed to let its characters develop and grow and let us laugh at the results. The main action was restricted to the detectives' office and the small connected office of Captain Barney Miller on the upper floor of an old police building. The show's set was sparse, limited to the detectives' old desks, a holding cell, a coffee maker, and a restroom.

Hal...