Product Description

The men of the 12th Precinct are back for another season of big laughs and bad coffee! Fires, blackouts, smog ? elections. The third season gives a wild look at New York City during one of its most dynamic times, the late '70s, an era before the term "politically correct" existed. Join Hal Linden as wise police Captain Barney Miller along with Officers Fish (Abe Vigoda), Wojo (Max Gail), Harris (Ron Glass), Yemana (Jack Soo) and guest stars Dietrich (Steve Landesberg), Officer Levitt (Ron Carey) and Inspector Luger (James Gregory) in this hilarious Emmy®-winning comedy. With a station of wacky misfits and wild New Yorkers, the third season is full of guest stars including Billy Barty (UHF), James Cromwell (TV's 24), Doris Roberts (TV's Everybody Loves Raymond), Brett Somers (TV's Match Game), and Michael Tucci (Grease). So funny it's criminal, Barney Miller: The Complete Third Season is a must-have for any DVD collection!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3143 in DVD
• Brand: SONY PICTURES HOME ENT
• Released on: 2009-03-17
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 3
• Dimensions: .55 pounds
• Running time: 551 minutes

Amazon.com
The saying "the more things change, the more they stay the same" applies in full to the third season of the Emmy-winning comedy Barney Miller, which underwent considerable shakeups in its cast and creative ranks in its third season while retaining its sharp writing and performances. Gone from the 12th Precinct at the beginning of Season 3 (1976-1977) are Gregory Sierra’s Chano and Linda Lavin’s Wentworth, and in their place Steve Landesburg as the phlegmatic Dietrich and Ron Carey as over-eager Carl Levitt in their first full season as cast members, and briefly, June Gable as Detective Maria Battista (Abe Vigoda’s Fish would join the ranks of the departed in the following season, and his spin-off series, Fish, was introduced here). Producer Chris Hayward had also left the show at the end of the previous season, and co-creator Danny Arnold would take his place for the remainder of Barney’s network run. But in spite of such turnover, the show lost none of its humor and edge during the third season, as witnessed by a pair of exemplary two-part episodes: "Quarantine" forces the detectives to do some soul-searching while under lockdown for a smallpox outbreak, while the season closer, "Strike," tests their loyalties when an unauthorized work shutdown is announced. The blend of laughs and drama present in both episodes are exactly why Barney earned solid ratings and critical respect during its tenure on TV, and while it remains one of the best-loved series to date. Other standout episodes include the memorable "Werewolf" (a prisoner believes himself to be one); "Sex Surrogate" (Doris Roberts guest stars as a woman who shoots her husband for seeking help with dysfunction); the hilarious "Hash" (Wojo’s gift of brownies turn out to contain marijuana) and "Group Home," which revives the show’s running gag of outfitting a precinct member in drag to handle the mugging detail--this season’s candidate is a marvelously mortified Fish. With such a wealth of terrific material, one wishes that some sort of special feature was included to provide some perspective on the season, but that isn’t the case here. --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews

Don't Miss the Hash Brownies!
No release date yet on this, the pivotal 3rd season, where Steve Landesburg becomes a regular as Det. Dietrich. He will eventually replace Det Fish (Abe Vigoda),who officially leaves at the beginning of Season 4 to star in his own (short lived) show. There is an overused phrase used when reviewing TV shows: "This is where the show 'hit it's stride'", but if this phrase could ever be used, this is the occasion.

A wonderful show in what may be it's best season, with it's best episode: #11 (Hash). "By the way that I feel"!


Season 3, Episode 1: Evacuation
Original Air Date--23 September 1976
Wojo is alarmed to learn that New York City doesn't have an up-to-date emergency evacuation procedure. Fish meets Jilly Pappalardo, a young thief who eventually will star in the spin-off Fish.


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Season 3, Episode 2: Quarantine: Part 1
Original Air Date--30 September 1976
Wojo brings in a sick perpetrator who collapses on the floor. The entire precinct is placed under quarantine, including a prostitute who gets friendly with Fish, Marty, Mr Driscoll, and Inspector Luger.


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Season 3, Episode 3: Quarantine: Part 2
Original Air Date--7 October 1976
Being cooped up in the same room together, especially with no air conditioning, starts to effect the men negatively. Especially when they overhear Harris' very vocal dreams where he seems to have a problem with everyone. The rest of the men share personal stories and conversations,while waiting to hear from the medical lab if the the possible "pox" they might be infected with is either Small Pox or Chicken Pox.


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Season 3, Episode 4: Bus Stop
Original Air Date--14 October 1976
A robber is confined to the precinct with his bus load of victims.


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Season 3, Episode 5: The Election
Original Air Date--21 October 1976
It's Election Day. A woman, being prevented by her husband from voting, throws a toilet seat into the street to get attention. A shoplifter is escorted to vote by Wojo and then lost by him. Inspector Luger campaigns for a political crony.


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Season 3, Episode 6: Werewolf
Original Air Date--28 October 1976
A man claiming to be a werewolf causes a disturbance in the park.


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Season 3, Episode 7: The Recluse
Original Air Date--11 November 1976
A man who hasn't left his apartment since World War II is brought in for refusing to serve jury duty. A prophet claims the end is near, i.e. 5:30 p.m.


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Season 3, Episode 8: Noninvolvement
Original Air Date--18 November 1976
Wojo brings in a man for refusing to help a mugging victim, but Barney doesn't think a crime has been committed.


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Season 3, Episode 9: Power Failure
Original Air Date--9 December 1976
The precinct endures a power failure and a man with a split personality.


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Season 3, Episode 10: Christmas Story
Original Air Date--23 December 1976
Fish goes undercover to catch a mugger who's targeting Santas. Wojo doesn't know how to tell Yemana that his Christmas Eve date is a call girl. Luger fishes for an Christmas Day invitation from Barney.


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Season 3, Episode 11: Hash
Original Air Date--30 December 1976
Everyone on the squad except Barney is stoned by hashish-laced brownies made by Wojo's new girlfriend. An actor and a critic duel with swords.


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Season 3, Episode 12: Smog Alert
Original Air Date--6 January 1977
The city experiences a first-stage smog alert. A potential suicide victim is saved by a graffiti artist.


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Season 3, Episode 13: Community Relations
Original Air Date--13 January 1977
Barney is charged with harassment when he arrests a blind shoplifter. An evicted tenant threatens a landlord with a musket.


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Season 3, Episode 14: The Rand Report
Original Air Date--20 January 1977
Wojo quits the force rather than return to uniformed patrol one week per month.


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Season 3, Episode 15: Fire '77
Original Air Date--27 January 1977
Thanks to a suicidal couple, the precinct may go up in flames.


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Season 3, Episode 16: Abduction
Original Air Date--3 February 1977
A couple wants Barney's assistance with their cult-influenced daughter. Nick's bookie is arrested.


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Season 3, Episode 17: Sex Surrogate
Original Air Date--10 February 1977
Barney investigates a sex clinic that more closely resembles a brothel. Harris investigates a rash of crimes apparently committed by a juvenile. Weary of waiting for a promotion, Levitt announces that he's quitting the force.


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Season 3, Episode 18: Moonlighting
Original Air Date--17 February 1977
Barney discovers that Harris has a second job. Dietrich arrests a priest for fencing stolen goods. A racketeer is using a mentally challenged boy as an assistant.


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Season 3, Episode 19: Asylum
Original Air Date--24 February 1977
Wojo prematurely grants asylum to a Russian defector. Marty is charged with a parole violation for possessing a half-ounce of marijuana.


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Season 3, Episode 20: Group Home
Original Air Date--10 March 1977
Yemana assists a bigoted Army officer when a bomber threatens a recruiting facility. Fish takes a turn at mugging detail.


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Season 3, Episode 21: Strike: Part 1
Original Air Date--24 March 1977
The city is threatened with a police force strike. A woman is robbed by her computer date.


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Season 3, Episode 22: Strike: Part 2
Original Air Date--31 March 1977
Barney and Inspector Luger staff the precinct alone while the detectives are on strike.

Great Show - Terrible Packaging
The packaging is as someone put it criminal!
They have stacked 3 disks on a single spindle one on top of the other.
This will promote scratching on the disks - for thoes who like to keep their discs in mint cond. or collectable, this is not good.
It also makes it difficult as to get to the third disc you have to remove the first two. Cheap and inconsiderate design.
The show is great - I find the Video quality transfer bettter than the previous 2 seasons. Although the humor I find has changed slightly in the 3rd season, also the Character Chano is no longer on the show which might have changed the balance?
If not for the case I would have given a 5 star.

They Just Don't Make'um Like This Anymore!
My wife and I have enjoyed Barney Miller since it's inception.
We started recording each ep. when we got our first VHS recorder, and have worn out two complete taped series, then when it again appeared on TV Land,recorded it on SVHS tape again, and after we bought our DVD recorder I began to transfer all our tapes to disc.
During that time we were estatic to see them being relised commercially by Sony, and are currently anxiously awaiting the pre-ordered arrival of the third season.
These are great due to the uncut versions, unlike the syndicated versions which had to be cut to fit the newer time slots.
My only complaint is how long it takes between release between seasons. I can only hope Sony continues to release the entire series.
The writing of this series is supperb, as well as the stars, and guest stars on the show.
The show has substance and continuity, which is severly lacking in todays sitcoms.
I doubt there will ever be another like it in this era.
However having the entire series from Sony would satisfy us for the rest of our lives!