Customer Reviews

Barney Miller: Complete Third Season

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


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


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


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


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.

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!

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.

One of the finest sitcoms of the 70's & early 80's. The show gets five stars hands down. My copy of season three shipped in the poorest packing job the dvd box set Gods ever thought up. It is a spindle with the discs stacked on top of each other. How cheap can you get. This set is a must for Barney Miller fans, but I have already ordered a new case to put the discs in.

The Discs are all stacked on a HUB that holds all three discs so they lay on top of each other. Really really cheap packaging from Sony and thise is a mess. I can only guess how many more shows from SONY that will be released this way if they don't get enough complaints. If they were gonna give the consumer less quality they should have lowered the retail price at the same time. Mess of a set release Good Going Sony sounds like someone who came up with this idea needs let go. Qualty products sale and Bad word or mouth on poor packaging etc spreads faster then fire.

Do it Right or forget it!

Shame on Sony for their cheap packaging. I was going to buy this until I read about the poor packaging. Does Sony think so little of this great series and of the customers that they think they can get away with this? I've had it.

5 stars, of course, for the series, but at least a -5 stars for the packaging. As others have already stated, all 3 discs are stacked on 1 spindle. This is a capital crime, Sony. There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of shoddy workmanship. If you wanna keep releasing 'em like this, then I'm done with buying 'em.

Just got my 3rd season today. When I opened the package I found one DVD. No flip packaging. Just one spot for DVDs. Surprise, surprise discs one, two and three are stacked on top of on another on the same holder. VERY inconvenient. Come on Sony, charge a dollar more and give us a space for each DVD.

The three stars is because of the packaging. I would give the show five stars.

Great show, very good transfer and I can't wait to get the remaining seasons when (and if) they are released.

Sadly it misses a star for the bad packaging and presentation. Instead of individual mounts or cases for the discs, we get all three in one case and on one mount. So to get to the last disc you have to take the first two out...this is horrible and increases the chances of the discs getting damaged. Also, there is no booklet listing the episodes or their titles. Very poor!

If a job's worth doing...do it right. Next time, I hope the manufacturers will go back to the designs for either the first or second seasons, those were much better.

Barney Miller is definitely one of the greatest sitcoms in the history of television. It's also, arguably, the best example of the"ensemble" sitcom. Not only that, it just might be the closest thing to reality for a police show on television. The writing was excellent, the acting was excellent & its timing was impeccable. There are 22 episodes on three discs.

The set opens with "Evacuation" that features Wojo as a disaster preparation officer. He fears that New York City isn't properly prepared & there's no way everyone can be evacuated.

"Quarantine - Part 1" & "Quarantine - Part 2" has the 12th Precinct lock down because of contact with a possible smallpox victim.

"Bus Stop" finds the detective squad room full of passengers from a hijacked city bus.

"The Election" centers on some of the detectives' opinions concerning the elections of 1976. In this episode Wojo loses a prisoner after escorting him to an election booth.

"Recluse" features a doomsayer who is predicting the end of the world @ 5:30 that evening.

"Non-Involvement" has Wojo bringing a prisoner he's arrested because the man wouldn't aid a woman who's had her purse snatched.

"Power Failure" puts the 12th Precinct in the dark.

"Christmas Story" is a multi-layered episode (as all are Barney Miller episodes) that center on Christmas. Yemana gets a date with a "working girl"; a man can't assemble a present; Fish dresses up as Santa Claus to catch a serial Santa mugger; all the detectives buy Barney a gift after having agreed not to exchange presents; & Inspector Luger is looking to spend Christmas with Barney.

"Hash" has Wojo bringing in some brownies from a girlfriend that's laced with hash.

"Smog Alert" causes the 12th Precinct to be concerned about the health of Fish.

"Rand Report" features a report that is negative toward the police department. Also, because of a shortage of uniformed officers, Wojo is told he must do a week's worth of duty in uniform but walks out instead.

"Fire '77" has the detective squad bathroom catching fire.

"The Abduction" features Harris getting angry over a short story of his that has been published in a Men's magazine & has been greatly rewritten.

"The Sex Surrogate" centers on a neighborhood clinic that's not all it appears to be.

"Moonlighting" has Harris not doing well after taking a second job to maintain his lifestyle. Also has a priest selling stolen goods.

"Asylum" features a Russian pianist that wants asylum & a state department employee that has been sent to the 12th.

"Group Home" is the episode that begins setting up the details for the future & short lived Fish series.

"Strike - Part 1" & "Strike - Part 2" has the 12th Precinct about to go on strike.

It was sad to see Chano (Gregory Sierra) gone without a send off. We can see that Fish is about to retire & go on to a new career as a parent in a group home for troubled children. Dietrich (Steve Landesberg) is not yet a full cast member but has significant roles in some episodes. Also, Officer Leavitt (Ron Carey) is feat ured more often as is Inspector Luger (James Gregory). Barney Miller was a show that wasn't afraid to take on some of the issues of its day but it was never derogatory nor condescending.

It's unfortunate that the packaging is less that desirable. The rating should be docked at least one star because of it but I just couldn't bring myself to do that to such a great show. Hopefully, the fans will make enough noise about this & Sony will reconsider this for he next release. There aren't any bonus features nor any subtitles. The Audio & video are in excellent condition.