Barney Miller

Danny Arnold is the producer responsible for "Barney Miller," so when he shows up with a new sitcom, you tend to pay attention. It's called "STAT," it's set in the emergency room of a hospital and it premieres tonight on ABC at 9:30 on Channel 13 (WJZ).Your intrepid television critic has to admit that his eyes were not glued to the tube when "Barney Miller" showed up in January 1975. By the time I got around to appreciating that show, Barney and the gang had their characters down as smooth as a Sam Snead golf swing.

Ron Carey, an actor best known for his work as the cocky, height-challenged policeman Carl Levitt in the 1970s TV comedy Barney Miller, died of a stroke Jan. 16 in Los Angeles. In addition to the role on Barney Miller from 1976 to 1982, his acting resume listed Mel Brooks movies including High Anxiety and History of the World Part I. He also appeared in scores of commercials.

Ron Carey, an actor best known for his work as the cocky, height-challenged policeman Carl Levitt in the 1970s TV comedy Barney Miller, died of a stroke Jan. 16 in Los Angeles. In addition to the role on Barney Miller from 1976 to 1982, his acting resume listed Mel Brooks movies including High Anxiety and History of the World Part I. He also appeared in scores of commercials.

Peter Barnes, 73, a prolific playwright and screenwriter who wrote the 1960s satire The Ruling Class, died Thursday in a London hospital after suffering a stroke. He began his career as a playwright in the 1950s, and later moved into television and screenplays. Among his biggest successes was 1969's The Ruling Class, a darkly comic satire of the British class system later adapted for film. Mr. Barnes was nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay of the 1992 film Enchanted April, a gentle romance set in Italy.

Whoever put the canned laughter in the first two episodes of "STAT," the new ABC sitcom, should have his or her hearing checked. The laugh track slobbers all over the actors' lines, getting in the way of what might be pretty funny stuff -- if we could hear it.Outside of that large lapse of sensibility and judgment, the latest comedy from Danny Arnold, the creator of "Barney Miller," is both sweet and irreverent, an Arnold trademark.The series -- about life in the emergency room of a big city hospital -- premieres at 9:30 tonight on WJZ-TV (Channel 13)

ON AND OFF THE AIR:* Earlier this spring on NBC, a bizarre bistro served as the setting for a tryout series (director Wes Craven's "Nightmare Cafe"). Tonight on ABC, the comings and goings at "Jack's Place" provide a similar, while more conventional venue for the return to series television of amiable Hal Linden ("Barney Miller").The show debuts at 10 (Channel 13) as a summer-run series not on the fall schedule. But if enough viewers tune in, we could see it return as a mid-season replacement.

Henson creatures will be back on television starting next month.ABC announced yesterday that it is adding a new sitcom, "Dinosaurs," to its schedule, starting April 23. One of the executive producers of the series, which is about a family of dinosaurs living in the year 60 million B.C., is Brian Henson, son of Muppet-creator Jim Henson, who died last year.The stars of "Dinosaurs" will be dinosaur "creatures" created in the Henson Productions Creature Shop in London, which has also made the Muppets and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

"Man of the People" is Maverick at middle age.The new James Garner series, which premieres at 8 tonight on WMAR-TV (Channel 2), is "Jimbo" Rockford at his rock-bottom most conniving. James Doyle, the scamming city councilman at the center of "Man of the People," is, in short, a continuation of Garner's TV persona of the last 35 years.Garner's characters are charming, ambitious in all the wrong directions and, here, more than a little interested in women. In fact, Doyle is downright lecherous -- a programming nod to the realities of TV in the '90s.

It's not very raunchy. And it's not very funny.That's the bottom line on "Public Morals," an alleged sitcom that debuts at 9: 30 tonight on CBS (Channel 13). This show would probably sink like a stone were it not for two factors: its pedigree and its penchant for controversy."Public Morals" is the latest offering from Steven Bochco, whose flair for dramatics ("Hill Street Blues," "L.A. Law," "NYPD Blue") has made him one of the most powerful men in television."Morals" won't change that, but it won't convince anyone to label him a comic genius, either; It's nothing more than a series of wisecracks, lines of incidental dialogue that would barely be noticed on an episode of "Blue."

Peter Barnes, 73, a prolific playwright and screenwriter who wrote the 1960s satire The Ruling Class, died Thursday in a London hospital after suffering a stroke. He began his career as a playwright in the 1950s, and later moved into television and screenplays. Among his biggest successes was 1969's The Ruling Class, a darkly comic satire of the British class system later adapted for film. Mr. Barnes was nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay of the 1992 film Enchanted April, a gentle romance set in Italy.

It's not very raunchy. And it's not very funny.That's the bottom line on "Public Morals," an alleged sitcom that debuts at 9: 30 tonight on CBS (Channel 13). This show would probably sink like a stone were it not for two factors: its pedigree and its penchant for controversy."Public Morals" is the latest offering from Steven Bochco, whose flair for dramatics ("Hill Street Blues," "L.A. Law," "NYPD Blue") has made him one of the most powerful men in television."Morals" won't change that, but it won't convince anyone to label him a comic genius, either; It's nothing more than a series of wisecracks, lines of incidental dialogue that would barely be noticed on an episode of "Blue."

With many of us getting our Sunday papers on Saturday, maybe the idea behind CBS' "Early Edition" isn't so novel after all."Coach" (9 p.m.-9: 30 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- In the season premiere, new daddy Coach Hayden has to contend with a colicky baby and an NFL team getting ready to play the Cowboys. Hey, so far this year, playing the Cowboys hasn't been that big a deal, so maybe Coach doesn't have it as tough as he thinks. ABC."Early Edition" (9 p.m-10 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- Ready for new series that asks what you'd do if you could regularly get your hands on tomorrow's newspaper today?

The TV Repairman:Fans watching the College World Series on ESPN the past week have probably noticed the quality of play has been at a higher level than usual and exciting. Fred Lynn, the analyst and former ballplayer, explains why:"They caught a break this year with the [major-league] draft being so early. Normally, it's in the middle of the series and kids come here thinking they can improve their ranking quite a bit if they have a good showing in the early games. The pressure's on."With the draft out of the way, it seems everyone showed up here more relaxed and better able to concentrate on the job at hand.

ON AND OFF THE AIR:* Earlier this spring on NBC, a bizarre bistro served as the setting for a tryout series (director Wes Craven's "Nightmare Cafe"). Tonight on ABC, the comings and goings at "Jack's Place" provide a similar, while more conventional venue for the return to series television of amiable Hal Linden ("Barney Miller").The show debuts at 10 (Channel 13) as a summer-run series not on the fall schedule. But if enough viewers tune in, we could see it return as a mid-season replacement.

"Man of the People" is Maverick at middle age.The new James Garner series, which premieres at 8 tonight on WMAR-TV (Channel 2), is "Jimbo" Rockford at his rock-bottom most conniving. James Doyle, the scamming city councilman at the center of "Man of the People," is, in short, a continuation of Garner's TV persona of the last 35 years.Garner's characters are charming, ambitious in all the wrong directions and, here, more than a little interested in women. In fact, Doyle is downright lecherous -- a programming nod to the realities of TV in the '90s.

Whoever put the canned laughter in the first two episodes of "STAT," the new ABC sitcom, should have his or her hearing checked. The laugh track slobbers all over the actors' lines, getting in the way of what might be pretty funny stuff -- if we could hear it.Outside of that large lapse of sensibility and judgment, the latest comedy from Danny Arnold, the creator of "Barney Miller," is both sweet and irreverent, an Arnold trademark.The series -- about life in the emergency room of a big city hospital -- premieres at 9:30 tonight on WJZ-TV (Channel 13)

With many of us getting our Sunday papers on Saturday, maybe the idea behind CBS' "Early Edition" isn't so novel after all."Coach" (9 p.m.-9: 30 p.m., WMAR, Channel 2) -- In the season premiere, new daddy Coach Hayden has to contend with a colicky baby and an NFL team getting ready to play the Cowboys. Hey, so far this year, playing the Cowboys hasn't been that big a deal, so maybe Coach doesn't have it as tough as he thinks. ABC."Early Edition" (9 p.m-10 p.m., WJZ, Channel 13) -- Ready for new series that asks what you'd do if you could regularly get your hands on tomorrow's newspaper today?

The TV Repairman:Fans watching the College World Series on ESPN the past week have probably noticed the quality of play has been at a higher level than usual and exciting. Fred Lynn, the analyst and former ballplayer, explains why:"They caught a break this year with the [major-league] draft being so early. Normally, it's in the middle of the series and kids come here thinking they can improve their ranking quite a bit if they have a good showing in the early games. The pressure's on."With the draft out of the way, it seems everyone showed up here more relaxed and better able to concentrate on the job at hand.

Danny Arnold is the producer responsible for "Barney Miller," so when he shows up with a new sitcom, you tend to pay attention. It's called "STAT," it's set in the emergency room of a hospital and it premieres tonight on ABC at 9:30 on Channel 13 (WJZ).Your intrepid television critic has to admit that his eyes were not glued to the tube when "Barney Miller" showed up in January 1975. By the time I got around to appreciating that show, Barney and the gang had their characters down as smooth as a Sam Snead golf swing.

Henson creatures will be back on television starting next month.ABC announced yesterday that it is adding a new sitcom, "Dinosaurs," to its schedule, starting April 23. One of the executive producers of the series, which is about a family of dinosaurs living in the year 60 million B.C., is Brian Henson, son of Muppet-creator Jim Henson, who died last year.The stars of "Dinosaurs" will be dinosaur "creatures" created in the Henson Productions Creature Shop in London, which has also made the Muppets and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.