Hal Linden is opening up about the decision that brought Barney Miller to a close after four decades since the sitcom aired its final episode. The 94-year-old actor appeared alongside former co-star Max Gail at The Hollywood Show in Burbank recently, where he revisited the show’s final episode and the unknown reason it ended with integrity.
In the Emmy-winning sitcom, Linden played Captain Barney Miller for eight seasons, which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1982, while Gail played Officer Stan “Wojo” Wojciehowicz. In addition to Linden and Gail, the show featured Abe Vigoda, Ron Glass, Jack Soo, Gregory Sierra, and others. Landmark: Part 3, the final episode, showed the cast receiving reassignment orders as the precinct prepared to shut down.
Why ‘Barney Miller’ ended – from the perspective of Hal Linden
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The question, ‘Why did Barney Miller end?’ has long been an unanswered one. Recalling the incident surrounding it, Linden made it clear that the series did not end because ABC canceled it; instead, showrunner Danny Arnold chose to end it himself. Linden shared that Danny Arnold called the cast together in the show’s final year and explained that they were having trouble finding new writers.
Then Arnold decided to go everywhere in search of new writers. He desired to maintain the standard that made Barney Miller a critical favorite, especially in the writing. He went off for a month and returned to break the news to them. “There’s no reason to do this show unless we can do it right. And I cannot find writers.”
Hal Linden now
Linden had mentioned earlier that Arnold’s declining health also played a role. He could not monitor the series as he usually would. And since he knew that every word mattered, and if that quality could not be preserved, then it was time to close the precinct.
At 94, Hal Linden still makes appearances in theatre and live performances. He recently filmed a promo for the “Mad Bros. Stay Tuned” interview. Meanwhile, there are speculations that he is included in the 2025–26 season lineup of New York’s Gilbert & Sullivan Players.