BARNEY MILLER: ALTERCATION (TV)
Summary
One in this series of comedies about police captain Barney Miller and his squad of detectives in Manhattan's 12th Precinct. Harris is in contract negotiations for his latest book. A woman named Beverly Wakefield has her purse stolen in front of the precinct office and comes in to help identify the thief. Owing to a scandal in the 3rd Precinct, Barney’s likelihood for promotion to Deputy Inspector increases; secretly he appreciates that his chances are getting better. Harris and Wojo arrest a stockbroker named Neil Hackett for selling marijuana; Hackett cooperates due to being high himself. Ripner visits Harris, who still resents him for all the money he managed to win off of him in court. He tries to stake a claim on the advance payment for Harris’s book, citing a source of “probable future earnings,” which enrages Harris. Beverly finds the thief’s profile, but Barney is distracted when Harris punches Ripner in the face. Barney tries to calm them down as Ripner threatens to sue Harris. Barney calls Harris into his office and chastises him for his thoughtless behavior. However, Barney indicates that he may be more concerned with how this will affect his chances for promotion than the consequences for Harris. One of Hackett’s superiors from the brokerage comes to bail him out, shocked that Hackett is a drug user. Ripner prepares his case against Harris, but Harris offers to give him whatever he has left and testify that he hit him in court. Ripner reveals that he also got cheated out of his money due to court fees and attorney prices, and so he is scrounging for clients and cases just to support himself. At this, Harris laughs in Ripner’s face, enraging him further. Wojo and Dietrich bring in the purse-snatcher from his apartment, and Barney finds a number of newspaper clippings pertaining to him in Beverly’s purse. Beverly reveals that sixteen years ago Barney shooed away some men harassing her while he was on patrol. It was a minor incident that Barney does not recall, but Beverly admits that she’s been infatuated with him ever since, secretly collecting information on him and watching him from afar. She never meant for the two of them to meet in person, and tells Barney that she can stop watching him if he wants her to. However, Barney tells her that he appreciates the attention and sends her on her way. Ripner decides not to sue Harris if he gets an apology from him, and Harris does apologize. Instead, Ripner decides to represent the purse thief. Barney also apologizes to Harris for his selfish comments, but still points out that Harris’s actions were reckless and childish. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: April 9, 1982 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:24:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:62178
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1975-1982
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Danny Arnold … Executive Producer, Created by
- Roland Kibbee … Executive Producer
- Frank Dungan … Producer
- Jeff Stein … Producer
- Gary Shaw … Co-Producer
- Alan Bergman … Director
- Theodore J. Flicker … Created by
- Tony Sheehan … Writer
- Jack Elliot … Music by
- Allyn Ferguson … Music by
- Hal Linden … Cast, Capt. Barney Miller
- Max Gail … Cast, Det. Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowitz
- Ron Glass … Cast, Det. Ron Harris
- Steve Landesburg … Cast, Det. Arthur Dietrich
- Ron Carey … Cast, Officer Carl Levitt
- Alex Henteloff … Cast, Arnold Ripner
- Todd Sussman … Cast, Neil Hackett
- Miriam Byrd-Nethery … Cast, Beverly Wakefield
- Rod Colbin … Cast, Lawrence Wheeler
- Robert Pastorelli … Cast, Edward Guthrie