A bass line I could listen to again and again. Chuck Berghofer came up with it.
http://lostandsound.wordpress.com/2007/12/20/chuck-berghofer-and-his-most-famous-slide/

RIP Steve Landesberg

That theme was always the hippest on tv! But no Ron Glass or "Inspector" in that opening?

I have always loved this show.

It and "Welcome Back Kotter" have always filled me with a sense of nostalgia.

[4] Welcome Back Kotter was a GREAT show. I especially loved when they did Marx Brothers schtick or their little song and dance routines.

And who could forget:
Ba-ba-ba .. ba-Ba-barino

That opening was from one of the early seasons of Barney Miller, when Ron Glass was not yet in the credits (though he was on the show).

Abe Vigoda and Gregory Sierra left Barney Miller before it finished its run--they both left to do their own short-lived shows--and then there was the tragic death of the great Jack Soo, who died in 1979. Glass, Max Gail, and Steve Landesberg stayed with the show through to the end.

Just a great, great show. Reruns stil air on WGN. Clips and some entire episodes can be found on Hulu.

It was also a highly unusual show in that virtually every scene took place in the precinct house. I think they went outside of the precinct only about 12 times during its eight-year run, usually to go to Barney's or Fish's apartments. That precinct just looked like NYC in the 1970s.

[6] How does you know all this stuff?

But isn't this post supposed to be about the guy who died. I hear his voice when I see his face. Actually, I can hear Vigoda, too. He's dead also, isn't he?

Abe Vigoda is still alive. He's close to 90. He looked about 70 when he did Barney Miller, but he was actually only in hislate fifties.

Abe is an Upper West Sider. Seen him around Broadway plenty of times. That show really reminds me of growing up in NYC in the 70s.

[1] Same here, and they added to the theme as the seasons went on.

It was originally reported that Landesberg was only 65 at time of his death ... he was actually 74

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/arts/television/21landesberg.html?_r=1&hpw