Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Shows by Decade»1970s Television
    1970s Television Comedy Shows F 2 Mins Read

    Fish

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 7 7 – 1 9 7 8 (USA)
    35 x 30 minute episodes

    This sitcom was a spin-off from the hugely popular cop comedy Barney Miller.

    Phil Fish (Abe Vigoda) was the dilapidated detective from Barney’s New York watch-house. Now retired from the NYPD, Fish and his wife Bernice (Florence Stanley) decided to move out of their New York apartment and into a run-down house, in order to become foster parents to five racially mixed street kids for the “Persons In Need Of Supervision” (P.I.N.S) agency.

    Loomis (Todd Bridges) was the preteen hipster who befriended the dead cat in Fish’s basement; Mike (Lenny Bari) was the oldest – charming but streetwise; Victor (John Cassisi) was the blustery tough guy; Jilly (Denise Miller) the angelic con artist, and Diane (Sarah Natoli) the young TV addict.

    Psychologist Charlie Harrison (Barry Gordon) tried to help but didn’t really and Fish and the non-stop talker, Bernice, had to deal with everything.

    For the first few episodes, which ran concurrently with Barney Miller, poor Fish was still putting in time at the precinct house, but eventually, he was allowed to retire and expend his energy trying to keep the young tearaways in order.

    The quarrelsome quintet put pressure on Phil and Bernice’s marriage and by the end of the series, they were contemplating separation.

    In real life, also being somewhat undisciplined, and with little of its parent show’s class, the series was separating rapidly from its audience, and after 35 episodes, Fish was finally reeled in.

    ABC had attempted to float a Phil Fish spin-off two years before this series began, airing a pilot titled Fish And Bernice on 4 December 1975 which co-starred Doris Belack as his wife, Bernice, and Emily Levine as their daughter Beverley. This idea was not developed further.

    Phil Fish 
    Abe Vigoda
    Bernice Fish 

    Florence Stanley
    Charlie Harrison 

    Barry Gordon
    Loomis 

    Todd Bridges
    Mike 

    Lenny Bari
    Victor Kreutzer 

    John Cassisi
    Jilly Papalardo 

    Denise Miller
    Diane Pulaski 

    Sarah Natoli
    Manuel 

    David Yanez

    Video

    Related Posts

    • Sometime, Never
      Sometime, Never
      1 9 9 6 (UK) 7 x 30 minute episodes Disillusioned thirty-somethings Max (Sara Crowe) and Bernice (Ann Bryson) have…
    • All Our Saturdays
      All Our Saturdays
      1 9 7 3 (UK) 6 x 30 minute episodes Following the end of Queenie's Castle Yorkshire TV came up with a new sitcom…
    • Townies
      Townies
      1 9 9 6 (USA) 15 x 30 minute episodes This girl-buddy sitcom was set in the quaint fishing town of…
    • Doc Elliot
      Doc Elliot
      1 9 7 4 (USA) 14 x 60 minute episodes Handsome James Franciscus was Dr Benjamin R. Elliot, a successful New York…
    • Down the 'Gate
      Down the 'Gate
      1 9 7 5 - 1 9 7 6 (UK) 12 x 30 minute episodes The bustle and banter of London's…
    • McCoy
      McCoy
      1 9 7 5 - 1 9 7 6 (USA) 5 x 90 minute episodes McCoy debuted in September 1975 as one…
    • Archie Bunker's Place
      Archie Bunker's Place
      1 9 7 9 - 1 9 8 3 (USA) 96 x 30 minute episodes 1 x 60 minute episode In…
    • Billy The Fish
      Billy The Fish
      1 9 9 0 (UK) 4 x 30 minute episodes As a counterweight to the histrionics of the World Cup,…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleWaiting For God
    Next Article Tutti Frutti

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small. 

    Thank you so much.
    Enjoy your trip in the time machine!

    You may also like

    • Barney Miller
      Barney Miller
      1 9 7 5 - 1 9 8 2 (USA) 168 x 25 minute episodes 1 x 60 minute episode The…
    • A.E.S. Hudson Street
      A.E.S. Hudson Street
      1 9 7 8 (USA) 5 x 30 minute episodes This short-lived ABC tryout series centred around Dr Antonio ''Tony'' Menzies (Gregory…
    • Down the 'Gate
      Down the 'Gate
      1 9 7 5 - 1 9 7 6 (UK) 12 x 30 minute episodes The bustle and banter of London's…
    • Fish
      Fish
      1 9 7 3 (UK) 4 x 25 minute episodes "Fish" is the nickname of Jimmy Barnes (David Hogarth), a…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.