HalLinden

Whatever happened to the NYPD crew of the 12th precinct? 'Barney Miller' celebrated its 35th anniversary on Jan. 23, 2010, making it almost 28 years since the show left the airwaves and the 12th precinct cohorts were split up in the show's series finale, but most of Capt. Barney Miller's men (and women) have kept busy during that time

From daytime and primetime series and big-screen appearances to a few sad deaths and one cast member whose death rumors have been greatly exaggerated, we catch up with what the 'Barney' bunch has been up to in the last three decades ...

Carey played Officer Carl Levitt on the classic sitcom Barney Miller (remember, James Gregory would always call him "Levine?"). He died Tuesday in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke.

Besides that role, Carey appeared in several other TV shows, including Benson, Alice, Lucky Luke, and the New Love American Style. He was in a bunch of movies too, including High Anxiety, Johnny Dangerously, History of the World, Part 1, Fatso, and The Out of Towners (the original). His last role was in the 1999 movie Food For Thought.

His real name was Ron Cicenia and he stood 5 feet 4 (hey, I'm only 5 feet 5, so it's always good to see other short guys become a success!).

One of the hazards of being home from work is the minefield that is daytime TV. It's pretty scary when you think about it; ads for denture cream, diabetes testers, and insurance to take care of your "final expenses" abound, mainly because a major component of the audience that time of the day is retirees. However, for an almost-middle-aged person like myself, seeing those commercials is a scary harbinger of what is to come, especially if I don't take care of myself like, say, Wilford Brimley.

But there is also a sad component to the daytime fascination with mortality: the disappointment you feel when you see your favorite TV legend selling Medicare supplemental insurance or life insurance on TV.