What if Linda Lavin Had Remained on Barney Miller?

Actress and singer Linda Lavin passed away yesterday following a recent diagnosis of lung cancer. She was 87.

Lavin was best known for starring in the sitcom Alice which aired on CBS for 9 seasons between 1976 and 1985. Alice was the TV adaptation of Martin Scorsese's film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. 

Lavin was also accomplished in the theatre appearing in numerous Broadway productions before and after Alice earning a Tony Award for Best Actress in Neil Simon's 1987 production of Broadway Bound. With a career that had spanned since the late 1950's, Lavin was still a working actress this year having appeared in the Netflix comedy No Good Deed alongside Lisa Kudrow, Denis Leary, Ray Romano and Luke Wilson which debuted earlier this month. She was also to set to appear in a sitcom to air on Hulu next year with the working title of Mid-Century Modern alongside Matt Bomer and Nathan Lane though it is unclear now what will come of the series with Lavin's passing. 

Yet the role for which I remember Lavin was her portrayal of Detective Janice Wentworth on Barney Miller. Lavin only appeared in a handful of episodes. She had a guest spot in the first season and audiences liked her so much she was brought back for a few episodes in the second season in which she was romantically paired with Sgt. Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz as played by Max Gail. 

I have no doubt the intention was to make Lavin a full cast member and the only female cop at the 12th precinct. It certainly would have added another dimension to an already wonderful sitcom. But Lavin shot the pilot for Alice and CBS decided to pick up the series. Needless to say, Lavin would have been crazy not to have jumped at the chance to star in her own TV show.

But had CBS or any other network had balked on Alice, I think Lavin would have thrived on Barney Miller. Who knows? Perhaps Detective Wentworth would have received a spinoff kind of like Detective Fish (as played by Abe Vigoda) had with Fish. 

While it is always interesting to speculate on what might have been, Linda Lavin lived a long life and enjoyed a long career on her own terms. R.I.P.