Texting with Barney Miller: Ep. 152

This week on Unorthodox, we're going down to the station. Our guests are Hal Linden and Ryan Ochoa, who co-star in the new film The Samuel Project. Linden is best known for his portrayal of police precinct captain Barney Miller in the eponymous TV series, which aired from 1975-1982 (millennials, you can binge it on Amazon Prime), but his prolific six-decade career has included perfomances on stage and in film. Ochoa is an actor and musician who has appeared in the Disney series "Pair of Kings" and the Nickelodeon series "iCarly." They tell us about their intergenerational new film, about a Jewish grandfather and grandson who connect over a school project that reveals the grandfather's little-known story of survival. They also tell us about their real-life frienship: Linden, born Harold Lipshitz in the Bronx in 1931, has become something of a mentor to the 22-year-old Ochoa as he works to break out of the Disney-kid mold and take on serious roles. Ochoa is serious in his study: Linden is the only person he actually calls on the phone. We also drop by a Yiddish for Dogs workshop in New York's Central Park hosted by the Workmen's Circle. Have a question for Unorthodox? Send it to Unorthodox@tabletmag.com or leave a message at our new listener line: 914-570-4869. We’re also looking for stories about Jewish superstition for our Halloween episode. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and join our Facebook group to chat with the hosts and see what happens behind-the-scenes! Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Show your love for Unorthodox with our new T-shirts, sweatshirts, and baby onesies. Get yours at bit.ly/unorthoshirt! This episode is brought to you by Harry’s. Get your trial shave set at Harrys.com/UNORTHODOX