From CBS.com...

Emmy and Tony Award Winning Actor Hal Linden To Join B&B

Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor HAL LINDEN (Barney Miller) will join The Bold and the Beautiful for a limited run in the role of Jerry Kramer, a mysterious man from Jackie's (Lesley-Anne Down) past. Jackie's son, Nick (Jack Wagner), will begin to have flashbacks of Kramer, and be puzzled by these memories. Linden's episodes begin airing Tuesday, December 19.

Best known for his Emmy-nominated title role on the sitcom Barney Miller, Linden won his Emmys for a series of daytime informational spots called F.Y.I. Among his extensive television credits are the series Jack's Place, Gilmore Girls, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Will & Grace, and The King of Queens, on the Network. His stage credits include "The Rothschilds," for which he won a Tony Award, "The Pajama Game," "I'm Not Rappaport" and "The Sisters Rosenzweig."

My guess is that this is going to turn out to be Nick's real daddy. Then, down the road, they'll have Ben Hogestyn return as Harry, who will turn out to be Nick's son, allowing Harry and Phoebe to hook up without being cousins.

I'm surprised that this is just coming out since he begins airing in a couple of weeks, unless I've overlooked this being posted somewhere.

I hate Nick, so I don't look forward to this. Brad shouldn't splurge B&B's budget so much though.

I know I'm the only one who thinks this, but these stunt castings are stunt and annoying. I love Linda Gray and Bette White, but imagine how much good their characters would've done with a reputable soap vet willing to stay long term?

Brad Bell's best ideas are wasted on these stunts, then we get the Nick/Bridget/Ridge/Brooke drama for the entire year.

Seems like B&B is really upping the amount of older characters.

The second I read this, the beginning of the "Barney Miller" theme song entered my mind and now it won't leave! I love Hal Linden, but yes, the stunt casting is getting annoying. I love all of the people they're hiring (even the people who weren't stunt casted like Ben H. and Dax G.) but it annoys me because they can do so much more with who they already have...

I'm surprised that this is just coming out since he begins airing in a couple of weeks, unless I've overlooked this being posted somewhere.

B&B seems extremely tight-lipped for quite some time. Even the so-called previews in the mags are very vague or say little at most...

Considering that B&B tapes 5 or 6 weeks in advance it is quite an achievement to keep secrets secrets - remember: we knew that Kristen would return to LA but never learned why until the very last moment.

I like it that way.

As for the latest casting coup: Whatever. Nick has been runied for me quite a bit this year. The story might get good but I'm very indifferent about it just now.

What I find interesting taht B&B is suddenly on "explore the past"-bandwaggon. First Stephanie, now Jackie - wonder if Bradley Bell was influenced by Y&R or whether it was actually Brad Bell who suggested to Y&R to explore Brad Carlton's past??? This story also started off great - just the fallout was BAD, B&B usually does pay-off like no other soap so I'm looking foward to any of these kind of storylines.

Here's a little more scoop from TV Guide. Hal Linden's character on B&B will be a former pimp. Hmmm... Could Jackie... No!?! LOL!

Here's a little more scoop from TV Guide. Hal Linden's character on B&B will be a former pimp. Hmmm... Could Jackie... No!?! LOL!

She's British, so who knows...

BTW: I totally buy this guy as a pimp. I've never seen him before (not taht I could remember at least) but he comes off extremely shady.