Mannix is Coming! (All things Mannix w/spoilers) (2 Viewers)

[benbess]

Another thing I've noticed about Mannix as a show, which they don't do consistently, but seem to go for sometimes, is a slightly more natural and less "TV" pattern of speaking. In real life, most of us pause, or say um, or even stumble over our words once in a while. Most TV shows, however, polish away all of those extra verbal elbows and knees. Doing that, however, has its pros and cons. Both ways work for me, actually, but when people are speaking so perfectly that they never say um, or pause, or anything else, it does sometimes begin to feel like a memorized screenplay, and less like a real person struggling to figure something out, or express emotion. And so in the ep. Fear I, for instance, I think the woman lawyer talks with a more natural speech pattern. That's partly the actress, obviously, but clearly the director and the producer were letting that happen too, and going for a slightly grittier "real life" effect. But perhaps that's only in a few episodes? Don't know....




A Pittance of Faith

Liked this episode as well. Interesting and respectful bits about religion in this one. I also appreciated the noir idea of the person who seemingly died, but then did they? It's an almost totally different thing, but my guess is that a lot of the people who wrote for the show grew up with noir movies like Laura, directed by Otto Preminger in 1944. They probably also read books like John D. MacDonald's Travis McGree series.


Only Giants Can Play

A good political thriller with a twist ending. As usual, nice production values. Mannix is sometimes close to a low budget Hollywood movie of the era. This one to me had slight echoes of the movie The Best Man from a few years before. And the helicopter chase stuff reminded me a little of both North by Northwest as well as the early Bond movies.


PS I listened to a little bit of Mike Connors in that interview program. What a fun and intelligent man he seems to be. I liked how he described his more realistic approach to stunts in a little parable: if there's a fence with a gate Mannix wouldn't jump over the fence just for the heck of it. The stunt, he said, really has to make sense in terms of the story. He also mentioned how uncomfortable it sometimes was to wear a jacket and tie every day to work in often hot LA. And yet the fact that he did it does give the show a kind of gentlemanly style. Mike Connors and the whole rest of Mannix team clearly worked very hard to make this a good and entertaining show each week.++ I'm slowly being convinced that it is an under-appreciated TV classic.

 

[benbess]

Shadow of a Man
Commodore Decker from Trek's The Doomsday Machine is back, and co-stars with Sylvia from Catspaw....Anyway, I liked this one quite a bit. The tangled mystery had a good resolution at the end.


The Girl Who Came in with the Tide
Another famous Trek alum Nancy Kovack ("Nona" from A Private Little War) is the guest star for this episode, which I also liked quite a bit. I enjoyed, for instance, how Peggy teased him gently about whether he was questioning "Bret" diligently enough. The kiss at the end was nice too, I thought, even if it didn't exactly fit with any professional ethics!


Death in a Minor Key
This was one of my favorites of the whole season. Guest star Yaphet Kotto, who later when on to fight James Bond and die in the first Alien, as well as so many other things, is very good here. Anthony Zerbe does a good job as well. Liked the plotting of this one.


End Game
This was my least favorite of the whole season so far. Why? No Peggy. Not much mystery. No humor. No flirtation with a lovely guest star. Relentlessly grim. etc. I didn't care for it at all. Unfortunately, this was the only one I watched with my family, in an attempt to get them to like the show. They weren't impressed. Are there a lot of episodes like this one?

 

[Harry-N]

We've noted earlier in this thread that it was stated in THESE ARE THE VOYAGES, TOS SEASON ONE that casting director Joe D'Agosta would often sign guest stars on a three-fer basis so that they'd get a flat fee for appearing on STAR TREK, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, and MANNIX. That's a main reason why you'll see so many common guest stars on these three shows.

Of course, we're also talking about top talent in Hollywood at that time, and ALL casting directors sought out some of these people, so you'll also see the same people on THE F.B.I., THE FUGITIVE, and even VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

Harry

 

[jompaul17]

I listened to JoAnn's episode of TV Confidential today and really enjoyed it. She managed to get at some of what makes Mannix special and give the listener a good sense of her book, which is not easily described. The discussion is intellectual without being inaccessible.The subsequent interview with Mike Connors is great; he is a little cantankerous but still very charming, and there are some good insights into the making of the series and his thinking at the time. It's also very obvious how much he thinks of the book and how proud he is of the show and of the effect it has had on some viewers. Listen if you get the chance.

Lee,

Thank you so very much for this.

The version I heard must have been edited -- I listed to the end of my part and all of MC on one of the "live" radio broadcast streams -- some things I said were not there. Perhaps the podcast version is not edited? It might be awhile before I listen to it, since I'm still hung up on my voice -- I sounded loud and thought I came across as something that rhymes with a witch, probably due to years of trying to keep people awake in my classes.

I also thought MC was just great -- and he is definitely proud of Mannix. I didn't think he came across as cantankerous though! You might be referring to his discussion of how Hollywood has changed -- but that's kind of important, I would think. It affects the quality of modern-day TV. He is a very thoughtful guy!

Here's hoping you are right and he likes the book....

 

[jompaul17]

Another thing I've noticed about Mannix as a show, which they don't do consistently, but seem to go for sometimes, is a slightly more natural and less "TV" pattern of speaking. In real life, most of us pause, or say um, or even stumble over our words once in a while. Most TV shows, however, polish away all of those extra verbal elbows and knees. Doing that, however, has its pros and cons. Both ways work for me, actually, but when people are speaking so perfectly that they never say um, or pause, or anything else, it does sometimes begin to feel like a memorized screenplay, and less like a real person struggling to figure something out, or express emotion. And so in the ep. Fear I, for instance, I think the woman lawyer talks with a more natural speech pattern. That's partly the actress, obviously, but clearly the director and the producer were letting that happen too, and going for a slightly grittier "real life" effect. But perhaps that's only in a few episodes? Don't know....




A Pittance of Faith

Liked this episode as well. Interesting and respectful bits about religion in this one. I also appreciated the noir idea of the person who seemingly died, but then did they? It's an almost totally different thing, but my guess is that a lot of the people who wrote for the show grew up with noir movies like Laura, directed by Otto Preminger in 1944. They probably also read books like John D. MacDonald's Travis McGree series.


Only Giants Can Play

A good political thriller with a twist ending. As usual, nice production values. Mannix is sometimes close to a low budget Hollywood movie of the era. This one to me had slight echoes of the movie The Best Man from a few years before. And the helicopter chase stuff reminded me a little of both North by Northwest as well as the early Bond movies.


PS I listened to a little bit of Mike Connors in that interview program. What a fun and intelligent man he seems to be. I liked how he described his more realistic approach to stunts in a little parable: if there's a fence with a gate Mannix wouldn't jump over the fence just for the heck of it. The stunt, he said, really has to make sense in terms of the story. He also mentioned how uncomfortable it sometimes was to wear a jacket and tie every day to work in often hot LA. And yet the fact that he did it does give the show a kind of gentlemanly style. Mike Connors and the whole rest of Mannix team clearly worked very hard to make this a good and entertaining show each week.++ I'm slowly being convinced that it is an under-appreciated TV classic.

Ben,

MC wanted to bring more realism to Joe Mannix, compared to, for example, James Bond. As a result, the series has a less formal feel to it, and sometimes that makes it into the dialogue. I've watched the episodes so many times now I can tell where he stumbles on his lines just a bit and recovers well enough that they just left it in there. But one of the reasons they could do that is because of a more natural feel to the show compared to, for example, shows like Mad Men with very tight dialogue -- those are almost like a stage play. Mannix does not come across like a stage play, nor is it one of those shows like Hill Street Blues where the camera awkwardly follows people around. It hits a sweet spot that, in my opinion, is difficult to hit. You get the feeling you're in this guy's life, because he let you in. How difficult is that to do -- for a heroic character?

"A Pittance of Faith" is one of my favorite episode of season 2. That ending, in Joe's office -- the emotion there comes right through the screen. Notice the look on Peggy's face when she looks at Joe -- and the look on MC's face as well. Is this really an action-oriented crime drama? There are other parts of that episode I like as well, including the scene in the bar with Bobby Troupe and when Peggy is singing in Joe's office, right before the professor walks in. The episode has a great feel to it And, notice how Peggy is starting to see Joe. That is an important part of Mannix -- and it just seems to happen because of their chemistry.

From your observations about the interview (I assume you are talking about the TV Confidential interview?), I really think I heard an edited version. I missed a couple of those things.

And, yes, MC is both a fun and intelligent man -- and he put it all into Joe Mannix. Try to imagine anyone else coming close to playing that role! He deserves any and all positive attention for this great series that holds up so very well.

As for this line:

.++ I'm slowly being convinced that it is an under-appreciated TV classic.

Sweet!!!

I had a feeling you would -- you're noticing lots of important things, in my opinion.

 

[jompaul17]

Shadow of a Man
Commodore Decker from Trek's The Doomsday Machine is back, and co-stars with Sylvia from Catspaw....Anyway, I liked this one quite a bit. The tangled mystery had a good resolution at the end.


The Girl Who Came in with the Tide
Another famous Trek alum Nancy Kovack ("Nona" from A Private Little War) is the guest star for this episode, which I also liked quite a bit. I enjoyed, for instance, how Peggy teased him gently about whether he was questioning "Bret" diligently enough. The kiss at the end was nice too, I thought, even if it didn't exactly fit with any professional ethics!


Death in a Minor Key
This was one of my favorites of the whole season. Guest star Yaphet Kotto, who later when on to fight James Bond and die in the first Alien, as well as so many other things, is very good here. Anthony Zerbe does a good job as well. Liked the plotting of this one.


End Game
This was my least favorite of the whole season so far. Why? No Peggy. Not much mystery. No humor. No flirtation with a lovely guest star. Relentlessly grim. etc. I didn't care for it at all. Unfortunately, this was the only one I watched with my family, in an attempt to get them to like the show. They weren't impressed. Are there a lot of episodes like this one?

Ben,

"The Girl Who Came In With the Tide" is an important episode of Mannix for a few reasons. First, it introduces Robert Reed -- and he is an important part of Mannix. A lot of people believe his chemistry with MC was better than all of the other cop buddies -- and I agree. Second, it establishes Adam Tobias and Peggy united in trying to get through to a less than perfect Joe -- and this is taken to sweet perfection in season 3's "The Sound of Darkness." Third, it introduces Nancy Kovak who, arguably, has the most chemistry with MC as an outside love interest. She appears in two other episodes of Mannix, playing different characters.

"Death in a Minor Key" is an extraordinary episode with the kind of brilliance reserved for things that get through to you without realizing it. Did you notice how Joe went to the "small Southern town" filled with his own prejudice about the South? As a result of the hero being forced to confront his own form of prejudice, viewers -- such as those in the South -- could be more comfortable facing their own prejudice. How important was that in 1969?

How about the scene in the crippled man's house? I saw that as a kid and it didn't do much for me, but when I watched it again, as an adult, I was absolutely blown away. Put yourself in Joe's position there! What would you say to the crippled man? Most people would either give in (the guy was crippled, after all) or be utterly self-righteous. Joe simply holds his ground, knowing he is going to get it form this man when he does. This is sweet, heroic, perfection.

So, go ahead and try that in real life. It is incredibly difficult!

"Death in a Minor Key" is also the very first episode where Peggy calls her boss, "Joe." This is also done brilliantly, since it gets viewers past the barrier of a black woman calling her white boss by his first name. They pull it off almost without your realizing it because Joe is working for her on this one -- as a friend. But it goes from there.

This was a truly brilliant episode -- especially in 1969.

So, "End Game" is one of those categorically different episodes that the series always seemed to be trying, often doing them once and never again. Mannix does not do that episode type again -- but other episodes are both highly unique and take advantage of MC's range. Further, I know of nothing else quite like "End Game" that ever aired on TV -- or in the movies, for that matter. I happen to think the episode is extraordinary -- but, you are right -- no Peggy in that one! Show your family one of the other episodes -- like "A Pittance of Faith" or "Death in a Minor Key."

Or, if you really want your family to like the series, just show them all of the early episodes of season 3, starting with the very first and going right up to "The Sound of Darkness." All kinds of good Peggy stuff in there...

 

[jompaul17]

We've noted earlier in this thread that it was stated in THESE ARE THE VOYAGES, TOS SEASON ONE that casting director Joe D'Agosta would often sign guest stars on a three-fer basis so that they'd get a flat fee for appearing on STAR TREK, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, and MANNIX. That's a main reason why you'll see so many common guest stars on these three shows.

Of course, we're also talking about top talent in Hollywood at that time, and ALL casting directors sought out some of these people, so you'll also see the same people on THE F.B.I., THE FUGITIVE, and even VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

Harry

Harry,

Yes, it seems to have been a very different kind of business back then for "character" actors. I've watched other series -- comedies included -- only to sit there and scratch my head, certain I'd seen that person before, somewhere.... Of course, they invariably wound up in some episode of Mannix. Character actors did not seem quite so typecast as they are today -- not sure why. Was the business smaller and more collegial?

It might be a fun game to play sometime, "Six Degrees of Mannix." The series ran for eight seasons and accommodated quite a few different character types, so it might blanket all of recorded film and TV!

 

[MCCLOUD]

Phenri,

No question -- Mannix did a few highly novel episode types -- I don't know of them ever being done in other series. "End Game" is one of them. And it is a great episode.

I don't know how far you've gotten in the series, but lots of "A" category episodes occur in seasons 3 and beyond...

When I think of the different episode types done in Mannix, by one lead actor playing one role, I still find it incredible.

Hello Pherri and JoAnn! End Game is one of my favorite Mannix episodes! I like how the enitre episode takes place at night! The sets used for the abandoned building are very good. Steve Inhat gives an outstanding performance! Also, this is the first appearance of Art Malcolm! Mike Conner's perfomance is excellent! The action scenes are great! JoAnn you talk a lot about the character of Joe Mannix and this episode shows it! Joe Mannix knows he is walking into a death trap and that he will likely die! Yet, he is willing to die, if there is a chance he can save his friend Art Malcom! End Game is outstanding!

God Bless!

Robert

 

[benbess]

I can see and actually mostly appreciate all of the things that Robert mentions about End Game. That kind of episode, however, just isn't my particular favorite cup of tea. More than that, I was trying out the show on my 12-year old daughter and the rest of my family, and End Game just didn't make the "sale" for that audience....

But I'm glad that Mannix tries a range of episodes and different things. That way, once in a while, you can expect the unexpected.

 

[benbess]

Ben,

"The Girl Who Came In With the Tide" is an important episode of Mannix for a few reasons. First, it introduces Robert Reed -- and he is an important part of Mannix. A lot of people believe his chemistry with MC was better than all of the other cop buddies -- and I agree. Second, it establishes Adam Tobias and Peggy united in trying to get through to a less than perfect Joe -- and this is taken to sweet perfection in season 3's "The Sound of Darkness." Third, it introduces Nancy Kovak who, arguably, has the most chemistry with MC as an outside love interest. She appears in two other episodes of Mannix, playing different characters.

"Death in a Minor Key" is an extraordinary episode with the kind of brilliance reserved for things that get through to you without realizing it. Did you notice how Joe went to the "small Southern town" filled with his own prejudice about the South? As a result of the hero being forced to confront his own form of prejudice, viewers -- such as those in the South -- could be more comfortable facing their own prejudice. How important was that in 1969?

How about the scene in the crippled man's house? I saw that as a kid and it didn't do much for me, but when I watched it again, as an adult, I was absolutely blown away. Put yourself in Joe's position there! What would you say to the crippled man? Most people would either give in (the guy was crippled, after all) or be utterly self-righteous. Joe simply holds his ground....

"Death in a Minor Key" is also the very first episode where Peggy calls her boss, "Joe." This is also done brilliantly, since it gets viewers past the barrier of a black woman calling her white boss by his first name. They pull it off almost without your realizing it because Joe is working for her on this one -- as a friend....

Or, if you really want your family to like the series, just show them all of the early episodes of season 3, starting with the very first and going right up to "The Sound of Darkness." All kinds of good Peggy stuff in there...

Seeing Robert Reed on Mannix, after seeing him since early childhood as Mr. Brady, was kind of a revelation. I always liked him as Mr. Brady, but this is a more complex, nuanced, and edgy role. Glad to hear he returns. As you say, the chemistry with Mannix is very good.

Glad also that Nancy Kovak comes back since, as you also say, they have a nice chemistry of a different kind.

Yeah, Death in a Minor key was one of those episodes where everything came together to go beyond perhaps all other detective and police shows of this era. And from a grim premise I like how it pulls off a happy, funny, and feel-good ending. Nice cinematography throughout on this one. Although I was born and raised in California, I've now lived in Kentucky for 15 years. The prejudice that some coastal people have against places like KY, and the people who live here, is sometimes amusing and sometimes a little annoying. As the Chief of Police says, some Southerners you might not expect welcomed the changes back in the 1960s, and some Southerners have views and abilities that might even surprise a Californian today. A Southern accent I think is very charming, but you shouldn't necessarily read into it things that might not be there.

The sad thing to me is that Southern accents, as far as I can tell, are dying out. They were not common 15 years ago when I started as a teacher in the classroom, and now I almost never have students that talk in that wonderful way. At least not very strongly. Or, maybe I've been here so long I just don't hear it as much anymore, unless it's very strong. My speech patterns have changed a little too—and once or twice I've even caught myself saying "Y'all"!

And thanks for pointing out that this was the first time Peggy called Mannix "Joe." I was so wrapped up in the episode, and it was so natural, that somehow I didn't really notice it. But in 1969, as with some other things in this episode, that was something.

In terms of trying Mannix on my family again, I may have to wait a while. And they may simply not be willing. There are so many viewing choices that it may be a stretch to sell them on that idea again, even if I say it'll be different than End Game. They only once in a blue moon watch The Virginian with me.

I now feel like I am going to get more Mannix on DVD at some point. But I think I should probably watch more of the TV shows that I've already purchased on blu-ray and DVD and haven't yet finished, like The Dick Van Dyke Show, Little House on the Prairie, The Virginian season 8 (I've gotten through the first 7), as well as my latest purchase, a half season of Gunsmoke.

More than once I've gone to the amazon page with the complete 8 season set of Mannix. For a while it was on sale for $135 for all 8 seasons, but now it's up to $145. I realize that's still a great price, but, as mentioned, there are other things already purchased that should be watched, along with the perhaps vain hope that someday the price might go back down again.

Thanks again, JP, for your thoughts, guidance, and encouragement as I started the process of discovering what to me was an all-new show. You really helped make me into a fan.

 

[MCCLOUD]

Hey Ben! That is the great thing about TV Shows and Movies! Everyone can have their own opinion! If you like a movie, tv show, or certain episode, you like it! If you don't , you don't! That is the way it is and should be! By the way, I also like The Virginian. I have bought the 1st 4 Seasons. I have only watched so far about the first half of Season 1. I am currently watching well over 20 series in episode order so it is taking me a long time to make it through the TV Shows I am watching. I have been watching Mannix for several years and am only on Season 3! I have enjoyed The Virginian. I like The Virginian, Trampas, Steve and the others. I like the high production values and great location footage. I read where someone wrote it was like B-Movie in terms of being such high budget for a TV Show and I agree!

God Bless!

Robert

I can see and actually mostly appreciate all of the things that Robert mentions about End Game. That kind of episode, however, just isn't my particular favorite cup of tea. More than that, I was trying out the show on my 12-year old daughter and the rest of my family, and End Game just didn't make the "sale" for that audience....

But I'm glad that Mannix tries a range of episodes and different things. That way, once in a while, you can expect the unexpected.

 

[Harry-N]

Glad also that Nancy Kovak comes back since, as you also say, they have a nice chemistry of a different kind.

I think my favorite chemistry between Mike Connors and a female is with Loretta Swit in, I think, a Season Four episode. If I'm not mistaken, she'd appeared in Season Three as well and had good chemistry with Mike Connors there too.

Harry

 

[benbess]

Robert: I'm glad to find another fan of The Virginian. It's a very good show that, like Mannix, maintained its quality for an amazingly long run. If you get to the fourth season you'll find that there are a lot of changes that year, and most of them aren't for the better. But my suggestion is to stick with it, because the 5th season improves and mostly gets back on track, and the 6th an 7th seasons almost get back to the level of quality of the first three seasons. And there are individual episodes in the later seasons that are as good as any they ever made. As you say, each episode of The Virginian is like a little B-Western movie. Some of them are better than others, of course. But the best episodes of The Virginian—like best episodes of Mannix, Star Trek, etc.—have an impressive level of quality just not seen in today's television imho.

 

[jompaul17]

I can see and actually mostly appreciate all of the things that Robert mentions about End Game. That kind of episode, however, just isn't my particular favorite cup of tea. More than that, I was trying out the show on my 12-year old daughter and the rest of my family, and End Game just didn't make the "sale" for that audience....

But I'm glad that Mannix tries a range of episodes and different things. That way, once in a while, you can expect the unexpected.

Ben,

I was eight years old when "End Game" first ran, and I didn't connect with it then either. I do appreciate it far more as an adult -- a lot of that has to do with appreciation of the range of both Mike Connors and the heroic situations Joe Mannix encounters.

But rest assured, plenty of episodes have appeal for a twelve year old girl (or, in my case, even younger), especially in the first part of season 3.

 

[jompaul17]

Hello Pherri and JoAnn! End Game is one of my favorite Mannix episodes! I like how the enitre episode takes place at night! The sets used for the abandoned building are very good. Steve Inhat gives an outstanding performance! Also, this is the first appearance of Art Malcolm! Mike Conner's perfomance is excellent! The action scenes are great! JoAnn you talk a lot about the character of Joe Mannix and this episode shows it! Joe Mannix knows he is walking into a death trap and that he will likely die! Yet, he is willing to die, if there is a chance he can save his friend Art Malcom! End Game is outstanding!

God Bless!

Robert

Robert,

All good observations!

 

[jompaul17]

Seeing Robert Reed on Mannix, after seeing him since early childhood as Mr. Brady, was kind of a revelation. I always liked him as Mr. Brady, but this is a more complex, nuanced, and edgy role. Glad to hear he returns. As you say, the chemistry with Mannix is very good.

Glad also that Nancy Kovak comes back since, as you also say, they have a nice chemistry of a different kind.

Yeah, Death in a Minor key was one of those episodes where everything came together to go beyond perhaps all other detective and police shows of this era. And from a grim premise I like how it pulls off a happy, funny, and feel-good ending. Nice cinematography throughout on this one. Although I was born and raised in California, I've now lived in Kentucky for 15 years. The prejudice that some coastal people have against places like KY, and the people who live here, is sometimes amusing and sometimes a little annoying. As the Chief of Police says, some Southerners you might not expect welcomed the changes back in the 1960s, and some Southerners have views and abilities that might even surprise a Californian today. A Southern accent I think is very charming, but you shouldn't necessarily read into it things that might not be there.

The sad thing to me is that Southern accents, as far as I can tell, are dying out. They were not common 15 years ago when I started as a teacher in the classroom, and now I almost never have students that talk in that wonderful way. At least not very strongly. Or, maybe I've been here so long I just don't hear it as much anymore, unless it's very strong. My speech patterns have changed a little too—and once or twice I've even caught myself saying "Y'all"!

And thanks for pointing out that this was the first time Peggy called Mannix "Joe." I was so wrapped up in the episode, and it was so natural, that somehow I didn't really notice it. But in 1969, as with some other things in this episode, that was something.

In terms of trying Mannix on my family again, I may have to wait a while. And they may simply not be willing. There are so many viewing choices that it may be a stretch to sell them on that idea again, even if I say it'll be different than End Game. They only once in a blue moon watch The Virginian with me.

I now feel like I am going to get more Mannix on DVD at some point. But I think I should probably watch more of the TV shows that I've already purchased on blu-ray and DVD and haven't yet finished, like The Dick Van Dyke Show, Little House on the Prairie, The Virginian season 8 (I've gotten through the first 7), as well as my latest purchase, a half season of Gunsmoke.

More than once I've gone to the amazon page with the complete 8 season set of Mannix. For a while it was on sale for $135 for all 8 seasons, but now it's up to $145. I realize that's still a great price, but, as mentioned, there are other things already purchased that should be watched, along with the perhaps vain hope that someday the price might go back down again.

Thanks again, JP, for your thoughts, guidance, and encouragement as I started the process of discovering what to me was an all-new show. You really helped make me into a fan.

Ben,

Robert Reed has specifically mentioned being proud of his work on Mannix. Of course, his feelings towards The Brady Bunch are legendary.

I think all regional accents are dying out. More than just the South have them -- some Northern cities do as well.

We don't identify with region so much anymore as other things. Sadly, I think this can beget even worse forms of isolation since we identify with some aspect of ourselves without bothering to be exposed to other kinds of people.

Prejudice is everywhere -- it comes in all forms, with all kinds of targets, and with all sorts of accents and stripes. It also hurts like heck -- yet another reason series like Mannix made a real contribution. Even today, people could learn a lot from the utterly graceful way race and prejudice were handled in the series. That also has a lot to do with solidifying my love for this series -- it adds to the unique brand of heroism that is Mannix.

It almost sounds like your signing off of the thread, even as if showing "End Game" to your family hindered your desire to watch season 3. That would be too bad, as I've enjoyed your posts -- and the series really delivers on the things you like the most about it. A couple of people have hinted that it is worth getting into the first episodes of season 3 -- get to "The Sound of Darkness." Just trust me on this -- none of those early episodes of season 3 are like "End Game." (Actually, no other episode of Mannix is quite like "End Game" even though "A Gathering of Ghosts" from season 4 is another "dark" episode I did not identify with as a kid but I love as an adult.)

That first part of season 3 is really what caused an eight year old girl to fall in love with this series.

 

[jompaul17]

I think my favorite chemistry between Mike Connors and a female is with Loretta Swit in, I think, a Season Four episode. If I'm not mistaken, she'd appeared in Season Three as well and had good chemistry with Mike Connors there too.

Harry

Harry,

Yep, that's true enough, for sure. She was in season 3's "Only One Death to a Customer" and season 4's "Figures in a Landscape." In the latter, practically 25% of the show is entirely visual and physical, with the two of them struggling in the desert. Only a few actresses could carry that off.

Come to think of it, in each of those episodes she was playing a tough woman. Nancy Kovak played very different kind of women, somewhat closer to an adult version of an ingénue.

I think I've mentioned before, but M*A*S*H is pretty well represented in Mannix -- guest stars included Loretta Swit and Mike Farrell -- and, of course, Larry Linville was a semi-regular (Lt. Kramer).

 

[jompaul17]

Robert: I'm glad to find another fan of The Virginian. It's a very good show that, like Mannix, maintained its quality for an amazingly long run. If you get to the fourth season you'll find that there are a lot of changes that year, and most of them aren't for the better. But my suggestion is to stick with it, because the 5th season improves and mostly gets back on track, and the 6th an 7th seasons almost get back to the level of quality of the first three seasons. And there are individual episodes in the later seasons that are as good as any they ever made. As you say, each episode of The Virginian is like a little B-Western movie. Some of them are better than others, of course. But the best episodes of The Virginian—like best episodes of Mannix, Star Trek, etc.—have an impressive level of quality just not seen in today's television imho.

Ben,

I think that all shows that have a long run manage to change from season to season. If you think about it, that is a virtual must, or else people grow tired of seeing the same old thing.

Now, the curious thing about Mannix, which was anything but an ensemble or anthology style show, is that you would think it would be a practical impossibility for it to stay fresh.

But it does.

Each season -- and sometimes each half-season -- has a different feel to it, as if everyone got together in a room and said, "let's explore tough, heroic individualism this way for awhile..." and so they go off and do it.

But the core of the series is Mike Connors playing his alter ego -- so all of those variants remain true to themselves.

 

[jompaul17]

I came across this photo on eBay. Too bad the auction for the item does not include the article, because the figure, clearly taken from a newspaper clipping, has a nice caption that is very much in keeping with our discussion here lately.

 

[benbess]

All Around the Money Tree
I enjoyed this light weight caper episode, which was about as different in tone from End Game as you could imagine. It was silly, but I enjoyed the little humor of Mannix telling Peggy he wasn't there and not to be disturbed, and then, when she made an exception for the beautiful British gal, complimenting her on her mastery of the job. My teen son actually watched it with me. I liked it better than he did, but he was ok with it.

With that strong recommendation for the third season, perhaps I'll just look for one of those at a reasonable price, rather than trying to get the whole show all at once. I wouldn't be signing off of the thread, but maybe just moving on to other shows for a while. But I still have five more episodes of the second season to watch first, and am likely to give mini reviews of those as I go.



PS I forgot to mention for Girl Who Came in with the Tide that I saw my first example of the stunt double for Mike Connors. I bet you fans of the show know the scene. It's where Mannix jumps off of the yacht to get to the bad guy, and then gets into a brawling fight. The director and cinematographer filmed it from enough of a distance that it does almost look like MC. And when watched on the lower rez TVs of 1969 I bet it was impossible to really tell. That's a difference with Star Trek, where sometimes they made the mistake of filming it close enough that you can tell quite clearly that it isn't really Capt. Kirk who is in the big fight, even on the old TVs of the 60s and 70s. I think actually the problem in Star Trek was that they couldn't film at enough of a distance, because the set of the Enterprise just wasn't big enough to make that practical. Anyway, in terms of stunt work in general I'm impressed at how often it's Mike Connors himself doing his own stunts, from falls to fights.