R.I.P. Mike Connors of "Mannix" Fame

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by jsayers, Jan 26, 2017.

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  1. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Sounds interesting. I think I missed it. Doesn't seem to be set for rebroadcast.
     
  2. jsayers

    jsayers Just Drifting.... Thread Starter

    Location:
    Horse Shoe, NC
    You'd have to wait for the whole series to recycle from the beginning, that's if it makes it two times around. That show ran 8 season, just like Mannix, oddly enough. It was season 4, episode 17, titled "Hard-Boiled Murder".
     
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  3. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

  4. Sneaky Pete

    Sneaky Pete Flat the 5 and That’s No Jive

    Location:
    NYC USA
    He was a cool dude on 70's TV. I loved Mannix.
     
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  5. ShockControl

    ShockControl Bon Vivant and Raconteur!

    Location:
    Lotus Land
    Very happy that Lalo's Mannix album was included on the recent French Lalo Schifrin box set.
     
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  6. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    It's on Hallmark on February 10th. I set my DVR. Thanks for the info!
     
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  7. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
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    I did a lot of work for Paramount TV syndication in the 1980s, and the exec we worked with every week told me that they were reluctant to syndicate the first season because it was a radically different format with Joe Campenella as the boss of the computerized "Intertec" detective agency, with whom Mannix clashed every week (but they put up with him because he was their best detective). To me, this is what made the show interesting in that first season, which is how it was envisioned by creators Levinson & Link (who also created Columbo and a few other unusual detective shows). The exec told me that Campenella was deemed too expensive by the studio brass, so he was dropped in order to reduce the budget, but I think it hurt the show. Clearly, the audience didn't care since the show went on to do almost 200 episodes.

    It's been said that Levinson & Link got the character's name from Eddie Mannix, a notorious "fixer" and general manager of MGM during the 1950s, but as far as I know that's just a legend.
     
  8. Always liked Touch. RIP.
     
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  9. pmdclassics

    pmdclassics Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bismarck ND
    I still love watching Mannix reruns.
     
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  10. Raylinds

    Raylinds Resident Lake Surfer

    I have always enjoyed Mannix and have the DVDs. RIP and thanks for all of the joy, Mike.
     
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  11. melstapler

    melstapler Reissue Activist

    That was a fun story and I liked how it connected with the original episode. Pernell Roberts starred with MC in that episode.
     
  12. misterjones

    misterjones Smarter than the average bear.

    Location:
    New York, NY
    Still on my DVR! I have to watch it soon.
     
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  13. melstapler

    melstapler Reissue Activist

    There was a Mannix fan group I belonged to from about 20 years ago and they discussed 2 projects Mike Connors was involved in which sounded interesting. One of them was a new Mannix spinoff series which was going to feature a grown-up version of Peggy Fair's son working with MC as Mannix in a supporting role. The other series was something MC was involved with more on a behind-the-scenes basis and his people were pitching to the networks. The proposed series had an interesting concept. The idea was that each episode would alternate storylines/characters by having the original living actors from other detective/investigation shows reprising their roles for one episode. For example, MC back for an episode as Mannix, Rick & AJ Simon from Simon & Simon, Peter Falk as Columbo, Jack Klugman as Quincy, etc. I would imagine ageism was a primary reason as to why the series didn't happen. Younger generations prefer to watch CSI and Bones and probably don't want to see wrinkly versions of classic characters from shows they probably weren't interested in back in the 60s, 70s and 80s. What a shame.
     
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  14. pmdclassics

    pmdclassics Forum Resident

    Location:
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    That would have been very cool! There were so many good detective shows in those days from Barretta to Barnaby Jones, Serpico etc. The guest stars were alway interesting as well. One thing I am noticing on the 1968/1969 episodes of Mannix airing on MeTv is that the conclusion happens too fast. Basically the last 5 minutes of the show its a wrap.
     
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  15. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    Naw, the problem is that all those studios and producers would have to be paid for others to use their creations in a new series. It's been said (as one example) that the reason why Patrick McGoohan never said that the secret agent in The Prisoner was John Drake (from Secret Agent) was because then they'd have to pay the producers, the creators, and the original production company. If they just never gave his name, they could claim it was a "similar" secret agent but a totally different character and not have to pay anybody, which is what they did. McGoohan was always coy as to the question on John Drake.

    Peter Falk and Jack Klugman were in very bad health for the last 10 years of their lives and not very well up to performing. I had the misfortune of working on Peter Falk's last movie, and it was really, really tough to watch the dailies. Klugman did a little acting in the 1990s, but his voice had been ravaged by cancer, so it was very tough on him as a performer.

    I think due to the structure of a lot of these traditional series, they had about 45 minutes to present the mystery and show the detective solving the case, then the final five minutes was the wrap-up. Nowadays, quite a few streaming services (like Amazon, Netflix & Hulu) give the producers the flexibility of doing a slightly longer-than-normal episode so they can get into a few more details before concluding the show. Legion on FX has been anywhere from 55 minutes to 75 minutes, so they have a lot of leeway in ignoring some traditional broadcast rules. (Language and nudity, too.)
     
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  16. melstapler

    melstapler Reissue Activist

    So that's how they avoided any potential licensing nightmares with SA/The Prisoner. Ingenious!
     
  17. fr in sc

    fr in sc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hanahan, SC
    It was the first episode that had the Springfield in it----they played "Bluebird" but it was really hard to hear them in the background. I bought the Season 1 DVD just to get that episode. They played in a little dark club with a light show going on---Bruce Palmer played bass facing the audience (for once), but he had shades on.
     
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  18. fr in sc

    fr in sc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hanahan, SC
    I think it was....if you don't count I Spy, of course!!
     
  19. HGN2001

    HGN2001 Mystery picture member

    I've seen several "stars we've lost in 2017" features this week and none have mentioned Mike Connors. That's pretty sad.
     
  20. MikaelaArsenault

    MikaelaArsenault Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    Any others omitted?
     
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  21. benjaminhuf

    benjaminhuf Forum Resident

    By the way, Mannix is on DVD. Picture quality is quite good, and it's fun watching this today. Just saying the obvious, but it beats the hell out of Mad Men in terms of getting those period details! Since I grew up in Southern California in that era, and even was at some of the locations, its a wonderful and strange feeling watching this show sometimes. Anyway, recommended on DVD is you want a mini color "film noir" any time you want....
     
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  22. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Indeed it is a great series.
     
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  23. Luvtemps

    Luvtemps Forum Resident

    Location:
    P.G.County,Md.
    Mike Connors was da man,before[Mannix]there was[Tightrope]in which he played an undercover cop who always escaped at the end of the episode,cool shows from a cool actor.
     
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  24. melstapler

    melstapler Reissue Activist

    There was a deceased celebrities segment I saw on TV which failed to mention the deaths of MC or actor Ty Hardin, who perished in August. Both MC and TH were well known actors in their time and I fail to understand how they are being overlooked by controlled mainstream media at the end of 2017.
     
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  25. Scope J

    Scope J Senior Member

    Location:
    Michigan
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