Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Ed Ryba First, credit where it's due - the opening and closing theme music from Mannix was written by the well-known film and TV composer, the guy who wrote memorable themes for TV's Mission: Impossible, and of course, one of the best TV themes ever, Mannix, Lalo Schifrin. And I can't take credit (or the blame) for the 'Summary' or 'Title' of this review. My old friend, the late Gary Owens, was responsible for that. Mr. Schifrin even credited Gary, when he used the above title for a vinyl LP of some of Schifrin's music.All that being said, I have always thought Mannix was one of the all-time great detective shows ever to hit TV. Mike Connors (known in the 1950's as "Touch" Connors! Figure THAT out!) was just terrific as the tough guy/nice guy detective, Joe Mannix. His secretary, Peggy Fair (played by Gail Fisher - and I don't think the character's last name was mentioned more than once in the entire run of the episodes in which she appeared, from its second season, starting in September of 1968, to its eighth season, which finished in April of 1975). In its first season, Mannix was working in the rather contrived situation of a large, "computerized" detective agency with many employees. Thankfully, the producers (Desilu, at the time, soon to become Paramount Television) had the sense to dump all the phony baloney bells and whistles of all that. Starting with season two, they got rid of the unnecessary characters, and had our hero Joe Mannix become self-employed, with Peggy holding down the fort whenever Joe left the office, which was quite often.When you watched Mannix, you'd see lots of action, a fair amount of suspense, and even when the scripts weren't great, they were always good. So if you have yet to see this series, as of this writing, the show is running on MeTV, seen all over the US, originating in Chicago.If you'll allow me this, dear reader, Three Cheers For DESILU Productions, which, with Mannix, went out with a BANG!!!

Emil Bakkum This is a very personal review, since my memories of Mannix date back from the early adolescence. Mannix has educated me. At the time characters like James Bond (notably Roger Moore) were my heroes (= what a guy in a boat does). I loved the Mannix series, since it uses a similar style. The narrative is fast, exciting and surprising. Every episode contains some spectacular fights and pursuits. Our hero seems smart, strong and just. His favorite trick is to wait at home for the hit men. It never fails! Hardly a day goes by, when Mannix does not get a bulletin something (pun intended). Of course not all bullets hit him, but around one intended. He appears to defend high moral standards, so that in the end justice always prevails. In general the other characters are evil villains or rich people, living in impressive houses. And always there is a blonde. Why did the blonde climb the glass wall? To see what is on the other side. But behold. Now, half a century later, the magic is gone. It can't be an age thing. Yes, I can remember when everything was fields. But Mannix is SUPPOSED TO BE a show for adults. So what could be wrong with the series? Somehow I can no longer digest its naivety and lack of credibility. Actually I suspect that most present viewers will prefer a more realistic picture. Besides Mannix, just like James Bond, is quite cruel. He knocks down all persons, that are a hindrance, including innocent guys who simply do their job. You should not hit someone in the bellicose it hurts. He is all hammer, no nail. How can you empathize or identify with him? Reflect on that. In addition the narratives are shallow, without any covert messages or suggestions. The viewer doesn't get a challenge, and there are no mental gains. Could the series try to ridicule violence? Think for instance about the episode "Downfall", where Lou Wickersham keeps swallowing pills that make him aggressive. However, this pretext seems a bit far-fetched. Apparently the scenario writers had bubbles in their think tank. Still, the Mannix show has the attraction of being a pioneer, which inspired other detective series of the time, for instance Cannon, The Rockfort files and Hawai-Five'O. Old police men never die, they just cop out. They all may help to kill time in those (hopefully scarce) moments when you feel worn down. I only bought the first season of Mannix, and was pleased to see musicians like Neil Diamond, Buffalo Springfield, with Stills and Young (unfortunately only in the first few episodes), and "George Anderson" of Peyton Place. In another episode there is a guest from The Adams family. To be brief, one season is enough for me. Don't forget to check off the "useful: yes" ballot. I love comments.

beseke1 Mannix, by far, is still the best PI series ever produced.The grittiness is fantastic, and Mike Connors adds such a real, human touch. Gail Fisher also makes the show very worthwhile. I just bought the Season 2 DVDs, and they bring me back to my youth as I was glued every week to watching this wonderful show!I can only hope that those who did not grow up with this show are able to see and appreciate the great work. While the CSIs of the this TV generation are interesting, Mike Connors showed how a true star can make a show excel.Great job, again.

aimless-46 The 194 one-hour episodes (all in color) of detective drama "Mannix" originally aired on CBS from 1967-1975. It was a slick series, uncharacteristically violent (at least by television standards) with decent enough scripting so that there was generally logic involved in all the story lines. Mike Conners (one of my fraternity brothers) played the title character, a maverick private eye who starts out (Season One) as a loner within "Intertect" a large detective agency. It was intended by its creators (Richard Levinson and William Link-see "Columbo") to be a man vs technology statement. In Season One Mannix is in constant conflict with his boss Lou Wickersham (Joseph Campanella). Lou has invested big bucks in a computer system, the latest electronic technology, and assorted scientific detection gadgets; and these are central to the way he is marketing the agency's services. Mannix is an old fashion gumshoe, solving cases by hard work and instinct. Their confrontations may remind you a similar dynamic on "Kolchak: The Night Stalker". After its first year "Mannix" became a conflicted series. The title character was a reprise of the Nick Stone character Conners played in the police drama "Tightrope" (1959-60 also on CBS). Stone and Mannix are no-frills film noir style grunts, coming out of most confrontations a bit the worse for the wear. But once the producers of "Mannix" saw the success of "Bullitt" (1968) they began to pack the series with car chases and outfit their otherwise grim gumshoe with a succession of "Munsters" inspired exotic automobiles. Can you say incongruity? But that should not concern those about to view the Season One DVD set. Speaking of incongruity, the later season's content and style seems mismatched with the boxy split screen title graphics. These were a carry over from Season One where they were meant to reflect the computer and technology themes. I liked them even though they seemed out of place in subsequent seasons. I also liked the catchy theme music by Lalo Schifrin who did the theme for "Mission Impossible". Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.