Banacek
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| Banacek | |
|---|---|
| Format | Detective show |
| Starring | George Peppard Ralph Manza Murray Matheson |
| Country of origin | Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | George Eckstein |
| Producer(s) | Howie Horwitz |
| Running time | 90 min |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Original run | September 13, 1972 – September 3, 1974 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
- This article is about a TV series. For the mentalist/entertainer, see Banachek.
Banacek (one of the rotating NBC Mystery Movie series) was a short-lived, light-hearted detective TV series starring George Peppard on NBC from 1972 to 1974. It alternated in its timeslot with several other shows, but it was the only one to last beyond its first season. It was later rebroadcast on A&E Network.
The show had a mixture of humor combined with rather intricate plots that never generated strong ratings. Despite this, the show was well received by critics, and was picked up for a third season. However, before the third season could start production, Peppard quit the show in order to prevent his ex-wife Elizabeth Ashley from receiving a larger percentage of his earnings as part of their divorce settlement.
Contents |
[edit] Premise
Peppard played Thomas Banacek, a suave Boston-based freelance investigator who solved seemingly impossible thefts and collected from insurance companies 10% of the value of the insured property. Banacek's signature was quoting strangely worded, but curiously cogent "Polish" proverbs: "There's an old Polish proverb that says, if you're not sure that it's potato borscht, there could be orphans working in the mines", and "Just because the cat has her kittens in the oven doesn't make them biscuits" are two examples. Another recurring gag was telling people his name was spelled like it sounds (it is actually pronounced "Banachek").
Also featured were Ralph Manza as Banacek's chauffeur Jay Drury, Murray Matheson as rare-bookstore owner and information source Felix Mulholland, and Christine Belford as Carlie Kirkland, Banacek's sometime-lover and always-rival.
[edit] Episodes
[edit] Pilot
- Banacek: Detour to Nowhere
[edit] Season one
- Let's Hear It For A Living Legend
- Project Phoenix
- No Sign of the Cross
- A Million the Hard Way
- To Steal A King
- Ten Thousand Dollars A Page
- The Greatest Collection of Them All
- The Two Million Clams of Cap'n Jack
[edit] Season two
- No Stone Unturned
- If Max Is So Smart, Why Doesn't He Tell Us Where He Is?
- The Three Million Dollar Piracy
- The Vanishing Chalice
- Horse of A Slightly Different Color
- Rocket to Oblivion
- Fly Me- If You Can Find Me
- Now You See Me, Now You Don't
[edit] DVD releases
On May 15, 2007, Banacek: The First Season was released in the US under the TV Guide Presents label by First Look Studios. All eight first season episodes, but not the series pilot, were included. Season 2 will be released on January 22, 2008, and it will include the pilot episode. [1]
| Cover Art | DVD Name | Episodes | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image:Banacek S1.jpg | TV Guide presents: The First Season | 8 | May 15 2007 |
| TV Guide presents: The Second Season | 8 | January 22 2008 |
[edit] Production
The episode titled "If Max Is So Smart, Why Doesn't He Tell Us Where He Is?" was shot on location at the California Institute of the Arts around the time the school first opened. "Ten Thousand Dollars A Page " was filmed at the Pasadena Art Museum, later known as the Pasadena Museum of Modern Art and now the Norton Simon Museum of Art.
A customized 1969 American Motors AMX was built for the second regular season episode. The car became known as the AMX-400 and it is now owned by an automobile collector. Other continuing cars in the series were a 1941 Packard 180 with a Victoria body by Howard "Dutch" Darrin (license plate number 178344) and a 1973 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine (mobile telephone number KL 17811).
[edit] External links
- Banacek episode guidefr:Banacek
sv:Banacek
