History Series / Mannix

''Mannix'' is an American DetectiveDrama television series starring Creator/MikeConnors as PrivateDetective Joe Mannix. Created by [[Creator/LevinsonAndLink Richard Levinson and William Link]] (also known for ''Series/{{Columbo}}'' and ''Series/MurderSheWrote'') and developed by Bruce Geller (''Series/MissionImpossible'', which through ''Series/DiagnosisMurder'' shares a universe with ''Mannix''), it was the last show produced by Creator/DesiluStudios (which also originated ''Mission: Impossible'') before its acquisition by Creator/{{Paramount}}. It ran from 1967 to 1975. The showrunners Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts would later create [[Series/CharliesAngels a popular detective show of their own]].

During the first season of the series, Mannix works for a large UsefulNotes/LosAngeles detective agency called INTERTECT that utilizes state-of-the-art (for its time) computer equipment to solve crimes. As opposed to the other employees who must wear dark suits and sit in rows of desks with only one piece of paper allowed to be on their desks at one time, Mannix belongs to the classic American detective archetype; thus he usually ignores the computers' solutions, disobeys his boss's orders, and sets out to do things his own way, all the while outsmarting and mocking his superior, Lew Wickersham (Joseph Campanella).

From the second season on, Mannix works on his own with the assistance of his loyal secretary Peggy Fair (Gail Fisher – one of the first African American actresses to have a regular series role), a police officer's widow. He also receives help from the Los Angeles police department, the two most prominent officers being Lieutenant Art Malcolm (Ward Wood) and Lieutenant Adam Tobias (Robert Reed). Other police contacts are Lieutenant George Kramer (Creator/LarryLinville), who had been the partner of Peggy's late husband, and Lieutenant Dan Ives (Jack Ging). In the second season, he also employs the services of a competitive private investigator, Albie Loos (Joe Mantell), as a sort of investigative gofer.

The series concluded after 8 seasons on an episode that did not give closure to the show. However, two decades later, Mannix would reappear in a {{Crossover}} with ''Series/DiagnosisMurder'' to solve the loose ends of "Little Girl Lost" in the episode "Hard-Boiled Murder", where Mannix finally makes good on his promise to Tina Reynolds to solve her father's murder despite growing older and developing an arterial blockage. This served as the backdoor finale to the adventures of Mannix and left him on a high note as he continued to pursue his detective work with a renewed sense of health and a healthy infusion of new casework to go home to. It also reveals Dr. Mark Sloan is the one responsible for treating Mannix's many injuries on the job all along, who must operate on Joe to save his life.

''Mannix'' is an American DetectiveDrama television series starring Creator/MikeConnors as PrivateDetective Joe Mannix. Created by [[Creator/LevinsonAndLink Richard Levinson and William Link]] (also known for ''Series/{{Columbo}}'' and ''Series/MurderSheWrote'') and developed by Bruce Geller (''Series/MissionImpossible'', which through ''Series/DiagnosisMurder'' shares a universe with ''Mannix''), it was the last show produced by Creator/DesiluStudios (which also originated ''Mission: Impossible'') before its acquisition by Creator/{{Paramount}}. It ran from 1967 to 1975.
The showrunners Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts would later create [[Series/CharliesAngels a popular detective show of their own]].

* AmnesiaEpisode: "What Happened To Sunday?" has Mannix having amnesia. Given his notorious propensity for sustaining head injuries, it's surprising it takes until season 4 for this trope to turn up.

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Karen Steele's Australian accent in "Harlequin's Gold" is ''atrocious'' (not that the other Aussie accents on display are much better.)[[note]]other than Don Knight's[[/note]] British actress Kate Woodville's Amertican accent wavers distractingly in "What Happened To Sunday".

* {{Retool}}: In the first season (1967-68), the title character worked for a detective agency called INTERTECT that utilized state-of-the-art (for its time) computer equipment to solve crimes. However, Mannix generally disregarded the computers and the agency's rules to solve crimes his own way. Creator/LucilleBall (''Mannix'' was the last show produced by Creator/DesiluStudios) decided that the computers were over most viewers' heads and asked to have them worked out of the show. This turned Mannix into a more conventional detective series. The [[UsefulNotes/{{Fonts}} font]] used in the credits were based on IBM's corporate font of the time. That font and the theme music were about the only things that transitioned over into the new version of the series. This is best shown in the title cards; in season one, the ''Mannix'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF_49tWPNWA&NR=1 title card is literally a computer card.]] From season two and beyond (1968-75), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyZL_3bxD68&feature=related with the better known title card with the shifting letters.]]

* ReturningWarVet: Part of Mannix's {{backstory}} is that he was a POW during UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar.

* AbsenteeActor: Gail Fisher doesn't appear in a few episodes, including the final episode.

* CharacterTitle[=/=]ProtagonistTitle: The series takes its name from the name of its protagonist, Joe Mannix.

%%* Reality Ensues: nine-year-old Dottie, a big fan of detective stories, gets a dose of it in "Bang, Bang, You're Dead" when she overhears a murder plot.

''Mannix'' is an American DetectiveDrama television series starring Creator/MikeConnors as PrivateDetective Joe Mannix. Created by [[Creator/LevinsonAndLink Richard Levinson and William Link]] (also known for ''Series/{{Columbo}}'' and ''Series/MurderSheWrote'') and developed by Bruce Geller (''Series/MissionImpossible''), it was the last show produced by Creator/DesiluStudios before its acquisition by Creator/{{Paramount}}. It ran from 1967 to 1975.

''Mannix'' is an American DetectiveDrama television series starring Mike Connors as PrivateDetective Joe Mannix. Created by [[Creator/LevinsonAndLink Richard Levinson and William Link]] (also known for ''Series/{{Columbo}}'' and ''Series/MurderSheWrote'') and developed by Bruce Geller (''Series/MissionImpossible''), it was the last show produced by Creator/DesiluStudios before its acquisition by Creator/{{Paramount}}. It ran from 1967 to 1975.

[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mannix_1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:290:Mannix with Lew Wickersham...]]
[[quoteright:290:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mannix_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:290:...and with Peggy Fair.]]

* AmnesiaEpisode: "What Happened To Sunday?" Given his notorious propensity for sustaining head injuries, it's surprising it takes until season 4 for this trope to turn up.

* DrugsAreBad: In "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5MTJv63wgg Warning: Live Blueberries]]", there's a Timothy Leary {{Expy}}, Prof. Wilson (Phil Leeds), who runs a meditation center where people "turn on". The blonde chick of the week is shown pleading with a friend to return with her to "the center of the earth" to experience "the taste of blue and the colors of twelve." (Yes, that's Buffalo Springfield [including Music/NeilYoung and [[Music/CrosbyStillsNashAndYoung Stephen Stills]]] playing in the nightclub scene.)

* CharacterTitle: The series takes its name from the name of its protagonist, Joe Mannix.

During the first season of the series, Mannix works for a large UsefulNotes/LosAngeles detective agency called INTERTECT that utilizes state-of-the-art (for its time) computer equipment to solve crimes. As opposed to the other employees who must wear dark suits and sit in rows of desks with only one piece of paper allowed to be on their desks at one time, Mannix belongs to the classic American detective archetype, thus he usually ignores the computers' solutions, disobeys his boss's orders, and sets out to do things his own way, all the while outsmarting and mocking his superior, Lew Wickersham (Joseph Campanella).

* DeadPersonImpersonation: [[spoiler: "A Pittance Of A Faith."]]
* DeathFakedForYou: [[spoiler: "Bang, Bang, You're Dead".]]

* RealityEnsues: nine-year-old Dottie, a big fan of detective stories, gets a dose of it in "Bang, Bang, You're Dead" when she overhears a murder plot.

* NoStuntDouble: In the climax of "Fly, Little One" with disturbed child Dana (Pamelyn Ferdin, 10 years old at the time) standing on a table on a highrise's balcony and threatening to fly off, it really was her on the table throughout[[note]]She ''did'' have someone holding her ankles in some shots obviously.[[/note]] It caused a mob to gather on the street below who might not have known it was for television. This also violated the CBS standards and practices rule against ''showing'' anyone under 18 in mortal danger, let alone putting the actress in said danger, but it was allowed because ''Mannix'' was for mature audiences anyway.

* NoStuntDouble: In the climax of "Fly, Little One" with disturbed child Dana (Pamelyn Ferdin, 10 years old at the time) standing on a table on a highrise's balcony and threatening to fly off, it really was her on the table throughout[[note]]She ''did'' have someone holding her ankles in some shots obviously.[[/note]]

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Karen Steele's Australian accent in "Harlequin's Gold" is ''atrocious'' (not that the other Aussie accents on display are much better.)[[note]]other than Don Knight's[[/note]]

* RealityUnsues: nine-year-old Dottie, a big fan of detective stories, gets a dose of it in "Bang, Bang, You're Dead" when she overhears a murder plot.

* DeathFakedYou: [[spoiler: "Bang, Bang, You're Dead".]]

* NoStuntDouble: In the climax of "Fly, Little One" with disturbed child Dana (Pamelyn Ferdin, 10 years old at the time) standing on a table at a highrise's balcony and threatening to fly off, it really was her on the table throughout[[note]]She ''did'' have someone holding her ankles in some shots obviously.[[/note]]