Paramount Home Entertainment
Release date: Jan 24, 2012
MSRP: $49.99
Originally airing in fall of 1972 Season 6 of Mannix opens with a bang, literally as a cop is killed in front of Joe Mannix. The shooter wants a deal in return for helping find a missing Judge, but Joe ain’t buying it! This opening episode is a perfect example of the show and why it is so good. It’s hard boiled PI set in LA in the 70s and was one of the truly classic PIs of television. And the late 60s and early 70s saw a lot of good crime television. PIs and cops were everywhere. And while a lot of the shows were good Mannix stands out among them as one of the best, right along side Rockford Files. Magnum PI was great in its day, but honestly, Mannix holds up better over time. And you can see how mannix influenced Magnum and other shows.
Throughout the season we see cases ranging from murder to theft and all manner of clients. Secretary Peggy (played by the wonderful Gail Fisher) even goes undercover. A Puzzle for one was a real favorite as Mannix is looking for a killer who took out a fellow PI and in the process takes on his last case.
What really makes this show work is the incredible Mike Connors who is perfect as a 1970’s PI and tough as he needs to be and smarter than the folks he’s up against. The production of values are damn good for the time and the direction is great. The action scenes pop and the dramatic scenes work great. What I like about the show is that Mannix never acts like he knows everything and as a result we get to see him really work the case. It is no stretch to buy into Mike Conners as a working man Private Investigator. You want to trust him and if you need a PI this is the guy you want. Mannix is the draw here, a character that you want to watch, regardless of how the show evolves from season to season.
This six disc set comes in at a little over 20 hours and the quality of transfer and sound is every bit as good as previous season.
Jon Jordan