7 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Mannix’
Everyone loves a classic, no-nonsense detective — that’s why Mannix, starring Mike Conners as Joe Mannix, a hard-nosed private investigator who shuns technology in favor of old-school detective instincts, lasted for eight action-packed seasons on CBS. For 194 episodes from September 16th, 1967 to April 13, 1975, Mannix kept his cool through action-packed adventures (and many, many beatings), using his wits and know-how to save the day.
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the show’s series finale, here are seven things you probably didn’t know about Mannix.
1 The show was created by TV royalty
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Famed TV innovators Richard Levinson and William Link originally dreamt up the premise behind Mannix. Their other success stories? Just some little shows called Columbo, Ellery Queen and Murder, She Wrote, all of which were also successful detective series (although we don’t recall Angela Lansbury getting into the same all-out brawls that we regularly saw on Mannix).
2 Another legendary name behind the show – Lucille Ball??
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Believe it or not, Mannix was the final series to be produced by Lucille Ball‘s Desilu Productions before she sold the company. Other Desilu shows in production during that transition? Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and – of course – The Lucy Show. Ball was supposedly actively involved in the development of Mannix, and personally decided it needed some changes (more on that later).
3 The show received a major overhaul after season one
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Mannix’s original premise contrasted Joe Mannix’s gruff, old-school personality with the technologically advanced detective agency he worked for: Intertect. The dynamic didn’t work well, so Ball and producer Bruce Geller made the call to shift away from Joe Mannix’s struggle with high-tech computers by having him quit his job and go into business for himself, paving the way for a more conventional detective show in the process.
4 One cast member broke new ground in TV history
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One important addition to the cast in season two was Gail Fisher, who played Joe’s secretary Peggy Fair for the duration of the series. A standout from day one, Fisher was among the first African-American actresses to have a regular role on a television series of any kind. Not only did she become a popular star on the show, but she also won two Golden Globe Awards (making her the first African-American woman to do so) and an Emmy Award for her amazing work.
5 TV’s most famous dad moonlit as an LAPD cop on the show
JOE MANNIX with Lt. Adam Tobias, played by Robert Reed who also portrayed Mike Brady at the same time. Many scenes in mannix were literally filmed in the brady bunch house (directors just loved that staircase), so Robert Reed would have the shortest commute ever! pic.twitter.com/wBkpvcWFzH
— Darrell Epp (@DarrellEpp) January 9, 2021
You’d think juggling a career as an architect, a wife, six kids, and a sassy housekeeper would be enough to keep a guy busy. But Robert Reed (The Brady Bunch‘s Mike Brady) somehow found a way to pop in on Mannix throughout most of its run to play the role of Lt. Adam Tobias. Let’s face it: if you had to hear “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” all the live long day, you’d need a break too!
6 Joe Mannix took a beating – and not all of it was scripted
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Unlike most other detective shows, Mannix really pushed the envelope as far as violent, hard-hitting action, which often spelled trouble for the title character. Over the course of eight seasons, Joe was shot 17 times and knocked unconscious 55 times… and the pain didn’t always end when the cameras stopped rolling. For instance, while filming the show’s very first episode, Connors managed to dislocate his shoulder and break his hand, all in the same scene.
7 The show attracted an eclectic list of guest stars
Like many detective shows dealing with a revolving door of cases, criminals, and victims, Mannix welcomed plenty of new faces in every episode, including some notable (and surprising) celebrity names who were often called upon to play themselves or fictional characters who happened to boast the same skillset.
For instance, among the show’s all-star pantheon of guest stars: Neil Young and Buffalo Springfield, Neil Diamond (performing as himself), Milton Berle (playing a character who was also a comedian), basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (playing a college basketball player), and Lou Rawls (playing a singer who is framed for murder).
Remind 
1968 Retrospective
January 2018
This special expanded issue celebrates all things pop culture in 1968.
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