Mannix

[Kurobisu]

0:05 for panties

[refbiz]

It was A trick, it's explained from one of the series.

[anisuthideyakoindu]

the theme is inspired seems by Toots Thielemans Bluesette!

[josebracken]

go Kreker !

[27jengirl]

I love the theme its awesome

[ghb61]

The greatest TV theme of all time.

[bluesborn]

This is really a memorable theme song.As soon as it started playing it all came back to me.

[Hot80s]

wheres his hot freakin car?

[RippVonPat]

Reminds me of Sim City 3000, must be the music...

[masoojz]

@Gvconsultech>All of your comments are on point!You must have been a big fan of the show,as well as myself!Mannix was too cool-Mike conners in my opinion was an underated actor throughout his career.

[WyrdDarcnyzz]

Why did the car explode in midair? Even if cars don't normally explode that easily in real life, you'd at least expect the car to explode upon impact with something. Also, I came here from TvTropes, which is the only reason I'm here.

[lavernemariebutler]

@WyrdDarcnyzz Are you a geek?

[WyrdDarcnyzz]

@lavernemariebutler ~Gryn~ Why, yes. Yes I am.

[Iron4343]

@WyrdDarcnyzz It may have had a bomb in it... 

[dwightfc]

I LOVE THIS THEME CLASSY

[50marioD]

Remember when the opening theme was the highlight of each show. I'm talking just about all of the shows back then. Today, the opening credits are displayed during the opening scenes.And it usually runs almost 15 minutes!

[lavernemariebutler]

@50marioD There are no interesting tv themes today.

[titusact4scene2]

This is so cool with the explosive horns, the woman doing the pirouette,and then the tic tac toe montage with mannix running toward the camera in the center.As a kid I like to break my neck trying to duplicate the drop and roll gun draw.

[farnumbp]

I loved this show when I was a kid

[windstorm1000]

Easily one of the ten best TV themes of all time--driving jazzy tune with an elegant piano bridge--all in waltz time--Shifrin made it work so well. Makes you want to drink a good martini while listening to it.

[ropijuc]

fantastica seria,,,y su musica identifica totalmente la epoca,,,hecha en 3 tiempos y tocada a 1

[peepeevagi]

With Galli Fisher as Aunt Jemimah. :D

[windstorm1000]

@peepeevagi You obviously haven't watched this trailblazing show--Peggy is Mike's SECRETARY (not cook) helping her boss solve crimes--a beautiful intelligent woman--and one of the first starring roles for a black woman--and Gail did it with panache. Don't criticize you dumb bell!

[peepeevagi]

@windstorm1000 I see a black woman in an apron who looks very similar to aunt Jemimah. EXCUSE ME for thinking she's someone famous D:<

[windstorm1000]

@peepeevagi You're the biggest knucklehead on the internet--and a racist to boot. its like "I see a white person--ya, ya--its the Pillsbury dough boy".

[peepeevagi]

@windstorm1000 Dont sit there and tell me she does not look exactly like Aunt Jemimah. And how is Thinking that's what she looks like racist? I'm just saying what i see, not dissing her for it or anything!

She. Looks. Like. Aunt Jemimah. And it makes me smile :D

[windstorm1000]

@peepeevagi Well, you know, all black people look alike, don't they.

[DeaconDawg]

@peepeevagi Aunt Jemima's fat u fool. I can't see the big wuhman in Tom & Jerry but I know she is supposed to look like like Aunt Jemima!

[peepeevagi]

@DeaconDawg But the apron, the hair, the facial expression? You could slap her picture on the bottle and nobody would notice the difference xD

She's a 'young' Aunt Jemimah then lol.

[BuddyNovinski]

@windstorm1000 That remark reminded me of the MAD satire, "Manic" from the summer of 1972. At the end, Manic says, "I can't marry you, Puggy." "Why is that? because I'm black, sur?" "You're BLACK? I never noticed. It's just if I marry you, who'd clean the house, wash my clothes,etc"

Seriously, Peggy was actually a widow with a son. One time she thwarted a thug in the office, and Mannix said, "Don't EVER do that again!" 

[BaronVonSchtupp88]

@BuddyNovinski You left out the part where "Manic" pulls the mask from his face to show what he really looks like after being beaten and pummeled for so many episodes. LOL

[randalljones58]

I used to work on this dudes jeep.

[planeterare]

mon détective adoré quand j'étais petite ,que de bon souvenir

[95tahoe1]

i think the first 2 years gail fisher did not appear in the opening.

[darrylhaynes]

she was my aunt...

[fannyanne2]

@darrylhaynes she pass away

[hennesseyify]

I agree with just about all the comments. The late 50's, early to mid 70's was with out a doubt the Golden Age of television and music. These ideas came from the heart and I was a child in that era. We had the Viet Nam war and the 77 blackout and the Cuban Missile crisis but it seemed that people showed more of a genuinine love towards one another, even with the Civil Rights Era.

[engelundgeister]

Outstanding score! Wasn't Lalo Schifrin the solo pianist...or, was this his composition? What a joy it is to hear GOOD MUSIC! Lordy!!!!!

[holyfuckareyoustupid]

Great theme song, only The Big Valley beats it.

[bjroberts65]

This is when tv was good...Today it's HORSESHIT!!!

[brianjcavanaugh]

One of the very best TV series theme songs, easily.

[najami12]

This show was inferior without babish Gail Fisher!

[tapeduk]

One of the greatest TV themes ever

[mix2freeful]

Remember this...?

[metis40]

i was 6 years old and watched on black and white's TV...great !!!

[BROADTRAIN1979]

Mike connors was also in the film DEATH OF OCEAN VIEW PARK 1979.

[ftsjr]

An entertaining PI show.

[PoetOfTheSpheres]

What season & episode is the segment at six seconds into this clip taken from? Where he's twirling that blonde around?

[eci4r]

a very good upbeat theme

[dstol62]

Don't forget composer Dave Grusin, who did the themes to "It Takes A Thief" and "Baretta", among many others. Two of my other favorites are "The Streets of San Francisco" and "Ironside"....

[jbwri1]

Love it!!! Brings back a lot of memories. Ol' Lalo could write some good ones, nes pa? I did a chart on this many years ago. I think the extended version goes into 5 flutes....ok if you're booking a session but no so good if you're selling a chart to a school.

[sligo74]

Lalo Schifrin the legend!!

[odantoro]

This is my favorite version. It still has the girl spinning in slow motion, but adds the exploding race car and drops the obsolete computer shots. Best combination of music and visuals to ever intro a TV show!

[cosmicdingo]

Mike Connors stayed hurt during the season, because he INSISTED on doing his own stunts. Good action hero , though.

[solovoyager]

Mannix was one of my all time favorite shows. I have to agree, I liked this theme with the piano bridge the best. I too was totally in love with his girl friday Peggy Fair (Gail Fisher) and I was about thirteen at the time. The hormones were really kicking in at that time!

[3bar]

This was a cool show.

[fannyanne2]

love love mannix also

[bashir1980]

Besides the basics, I want to see some Mannix episodes, or clips when Mannix is in action or is apprehending criminals. I want to see how he does it. Thanks.

[jmreisser]

This is one of the most fantastic theme song written for TV. This is timeless !!!!

[ifoseek]

Love this show. By one count he was knocked unconscious 55 times!

[MRJAVIER196619862009]

I AGREE THIS IS THE  BETTER VERSION !!

[ethicomm]

I haven't heard this song in over 30 years since I last saw this show. Really used to like watching it every week. Mike Connors is 84 today!

[megxmarx]

heyy this is my uncle mike connors :] i even have proof he is my uncle. your amazing hope to offically meet you one day :]

[143AC]

Ms.Fisher's"Mrs.Peggy Farr"and the kid..who played her

son"Toby"..also added a human touch to this series. Ms.Fisher was a beautiful and talented lady..when she

died..(Crying) Oh God! I still feel heartbroken about her

loss.

[ryoushii]

I know what you mean, I was in love with her because I thought she was cute and we had the same last name (and I was about 8-10 at the time and am white)

[GVConsultech]

@143AC It was even sadder the way that she died. The 80s were not kind to our stars of the 60s and 70s. It just wasn't fair.

[143AC]

I love this show..because..there was some humanity behind

the drama. Even though..Mr.Connors"Mr.Joe Mannix"went after

some dangerous finks..he did help out people and showed

that he cared.

[Ssrn53]

The first 16 seconds of music are from the actual show intro. It sounds like the music was spliced 0:16. After which a digital (from a cd?) Mannix soundtrack plays. At 0:38 the original music is spliced back in until the end. Anyone else notice?

[ntscbuff]

Sounds like original to me.

[Ssrn53]

Your right. I just got the season 3 DVD. This version is exactly the same. I was comparing it to the previous 2 seasons.before.

[frankd1965]

Piano Bridge was used from 1969-1970

[GVConsultech]

@frankd1965 Piano bridge was used for more than just one season. In fact, it lasted until nearly '73 - trust me on this one - I was actually there every Saturday night watching it. For the last season they changed the opening entirely - it was cool, but never as cool as this one.

[Bentom86]

THIS IS THE VERSION I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!! The other posts have the opening theme from Season 1 with the heavy strings. I love that one, but I've always been CRAZY about the piano solo as the letters & pictures of Conners pop up individually...I thank you!! Mannix remains will alwasy be one of the greatest shows of all time, and it's a tragedy that no one is airing it!!

[saynotoursoap]

Agreed. I remember both versions, but I always preferred the version with the piano bridge. It's cool, sophisticated, and so very evocative of the era.

[kar120cfanatic]

Every Saturday night I had to watch Joe Mannix give that gal a whirl!!! A 'cuda convertible with a mobile phone, this guy had it all!!!

[citywide44]

LOL!! Ditto on the homework. St Jeromes School 7th grade.

[roscoe008]

Watching this made me recall the horror of not having all of my homework done.

[RobDog65]

LMAO--for me it was "Bonanza". Sunday night TV sucked, because of what it preceded... another school week!

[LazlosPlane]

I'm a little older--- we used to call it, the "What's My Line Blues..."

[godadameve]

Man, Peggy (Gail Fisher) was H-O-T!! Had I been Mannix, I would have SO nailed her in the very first episode!

[GVConsultech]

@godadameve Then you obviously don't remember how they got togeether. (This is how cool Mannix was.) He and Peggy's husband used to be together on the force. When her husband was killed, Mannix asked for her to come and work for him. He would never have 'hit that' as much as he loved her - out of respect for her dead husband. Besides 60's morals and prejudices were still in place - USA was not ready for a mixed relationship yet - the ratings would have tanked.

[StukInBuf]

William Levinson is noted at the 0:44 mark... didn't he have something to do with "Homicide: Life on the Street" more recently?

[waynesworldwaniac]

It freaks me out that just hearing this theme song takes me back to a time when I was six years old and life was simple!

[brads62]

AGREED

[brads62]

AGREED

[sierria64]

loved this as a kid i use to watch with my mom and her boyfriend

[ryoushii]

Always had the hots for Gail Fisher, in part because we had the same last name.

[bigtool66]

That is a sister I could not say no too.

[INDIVIDUALHOUSE]

WHAT A GREAT MUSIC SCORE!

[frankd1965]

Lalo Schifrin is a great musician.

[scotpens]

Does anyone else think the "Mannix" theme sounds like Toots Thielemans' "Bluesette" sideways?

[ScanMan]

@INDIVIDUALHOUSE I concur!! You do not see this type of quality in A music score in today's TV shows

[mikethegent]

They dont make television show themes like they used to....Lalo Schifirin was a genious when it came to shows like Mannix and Mission:Impossible

[m64h]

TRUE.

As I've said before, the late 50s thru the mid/late 70s were the golden age of TV themes - because there were ACTUAL COMPOSERS - Lalo Schifirin, Quincy Jones, Henry Mancini - doing the music.

Starting in the 80s, producers, trying to save money, no longer hired composers for their themes - they became content to use either the latest MTV video hit or tired synthesizer riff for a "theme" . . .

[dal4018]

@m64h Don't forget Earle Hagen.

[dal4018]

@m64h Yes MH your right the 50-70 's were the golden ages for tv shows and music definitely played a major role in their success

[poltome]

@m64h I hear you. I think Grusin composed a few early 80's theme's but you're right anyway - the same problem remains - there's no sun on the horizon there.

[mrshiggs1]

@m64h You're so right about the golden age of TV themes: 50s through the mid/late 70s. It's great fun revisiting those compositions. :-)

[StukInBuf]

He also did the score for "Medical Center."

And, in case some may not know, part of the music in "Cool Hand Luke"(tar sequence) was the venerable theme music for many an "Eyewitness News" broadcast from coast to coast.

Find it under "Cool Hand Luke Channel 7 News Bill Bonds Diana Lewis."

[MrEclectic61]

damm i had totally forgotten outbout shos show good post!

[frankd1965]

Mannix DVD odf the first seaon is now available. Season two will be in store on New Years.

[procommenter]

Joe Mannix: in one scene he's kicking the crap out of a beautiful blonde, in another: smooching with some tough guy, or vice versa.

[midway27272727]

to funny !...lol

[windstorm1000]

@procommenter probably vice versa--ha, ha

[MKIVWWI]

Later version which substituted a piano bridge for strings bridge; not quite as good, but still terrific!!!

[m64h]

I always like the piano bridge better - likely because I remember it the most {I was 3 in 1967} . . .

[MKIVWWI]

Hey, I hear you! It DOES matter alot which version one remembers from childhood....and that goes for alot of shows, too.

Mannix was my favorite growing up, and I enjoyed every version of it, from start to finish. I'll put ANY Mannix up against ANY show on today (or any for the past 15-20 years)! Nope, they just don't make 'em like Joe Mannix anymore....

[m64h]

True dat, they don't. Hey-have you noticed that, in many ways, a lot of 60's TV detectives, Mannix in particular, seemed to be Americanized versions of James Bond?

Makes sense; the mid/late 60s was 007's heyday, so networks and producers did what they could to copy him: Mannix drove cool cars, enjoyed the company of the ladies but wasn't attached, and had a devoted secretary.

Even the scene in the opening where he was chased by a helocopter resembles Sean Connery in "From Russia With Love"

[MKIVWWI]

You are so right! Look at "The Man from UNCLE" -- started at the height of the Bond craze, and heavily inspired by the Bond pictures. And Mannix started out (during the first season) working for a big detective agency which relied heavily on computers. The mid-Sixties were sure the height of the "spy craze" in movies and TV, including spoofs such as "Get Smart", and semi-spoofs like the Matt Helm pics with Dean Martin. What a time!

[m64h]

Yep, the Bond craze did inspire a lot - in addition to what you mentioned, there was "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.", "The Avengers", and spoofs like "I Spy" and "Our Man Flint" . . . good stuff.

[MKIVWWI]

Oh, yes -- "The Avengers"! Another of my all-time favorites! Thanks for reminding me of that show; I'll have to check out what's been posted on You Tube for THAT show!

[frankd1965]

Piano bridge was used from 1969-1970 until the shows demise in 1975.

[MKIVWWI]

Ah, yes....I wasn't sure when they started that version. Say, do you know if the entire Mannix series is available on DVD yet? So many old shows are now, but I've not come across Mannix yet. Thanks!

[frankd1965]

By the way. The show is now available on DVD. The first season which was never in re-run is now available. Season two 1968-1969 will be out on January 10th, 2009.

[frankd1965]

Season three (1969-1970) will be out in July.