Banacek Full Episodes Youtube
Banacek was one of the alternating series, and he epitomized 'cool' in a detective. Sort of the polar opposite of 'Columbo' (from the same series), but with the same good results. They always ended the episode with a re-creation of how the bad guy 'did it'. Peppard was a great actor. Directed by Richard T. With George Peppard, Joanna Pettet, William Windom, Herb Edelman. The multi-million dollar Phoenix, prototype for a revolutionary new car, disappears from a non-stop train en route to Boston - flat-car included. Banacek is an American detective TV series starring George Peppard that aired on the NBC network from 1972 to 1974. The series was part of the rotating NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie anthology. It alternated in its time slot with several other shows, but was the only one of them to last beyond its first season. Watch Banacek season 1 episode 1 online. The complete guide by MSN. Click here and start watching the full episode in seconds. Banacek – The TV Series That George Peppard Killed To Spite His Wife. View UCXEA1Zps6uenXtvYIA6cLXQ’s profile on YouTube; Have Us Infest Your Email With.
I’ve just discovered that several (and possibly all) episodes of the great 1970s TV series Banacek are now available for free viewing on YouTube. For two seasons, in 1972-1974, Banacek ran as part of the NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie anthology program.
The mystery movie “wheel” was a great concept: a new mystery movie each week in a ninety-minute time slot, rotating among three or four series. It enabled producers to pay more attention to both the writing and the production values, and some of these series ended up becoming TV classics, such as Columbo, McMillan and Wife, McCloud, and The Snoop Sisters.
This set contains all 17 episodes of this series on 9 discs and are shipped in 2 hard shell cases with case insert for easy identification. The series name, disc number and episode titles are on each disc. Picture quality is good to very good. Please do not expect today's TV viewing quality from this set. ALL PHOTOS USED CAME DIRECT FROM THE DVD'S.
Banacek is my personal favorite of these. First, George Peppard was just superb as the title character: a self-confident, smart, tough, worldly, and, perhaps most interesting of all, truly independent freelance private investigator who specialized in recovering lost or stolen objects, for a fee of 10 percent of the total value of the item.
Banacek worked mainly for insurance companies, who were eager to engage his services in hopes of saving 90 percent of the dollar value of the object in question. As a result of his freelance status and his independent streak, Banacek ran into much hostility from insurance company investigators, but he ultimately charmed rival Carlie Kirkland (Christine Belford), and the two became friendly rivals (and more).
Speaking of the latter, Banacek was an unapologetic ladies’ man, and this element of the show may irk current-day feminists. It does, however, seem true to both the character and the times, and truth should always be a dispositive defense against accusations of political incorrectness. (Too bad that it seldom is accepted as such. If it were so, few of today’s silliest public arguments would be sustainable.)
Banacek’s Polish background was an important element of the show, and a particular inspiration to urban ethnic young people of the time, I’m sure, as his pride in his Polish heritage proved that a disadvantaged upbringing need not be any impediment to success in life. It’s a message that should resonate with people of all colors, in fact, and is well worth hearing even now.
Oftimes characters in the show expressed open contempt for Banacek’s ethnic background, pronouncing his name incorrectly and often doing so deliberately. Banacek would invariably correct their pronunciation, and rather pointedly suggest that they were vulgar and ignorant. Those were truly cheer-able moments, especially for life’s underdogs.
Another way Banacek showed pride in his heritage was by quoting old Polish proverbs—presumably invented by the show’s writers—which would initially strike the listener as rather confusing and indeed a bit silly but would, upon reflection, usually have a clear relevance to the issue at hand and in fact prove rather insightful. Here are a couple of good examples:
- “Just because the cat has her kittens in the oven doesn’t make them biscuits.”
- “You can read all the books in the library my son, but the cheese will still stink after four days.”
An additional attraction of the show was the numerous guest stars who played the suspects in the cases Banacek investigated, with the most attractive females doubling as romantic interests for the wealthy, handsome investigator. Among the memorable guest stars were Linda Evans, Broderick Crawford, Kevin McCarthy, Stefanie Powers, William Windom, Joanna Pettet, Margot Kidder, Janis Paige, Stella Stevens, David Wayne, Jessica Walter, Cesar Romero, John Saxon, Anne Francis, Harry Carey Jr., Victoria Principal, and Sterling Hayden.
That partial guest list is a nostalgic reminder of how many superb actors and actresses were around in the early 1970s and willing to guest star on a quality television show. The mystery series Murder, She Wrote accomplished a similarly impressive guest star list a decade or so later, but few series in recent years have been able to do so. Those surprising guest stars are one of the pleasures of these vintage TV shows.
In addition to the guest stars, series regulars Ralph Manza and Murray Matheson provided excellent counterpoints to Peppard’s Banacek. Manza’s character, Jay Dury, was Banacek’s diminutive, amiable driver, and his dubious theories for solutions to the mysteries, offered with great seriousness, amusingly point up the brilliance of Banacek’s ultimate explanations of what happened.
Matheson’s character, middle-aged rare-bookstore owner Felix Mulholland, is naturally genteel, very smooth with the ladies, a gifted chess player, and a dogged researcher of obscure information Banacek often needs. Mulholland appears to have long been something of a mentor and surrogate father to Banacek, and one can see in his natural gentility the model for the roughly raised Banacek’s well-learned suavity. Banacek’s obvious success at this emulation is another thing about the show that should inspire young people starting to make their way in the world.
Finally, the mysteries in Banacek were simply superb. Each episode presented a truly perplexing “impossible crime,” typically centering on the puzzling disappearance of a valued object. Often the robbery would lead to murder, making the solution of the mystery even more urgent and important.
The impossible crimes were highly enjoyable to contemplate. One of my favorites is in the first episode of season 1, “Let’s Hear It for a Living Legend,” in which a professional football player disappears while on national television. In “Horse of a Slightly Different Color,” a race horse disappears on a race track, before numerous witnesses, during a practice run. In “Fly Me—If You Can Find Me,” a jet airplane disappears. In “A Million the Hard Way,” a million dollars in cash disappears from a display in a Las Vegas casino.
In each case, we follow Banacek as he uncovers clues, interviews suspects, and develops his theory about how the crime was committed and who dun it. The solutions are always possible, if not extremely plausible, and they don’t often rely on coincidences or lucky breaks. Banacek’s ultimate explanation is always accompanied by visual flashbacks showing what happened, which increases the plausibility of the solutions in the viewer’s mind.
Another element of Banacek’s explanations of the mysteries is the rising exasperation of his insurance-company rival investigator on the case. Banacek’s independence and intelligence always get the best of these plodding bureaucrats, and they clearly resent his ability to have it all.
Of course, wealth and status are by no means all there are to a life well lived, and the continual reminders of Banacek’s humble background establish that he is nowhere near as superficial as he may appear on the surface. That lends the show emotional and moral depth that make it more than mere entertainment, for those who choose to see it. In all, the pleasures of Banacek are many and varied, and they are not all superficial.
(Note: I do not know whether the YouTube links are sponsored by the rights owners. To those who view the series on YouTube and like it, I recommend that you buy a copy at amazon.com or some other source. It is well worth the very small investment.)
| Banacek | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Created by | Anthony Wilson |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Billy Goldenberg[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 17 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | George Eckstein |
| Producer | Howie Horwitz |
| Running time | 90 min |
| Production company | Universal Television |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution (2004-2011) |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | March 20, 1972 – March 12, 1974 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | NBC Mystery Movie |
Banacek is an American detective TV series starring George Peppard that aired on the NBC network from 1972 to 1974. The series was part of the rotating NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie anthology. It alternated in its time slot with several other shows, but was the only one of them to last beyond its first season.
Premise[edit]
Banacek Full Episodes Series Youtube
Peppard played Thomas Banacek, a Polish-American freelance investigator based in Boston, who solved seemingly impossible thefts. He then collected from the insurance companies 10% of the insured value of the recovered property. One of Banacek's verbal signatures was the quotation of strangely worded yet curiously cogent 'Polish' proverbs such as:
- 'If you're not sure that it's potato borscht, there could be orphans working in the mines.'
- 'When an owl comes to a mouse picnic, it's not there for the sack races.'
- 'Though the hippopotamus has no sting in its tail, the wise man would prefer to be sat upon by the bee.'
- 'A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a unicorn.'
- 'When a wolf is chasing your sleigh, throw him a raisin cookie, but don't stop to bake a cake.'
- 'Just because the cat has her kittens in the oven doesn't make them biscuits.'
- 'You can read all the books in the library my son, but the cheese will still smell after four days.'
- 'No matter how warm the smile on the face of the Sun, the cat still has her kittens under the porch.'
- 'Even a one thousand złoty note cannot tap dance.'
- 'Only the centipede can hear all the hundred footsteps of his uncle.'
Part of the joke was that Ralph Manza as Banacek's chauffeur Jay Drury, would often ask 'What does it mean, Boss?' Banacek also had a running agreement with his chauffeur for a 10% share of Banacek's 10% if he solved the crime. Mr. Drury was never at a loss for a potential solution that Banacek would always manage to shoot down with his very next line. Another recurring gag was for other characters to mispronounce his name, often, particularly in the case of rivals, deliberately. The name 'Banaczek' (as pronounced in the show) is actually quite rare in Poland.[2]
Murray Matheson is rare-bookstore owner and information source Felix Mulholland, who is always ready with a droll remark and exhibits a passion for chess and jigsaw puzzles. He also the series' only character to ever call Banacek by his first name.
Recurring characters included insurance company executive Cavanaugh (George Murdock), Banacek's sometime-lover and always-rival Carlie Kirkland (Christine Belford) and another insurance investigator/rival Fennyman/Henry DeWitt (Linden Chiles).
Banacek lived on historic Beacon Hill in Boston.[3]While he had a limousine and driver he also owned and sometimes drove an antique 1941 Packard convertible. Both vehicles had in them a mobile radio telephone at a time when such devices were uncommon and expensive. Banacek was intelligent, well-educated, cultured and suave. He was an unapologetic ladies man who enjoyed the company of beautiful women, but also street-smart and could engage in violent hand-to-hand fighting if the moment called for it; in one episode he mentions having learned combat judo in the marine corps (Peppard really did serve in the United States Marine Corps, rising to the rank of corporal while he was enlisted). He grew up in Scollay Square and a childhood acquaintance described him as the neighborhood jock who excelled in all sports. For recreation he jogs, plays squash, engages in weekend warrior touch football and sculling in the Charles River.
Cast[edit]
- George Peppard as Thomas Banacek
- Ralph Manza as Jay Drury
- Murray Matheson as Felix Mulholland
- Christine Belford as Carlie Kirkland
- George Murdock as Cavanaugh
Production[edit]
In general, the series was shot on the Universal Studios backlot, though location scenes were filmed around Los Angeles in areas that could pass for Boston, or rural areas near there. 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 by George Barris for the second regular-season episode.[4] The car became known as the AMX-400 and it is now owned by an automobile collector.[5] Other continuing cars in the series were a 1941 Packard 180 with a Victoria body designed by Howard 'Dutch' Darrin (license plate number 178344),[6] a 1973 Corvette (driven by Ms. Kirkland) and a 1973 Cadillac Fleetwoodlimousine (mobile telephone number KL 17811). In keeping with both the exotic car theme and the humor between Banacek and his driver Jay Drury, he was even chauffeured around in a Willys MB, Jeep CJ2A,[7] and a CJ6,[8] as well as a brand new Ford/De Tomaso Pantera.
In preparation for both the pilot, first, and then the second seasons, the cast went to Boston and filmed a variety of background scenes. These scenes were then used through the series and are especially shown in the opening scenes, including Banacek rowing on the Charles River and walking through Government Center. In the pilot, Banacek's car pulls into his Beacon Hill home, the historic Second Harrison Gray Otis House located at 85 Mount Vernon Street. In other episodes, views are shown of the Public Garden, the entry to Felix's bookstore at 50 Beacon Street, and the Esplanade. The Boston-filmed pieces were done by a second unit and directed by Peppard himself.
Reception[edit]
Although the show had a mixture of humor and rather intricate plots, it never generated strong ratings. Despite this, the show was well received by critics. In addition, the Polish American Congress gave the series an award for portraying Polish Americans in a good manner.[9]
Cancellation[edit]
Banacek was well received by television critics, and as a result was picked up for a third season. However, before the third season could start, Peppard quit the show to prevent his ex-wife Elizabeth Ashley from receiving a larger percentage of his earnings as part of their divorce settlement. The complication ended any chance of reviving Banacek during Peppard's lifetime. A&E continued rebroadcasts of Banacek in syndication.
In popular culture[edit]
The mentalist Steven Shaw adopted his stage name 'Banachek' after the television program.[10]
In 2018, Banacek was the subject of an episode-length parody in The Simpsons ('Homer Is Where The Art Isn't'), referencing items from the series' storytelling format to its establishing shots, including Goldenberg's theme music.[11]
Episodes[edit]
Pilot: 1972[edit]
| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 'Banacek: Detour to Nowhere' | Jack Smight | Anthony Wilson | 20 March 1972 | |
| Banacek finds himself up against his old adversary, corporate insurance investigator McKinney of the National Meridian Insurance Company, when a missing armored truck with $1,600,000 of gold bullion disappears without a trace while under a police escort from Texas to Oklahoma. | ||||
Season 1: 1972–73[edit]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 'Let's Hear It for a Living Legend' | Jack Smight | Del Reisman | 13 September 1972 | |
| Banacek is called in after a football player vanishes on national TV and is held for ransom. Guest stars Stefanie Powers, Anitra Ford and John Brodie. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | 'Project Phoenix' | Richard T. Heffron | David Moessinger | 27 September 1972 | |
| Banacek investigates the disappearance of a prototype automobile from a moving train's flatcar. (An idea borrowed from a Thorpe Hazell short story). Guest stars William Windom, Joanna Pettet, Bert Convy. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | 'No Sign of the Cross' | Daryl Duke | Robert Presnell Jr., Howard Browne | 11 October 1972 | |
| Banacek searches for a jewel encrusted, gold cross, donated by a dying Italian mobster, that disappears in transit from Mexico to a Los Angeles parish. Guest stars Broderick Crawford, Louise Sorel | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | 'A Million the Hard Way' | Bernard L. Kowalski | Stanley Ralph Ross | 1 November 1972 | |
| A million dollars in $1000 bills seems to vanish from a sealed Las Vegas casino display. Guest star Margot Kidder; writer Stanley Ralph Ross appears as Larry Fields. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | 'To Steal a King' | Lou Antonio | Stephen Kandel | 15 November 1972 | |
| Banacek searches for a $3 million collection of historical coins that vanishes from a Boston hotel-room vault. Guest stars Kevin McCarthy, Brenda Vaccaro, Pernell Roberts, Roger C. Carmel, Janis Paige. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | 'Ten Thousand Dollars a Page' | Richard T. Heffron | Paul Playdon | 10 January 1973 | |
| A business tyrant loans his greatest personal treasure, a gift from his dead wife, to a local museum; the $1 million text disappears from a highly secured room. Guest stars Stella Stevens, David Doyle, David Wayne, Ted Cassidy. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | 'The Greatest Collection of Them All' | George McCowan | Theodore J. Flicker | 24 January 1973 | |
| A $23 million Impressionist charity art-exhibit disappears during shipment back to Boston from NYC via tractor trailer. Guest stars Penny Fuller, Mike Farrell, Penny Marshall, Garry Walberg. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | 'The Two Million Clams of Cap'n Jack' | Richard T. Heffron | Stanley Ralph Ross, Shirl Hendryx, Pat Fielder, Richard Bluel | 7 February 1973 | |
| Plates used in the printing of stock certificates vanish. Guest stars Andrew Duggan, Jessica Walter, David White (actor). | ||||||
Season 2: 1973–74[edit]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | 'No Stone Unturned' | Richard T. Heffron | Stephen Lord, Robert Van Scoyk, Lee Santley, George Sheldon Smith | 3 October 1973 | |
| Banacek must locate a three-ton statue that disappeared. Guest stars Candy Clark, Scott Brady, Gary Lockwood. | ||||||
| 10 | 2 | 'If Max Is So Smart, Why Doesn't He Tell Us Where He Is?' | Bernard L. Kowalski | Robert Van Scoyk | 7 November 1973 | |
| A huge medical computer vanishes from its secure building. Guest stars Anne Baxter, Richard Jordan, Sabrina Scharf. | ||||||
| 11 | 3 | 'The Three Million Dollar Piracy' | Andrew McLaglen | Stanley Ralph Ross, Robert Van Scoyk, Jack Turley | 21 November 1973 | |
| An expensive wedding coach is stolen from the hold of a ship. Guest stars Christine Belford, Arlene Martel. | ||||||
| 12 | 4 | 'The Vanishing Chalice' | Bernard L. Kowalski | Morton Fine | 15 January 1974 | |
| An ancient chalice disappears from a museum during the unveiling. Guest stars Cesar Romero, John Saxon. | ||||||
| 13 | 5 | 'Horse of a Slightly Different Color' | Herschel Daugherty | Harold Livingston, Jimmy Sangster | 22 January 1974 | |
| A racehorse disappears from the track. Guest stars Anne Francis, Terry Wilson, Lane Bradbury, Harry Carey, Jr. | ||||||
| 14 | 6 | 'Rocket to Oblivion' | Andrew McLaglen | Robert Van Scoyk | 12 February 1974 | |
| A prototype rocket engine vanishes during a private showing. Guest star Linda Evans. | ||||||
| 15 | 7 | 'Fly Me — If You Can Find Me' | Bernard L. Kowalski | Harold Livingston | 19 February 1974 | |
| After an emergency landing, an airliner vanishes. Guest stars Sterling Hayden, Victoria Principal. | ||||||
| 16 | 8 | 'Now You See Me, Now You Don't' | Bernard McEveety | Stanley Roberts | 12 March 1974 | |
| A stage magician, suspected of grand larceny, disappears during his act — but for real. Guest stars Gretchen Corbett, Peter Marshall. | ||||||
Home media[edit]
Arts Alliance America has released the entire series on DVD in Region 1. Season one was released on May 15, 2007, without the series pilot. Season two was released on January 22, 2008, and included the pilot episode. On September 30, 2008, Arts Alliance released Banacek: The Complete Series, a five-disc boxset featuring all 16 episodes.
In Region 2, Fabulous Films released both seasons on DVD in the UK on February 10, 2014.[12][13]
In Region 4, Madman Entertainment has released both seasons on DVD in Australia.[14][15]
References[edit]
- ^Harris, Steve (1988). Film, television, and stage music on phonograph records: a discography. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. p. 280. ISBN978-0-89950-251-9. OCLC15790964.
- ^'Polish Surnames Database'. nazwiska-polskie.pl.
- ^The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), retrieved 2018-02-03
- ^''Banacek' AMX 400'. Barris Custom. 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^Auto Editors of Consumer Guide (23 September 2007). 'AMX-400: Profile of a Custom Car'. HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^'1942 Packard One-Eighty Convertible Victoria by Darrin'. Sothebys. 2 August 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^'Willys MB 'Jeep''. imcdb.org. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^'Jeep CJ-6'. imcdb.org. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
- ^The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 85. ISBN0-345-45542-8.
- ^Draper, Paul. 'Banachek LIVE Video Q&A on Full Circle Magic, Streamed on Nov. 19, 2014'. YouTube.com. Retrieved 14 Nov 2017.
- ^Perkins, Dennis (March 18, 2018). 'Bill Hader helps The Simpsons stick it to that Banacek guy, who must work there or something'. The AV Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^'Fabulous Films'. FabulousFilms.com. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- ^'Fabulous Films'. FabulousFilms.com. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- ^'Madman Entertainment'. Madman Entertainment. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- ^'Madman Entertainment'. Madman Entertainment. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
External links[edit]
Banacek Full Episodes On Youtube
- Banacek on IMDb
- Banacek at TV.com
- Banacek at epguides.com