Banacek

By BashBrannigan

Banacek was a Super70s TV show about an independent investigator who earned a living from the 10% insurance recover fee on stolen property he would receive. Since he only took cases involving property worth in the millions he earned a very good living.

Each show gave you an inventive mystery to solve, had humor and well-written dialogue. From the same era as Columbo, the main character Thomas Banacek (played by George Peppard) could almost be the anti-Columbo:

• Where Columbo used a bumbling facade to lure his criminal prey. Banacek used cool.
• Where Columbo was devoted to a wife we never saw, Banacek dated many women who, being bikini-clad, we saw plenty.
• Columbo dressed badly; Banacek was fashionable.
• Columbo was often horrified at being stuck with a huge restaurant or car-repair bill. Banacek was wealthy.

However, both these shows are alike in one way that is important: In spirit. I don't believe either show would ever been produced today. Unlike the characters from the cops shows or dramas on TV today, Columbo or Banacek were not constantly questioning their choice of professions, moping around feeling unappreciated by society or whether what they did made a difference. Both loved their work. Loved solving mysteries. Banacek or Columbo didn’t deal with the great issues of the day, but showed you why life is worth living - a quality unappreciated on TV today.

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Unquestionably, my favorite episode of this series is "Fly Me If You Can Find Me". The plot centers around a large jet airliner which mysteriously vanishes from a Nevada airport. --Jim

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