Banacek

Banacek
Peppard and guest star Linda Evans, 1974.
Starring	George Peppard Ralph Manza Murray Matheson Christine Belford George Murdock
Theme music composer	Billy Goldenberg
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	17
Production
Executive producer(s)	George Eckstein
Producer(s)	Howie Horwitz
Running time	90 min
Release
Original network	NBC
Audio format	Monaural
Original release	October 8, 1972 (1972-10-08) – September 3, 1974 (1974-09-03)
Chronology
Related shows	NBC Mystery Movie

Banacek (pronounced "BAN-a-check") 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 to last beyond its first season.

Peppard played Thomas Banacek, a suave, Polish-American freelance investigator based in Boston, who solved seemingly impossible thefts (see locked room mystery). 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:

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 which 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.

Also featured were Murray Matheson as rare-bookstore owner and information source Felix Mulholland and Christine Belford as Carlie Kirkland, Banacek's sometime-lover and always-rival. Felix was the series' only character to ever call Banacek by his first name.

Banacek's success as an investigator allowed him to live well. He had a mansion at 85 Mt. Vernon Street, (the same house used in The Thomas Crown Affair starring Steve McQueen) on Beacon Hill in Boston. He had a limousine and driver. He owned and drove an antique 1941 Packard convertible. He had a mobile radio telephone in each of his cars at a time when these 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 he was street-smart and could engage in violent hand-to-hand fighting if the moment called for it.