Thirty Cases of Major Zeman (Třicet případů majora Zemana) is a Czechoslovak action-drama television show intended as a political propaganda to support the official image and attitude of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. The series was filmed in the 1970s. Most of the episodes are inspired by real criminal cases. The series follows the life of police investigator Jan Zeman during his career from 1945 to 1973.
Cast Vladimír Brabec as major Jan Zeman / Richard Lipinski Miloš Willig as colonel Václav Kalina Josef Větrovec as colonel Pavlásek, chief of criminal police Vladimír Ráž as medical examiner Veselý Rudolf Jelínek as major Jiří Hradec František Němec as major Žitný of StB Ladislav Mrkvička as first lieutenant Stejskal Emil Horváth as lieutenant Gajdoš Renáta Doleželová as Zeman's first wife Lída Jaroslava Obermaierová as Zeman's second wife Blanka Ivana Andrlová as Zeman's daughter Lída Radoslav Brzobohatý as Pavel Bláha, SNB first lieutenant turned western agent
Plot of the first episode The first episode takes place in 1945. Young Jan Zeman is returning from a Nazi concentration camp. On the train he meets his friend Václav Kalina, who tells him about his plan to join the police force once he gets home. Jan returns to his home village and finds only his mother there. He discovers that his father has been murdered. The police are unable to find the murderer and close the case. Jan begins investigating on his own, wishing to expose his father's killer. He reveals a conspiracy and informs Václav Kalina at Brno police headquarters; eventually, the murderers are captured. Impressed, Kalina induces Jan to join the police and serve with him.
List of episodes
EpisodeDateTitleAired11945 Smrt u jezera (Death at the Lake) - the first episode, following the young Jan Zeman who has just returned home from a concentration camp only to find his father dead. 197421946 Vyznavači ohně (Fire Worshippers) 197431947 Loupež sladkého I (The Theft of the Sweet I) - About profiteering on deficiency of Insulin. 197441947 Rubínové kříže (Ruby Crosses) - inspired by Bandera's terrorist activities on the Czechoslovak territory. 197551948 Hon na lišku (Fox Hunt) - episode about Victorious February 197561949 Bestie (The Beast) - about illegal crossing of the Czechoslovak state border, inspired by Hubert Pilčík 197571950 Mědirytina (The Copperplate) - about the counterfeiting of Ration stamps used until 1953. 197581951 Strach (Fear) - inspired by Mašín's sons 197591952 Loď do Hamburku (The Riverboat to Hamburg) - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha. 1975101953 Vrah se skrývá v poli (The Murderer Hides in the Field) 1975111954 Křížová cesta (Way of the Cross) - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha. 1976121955 Kleště (The Tongs) - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha. 1976131956 Romance o nenápadné paní (Romance of an Inconspicuous Lady) 1976141957 Konec velké šance (The End of the Great Chance) - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha. 1976151958 Kvadratura ženy (Quadrature of a Woman) - about a dissected female body found in the Vltava river. 1976161959 Dáma s erbem (The Lady with a Coat of Arms) 1976171960 Prokleté dědictví (The Cursed Heritage) 1976181961 Bílé linky (The White Lines) 1976191962 Třetí housle (The Third Violin) 1976201963 Modrá světla (Blue Lights) 1976211964 Pán ze Salcburku (A Gentleman from Salzburg) 1978221965 Tatranské pastorále (High Tatra Pastorale) - based on the real-life murder of Milada Drexler in the High Tatras. 1978231966 Šťastný a veselý (Happy New Year) 1978241967 Klauni (Clowns) 1978251968 Štvanice (The Hunt) - episode about the end of political steps to freedom. 1978261969 Studna (The Well) - horror episode about apocalyptic deaths in a country house. 1978271970 Rukojmí v Bella Vista (The Bella Vista Hostage)- episode about sabotage against Czech shipment for Chile. Spy story with an allusion to political situation in Chile 1978281971 Poselství z neznámé země (The Message from an Unknown Land) - continuation of The Bella Vista Hostage 1978291972 Mimikry (Mimicry) - episode about a plane hijack, with allusion to the music band Plastic People and young long-haired sympathizers of rock music called máničky. 1978301973 Růže pro Zemana (The Rose for Zeman) - the final episode. 1979
Controversy A re-broadcast of the series in the Czech Republic in 1999, caused controversy and public criticism of the series, which was accused of conveying communist propaganda and portraying those with different political views as criminals.
See also Comrade Detective, a show that parodies propaganda series like Major Zeman
References
External links
CSFD Entry Fan site