Thirty Cases of Major Zeman

Czechoslovak action-drama television series

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Thirty Cases of Major Zeman

Vladimír Brabec as Major Jan Zeman

Czech| Třicet případů majora Zemana
Created by| Jiří Sequens
Starring|

* Vladimír Brabec
* Rudolf Jelínek
* Miloš Willig
* František Němec
* Ladislav Mrkvička
* Vladimír Ráž
* Josef Větrovec
* Radoslav Brzobohatý
* Ivana Andrlová

Country of origin| Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
Original languages|

* Czech
* Slovak

No. of episodes| 30 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time| 45-90 min
Original release
Network| Czechoslovak Television
Release| 1975 (1975) –
1980 (1980)

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

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* 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

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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

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Episode | Date | Title | Aired

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1 | 1945 | 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. | 1974
2 | 1946 | Vyznavači ohně (Fire Worshippers) | 1974
3 | 1947 | Loupež sladkého I (The Theft of the Sweet I) - About profiteering on deficiency of Insulin. | 1974
4 | 1947 | Rubínové kříže (Ruby Crosses) - inspired by Bandera's terrorist activities on the Czechoslovak territory. | 1975
5 | 1948 | Hon na lišku (Fox Hunt) - episode about Victorious February | 1975
6 | 1949 | Bestie (The Beast) - about illegal crossing of the Czechoslovak state border, inspired by Hubert Pilčík | 1975
7 | 1950 | Mědirytina (The Copperplate) - about the counterfeiting of Ration stamps used until 1953. | 1975
8 | 1951 | Strach (Fear) - inspired by Mašín's sons | 1975
9 | 1952 | Loď do Hamburku (The Riverboat to Hamburg) - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha. | 1975
10 | 1953 | Vrah se skrývá v poli (The Murderer Hides in the Field) | 1975
11 | 1954 | Křížová cesta (Way of the Cross) - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha. | 1976
12 | 1955 | Kleště (The Tongs) - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha. | 1976
13 | 1956 | Romance o nenápadné paní (Romance of an Unconspicuous Lady) | 1976
14 | 1957 | Konec velké šance (The End of the Great Chance) - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha. | 1976
15 | 1958 | Kvadratura ženy (Quadrature of a Woman) - about a dissected female body found in the Vltava river. | 1976
16 | 1959 | Dáma s erbem (The Lady with a Coat of Arms) | 1976
17 | 1960 | Prokleté dědictví (The Cursed Heritage) | 1976
18 | 1961 | Bílé linky (The White Lines) | 1976
19 | 1962 | Třetí housle (The Third Violin) | 1976
20 | 1963 | Modrá světla (Blue Lights) | 1976
21 | 1964 | Pán ze Salcburku (A Gentleman from Salzburg) | 1978
22 | 1965 | Tatranské pastorále (High Tatra Pastorale) - based on the real-life murder of Milada Drexler in the High Tatras. | 1978
23 | 1966 | Šťastný a veselý (Happy New Year) | 1978
24 | 1967 | Klauni (Clowns) | 1978
25 | 1968 | Štvanice (The Hunt) - episode about the end of political steps to freedom. | 1978
26 | 1969 | Studna (The Well) - horror episode about apocalyptic deaths in a country house. | 1978
27 | 1970 | 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 | 1978
28 | 1971 | Poselství z neznámé země (The Message from an Unknown Land) - continuation of The Bella Vista Hostage | 1978
29 | 1972 | 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. | 1978
30 | 1973 | Růže pro Zemana (The Rose for Zeman) - the final episode. | 1979
Screenshot of the episode "Mimikry (Mimicry)", showing máničky as a harmful, criminal and drug-using social class.

## Controversy

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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.[1]

## See also

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* Comrade Detective, a show that parodies propaganda series like Major Zeman

## References

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1. ^ Peter S. Green (1999-10-01). "History or Propaganda?/ Communist-Era TV Show Stages a Controversial Return : 'Major Zeman' Leads Czechs to Question Their Past". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2021-08-31.

## External links

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* Thirty cases of Major Zeman at IMDb
* (in Czech) CSFD Entry
* (in Czech) Fan site

Authority control databases: National |

* Czech Republic

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*[No.]: Number