Mike Conners, who played the private detective Mannix in the late 60's and 70's, died yesterday at the age of 91. Conners was a very solid actor and Mannix was a great show.
Unlike today's hero's, who seem to have almost superhuman characteristics, Mannix represented the real human being...a guy who had warts, demons inside him, didn't always get the girl but always had a real desire to do the right thing with solid morals and good values.
Conners was famous for doing many of his own stunts and was injured several times while performing on the show. This was a great show and was also one of the first shows to have an African-American [Gail Fisher] as one of the regulars on the show. She played Joe Mannix's loyal secretary and their genuine care, concern and loyalty for each other was a hallmark of the show.
Mannix was also one of the first shows to focus on social issues, even though that was never one of the themes of the show. Mannix's demons had come from his time fighting in the Korean War and actually dealt with PTSD [when no one really even was aware of it], racial prejudices, homelessness and elder abuse.
It was a great show, lasted 8 seasons and made Mike Conners famous. He will be missed.
