Thirty Cases of Major Zeman


Thirty Cases of Major Zeman 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

EpisodeDateTitleAired
11945Smrt u jezera - the first episode, following the young Jan Zeman who has just returned home from a concentration camp only to find his father dead.1974
21946Vyznavači ohně 1974
31947Loupež sladkého I - About profiteering on deficiency of Insulin.1974
41947Rubínové kříže - inspired by Bandera's terrorist activities on the Czechoslovak territory.1975
51948Hon na lišku - episode about Victorious February1975
61949Bestie - about illegal crossing of the Czechoslovak state border, inspired by Hubert Pilčík1975
71950Mědirytina - about the counterfeiting of Ration stamps used until 1953.1975
81951Strach - inspired by Mašín's sons1975
91952Loď do Hamburku - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha.1975
101953Vrah se skrývá v poli 1975
111954Křížová cesta - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha.1976
121955Kleště - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha.1976
131956Romance o nenápadné paní 1976
141957Konec velké šance - one of the episodes about agent Pavel Bláha.1976
151958Kvadratura ženy - about a dissected female body found in the Vltava river.1976
161959Dáma s erbem 1976
171960Prokleté dědictví 1976
181961Bílé linky 1976
191962Třetí housle 1976
201963Modrá světla 1976
211964Pán ze Salcburku 1978
221965Tatranské pastorále - based on the real-life murder of Milada Drexler in the High Tatras.1978
231966Šťastný a veselý 1978
241967Klauni 1978
251968Štvanice - episode about the end of political steps to freedom.1978
261969Studna - horror episode about apocalyptic deaths in a country house.1978
271970Rukojmí v Bella Vista - episode about sabotage against Czech shipment for Chile. Spy story with an allusion to political situation in Chile1978
281971Poselství z neznámé země - continuation of The Bella Vista Hostage1978
291972Mimikry - episode about a plane hijack, with allusion to the music band Plastic People and young long-haired sympathizers of rock music called máničky.1978
301973Růže pro Zemana - 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.