Thirty Cases of Major Zeman

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Třicet případů majora Zemana / Thirty Cases of Major Zeman
Major Jan Zeman
Format	crime drama miniseries
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	Czechoslovakia
Language(s)	Czech, Slovak
No. of episodes	30 (List of Major Zeman episodes)
Production
Running time	45-90 min
Broadcast
Original channel	Czechoslovak Television
Original run	1975 – 2005
External links
IMDb profile

Thirty Cases of Major Zeman (Třicet případů majora Zemana) is a Czechoslovakian action-drama television series filmed in the 1970s.

Each episode encompasses one year, and investigations are stylized to that year. Most are inspired by real cases. The series follows the life of police investigator Jan Zeman during his career from 1945 to 1975.

After the Velvet Revolution the series was labeled a work of propaganda, glorifying the police of communist Czechoslovakia and distorting the actual history. [1]

[edit] Plot of the first episode

The first episode takes place in 1945. Young Jan Zeman returns from a Nazi concentration camp. On the train he meets Václav Kalina, who tells him about his plan to join the police force. Jan returns to his home village and finds only his mother there. He discovers that his father has been murdered during the celebrations. The police are unable to find the murderer and close the case. Jan begins investigatiing on his own. He reveals a conspiracy and calls his friend Václav Kalina at Brno police headquarters; eventually, the murderers are captured. Kalina induces Jan to join the police and serve with him.

[edit] List of episodes

(1945) Smrt u jezera (Death at the Lake)
(1946) Vyznavači ohně (Fire Devotees)
(1947) Loupež sladkého "I" (The Robbery of the Sweet "I") - About profiteering with deficiency Inzulin.
(1947) Rubínové kříže (The Ruby Crosses) - inspired by Bandera's run over Czechoslovakia theritory.
(1948) Hon na lišku (Fox Hunt) - propaganda section about "Victorious February"
(1949) Bestie (The Beast) - about value for help in to illegal runs over state border.
(1950) Mědirytina (The Copperplate) - about falsification Ration stamp used until 1953.
(1951) Strach (Fear) - inspired by Mašín's sons
(1952) Loď do Hamburku (The Riverboat to Hamburg) - one of the sections about agent Pavel Bláha.
(1953) Vrah se skrývá v poli (The Murderer Hides Himself in the Field)
(1954) Křížová cesta (Cruciform Journey) - one of the sections about agent Pavel Bláha.
(1955) Kleště (The Tongs) - one of the sections about agent Pavel Bláha.
(1956) Romance o nenápadné paní (The Romance of the Unobstructive Lady)
(1957) Konec velké šance (The End of Great Chance) - one of the sections about agent Pavel Bláha.
(1958) Kvadratura ženy (Woman Quadrature) - about divided female body.
(1959) Dáma s erbem (The Lady with the Coat of Arms)
(1960) Prokleté dědictví (The Cursed Heritage)
(1961) Bílé linky (The White Lines)
(1962) Třetí housle (The Third Violin)
(1963) Modrá světla (Blue Lights)
(1964) Pán ze Salcburku (Gentleman of Salzburg)
(1965) Tatranské pastorále (Tatry's Pastorale)
(1966) Šťastný a veselý (Merry Christmas)
(1967) Klauni (The Clowns)
(1968) Štvanice (The Hunt) - propaganda section about end of political steps to the freedom.
(1969) Studna (The Well) - horror section about apocalyptic died inhabitants of village house.
(1970) Rukojmí v Bella Vista (Bella Vista Hostages)
(1971) Poselství z neznámé země (The Unknown Land Legacy)
(1972) Mimikry (Mimicry)
(1973) Růže pro Zemana (The Rose for Zeman)