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.
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
Episode
Date
Title
Aired
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.
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
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
Comrade Detective, a show that parodies propaganda series like Major Zeman
