''Thirty Cases of Major Zeman'' (''Třicet případů majora Zemana'') is a
Czechoslovak
Czechoslovak may refer to:
*A demonym or adjective pertaining to Czechoslovakia (1918–93)
**First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–38)
**Second Czechoslovak Republic (1938–39)
**Third Czechoslovak Republic (1948–60)
**Fourth Czechoslovak Repub ...
action-drama television show intended as a political propaganda to support the official attitude of the
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia ( Czech and Slovak: ''Komunistická strana Československa'', KSČ) was a communist and Marxist–Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992. It was a member of the Comint ...
. The series were 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 1973.
Controversy
A re-broadcast of the series in the Czech Republic in 1999, caused controversy and public criticism about the series, which was accused of conveying
communist propaganda
Communist propaganda is the artistic and social promotion of the ideology of communism, communist worldview, communist society, and interests of the communist movement. While it tends to carry a negative connotation in the Western world, the t ...
and portraying those who think differently politically as criminals.
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 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 investigating 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.
List of episodes
See also
* ''
Comrade Detective
''Comrade Detective'' is an American buddy cop series created by Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka. The show follows the premise of popular US action/cop-buddy films and television shows from the 1980s and presents the episodes as a fictiona ...
'', a show that parodies propaganda series like ''Major Zeman''
References
External links
*
*
CSFD Entry*
Fan site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thirty Cases Of Major Zeman
1975 Czechoslovak television series debuts
Czechoslovak television series
Czech action television series
Czech crime television series
1970s Czechoslovak television series
Propaganda television broadcasts
Czechoslovak Television original programming