Richard Levinson and William Link began writing together as teenagers. Years later, they created several television series, Columbo, Ellery Queen, Murder She Wrote, and Mannix. As many viewers know, Mannix was given a major overhaul after Season One by someone who truly understood the medium of television, Lucille Ball.
With that in mind, the pilot episode gets the series off to a rousing start. A "former syndicate figure" (Lloyd Bacon) hires a high-tech detective and security agency, Intertect Ltd to find his kidnapped daughter, and the head honcho (Joseph Campanella) sends his best man Mannix to get the job done.
It wouldn't be a proper detective show without double crosses, plot twists, and duplicity, and this episode supplies plenty thanks to the writing of Bruce Geller.
In retrospect, the Intertect angle feels a bit stilted and gimmicky. If Mannix is such a poor fit for corporate security, why he would even want to work there? The juxtaposition of the classic detective archetype with a company which dictates how much paperwork can be on a desk might appear to be fertile writing material, but it seems a bit forced.
Also, some very odd choices made by DP Gene Polito towards the end of the episode (soft-focus). That was a head scratcher.
Mannix handles three cigarettes and smokes two. One hot cup of coffee. Doesn't have an adult beverage, probably because no one offered. A client lies. Two fist fights. Mannix doesn't get knocked cold, just knocked silly.
Mannix drives a 1966 Mercury Comet Caliente ragtop (yawn). First of many amazingly accurate pistol shots fired by Mannix during the series run. Body count of three. No cars are totaled, just one less whirlybird in the sky.
Great score by Lalo Schifrin. Nice location shoot at the Palm Springs Tramway and Mt. San Jacinto, with some sharp editing by Paul Krasny. Good supporting performances by Kim Hunter, John Colicos, and Barbara Anderson. Nice houndstooth jacket worn by our hero.