# Vega$ (1978)

> Private detective Dan Tanna solves crimes from the driver's seat of his red Thunderbird across the streets of Las Vegas.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/9064

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 68
- Episode runtime: 55 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Michael Mann
- Network: ABC
- Cast: Robert Urich, Bart Braverman, Phyllis Davis, Greg Morris, Naomi Stevens, Tony Curtis, Cameron Mitchell, Lorne Greene
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077093/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: breezy, sunny, light-hearted, glossy, buoyant

## What critics say

Critics generally found Vega$ breezy, stylish entertainment anchored by Robert Urich's easygoing charm and its sun-washed Las Vegas setting, though its plots were seen as lightweight.

## Synopsis

Vega$ (1978-1981) is an American network crime drama created by Michael Mann for ABC. Robert Urich plays private detective Dan Tanna, who cruises the streets of Las Vegas in a red 1957 Ford Thunderbird, taking on the cases that come his way and helping residents and tourists alike. Bart Braverman plays Bobby 'Binzer' Borso, and Phyllis Davis plays Beatrice Travis, with Greg Morris as Lt. David Nelson supplying the police-side counterweight. Across three seasons and 68 episodes, the show runs on a case-of-the-week engine: each hour a new client, a new scheme, and a new corner of the city to navigate, from casino back rooms to desert highways. The tone is sunny and light-hearted, with a glossy late-1970s polish and a breezy confidence that keeps even the darker plots buoyant. Its appeal is the mix of gleaming Vegas scenery, an easy hero, and a classic private eye rhythm. Fans of Magnum, P.I., The Rockford Files and Miami Vice will find a familiar kinship in its episodic detective pleasures and sun-washed atmosphere.

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