"Vega$" was a TV show that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, (with the exception of special episodes in Hawaii & San Francisco) was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show starred Robert Urich as detective Dan Tanna, who drove around the streets of Las Vegas in a red 1957 Ford Thunderbird solving crimes and making Las Vegas a better place for residents and tourists alike. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) operates television and radio networks in the United States and is also shown on basic cable in Canada. ... See also: 1977 in television, other events of 1978, 1979 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1978-79 American network television schedule. ... See also: 1980 in television, other events of 1981, 1982 in television and the list of years in television. For the American network television schedule, please see 1981-82 American network television schedule. ... Aaron Spelling in 1999 following the Beverly Hills, 90210 wrap-up party Aaron F. Spelling (April 22, 1923 – June 23, 2006) was a American film and television producer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Nickname: The City by the Bay; Fog City Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California City-County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Area    - City 122 km²  (47 sq mi)  - Land 121. ... Nickname: The Entertainment Capital of the World; Sin City Location of Las Vegas in Nevada Coordinates: County Clark Mayor Oscar B. Goodman(D) Area    - City 131. ... Robert Urich (December 19, 1946 – April 16, 2002) was an Emmy-winning actor, best known for playing private investigators on the television series Spenser: For Hire (1985-1988) and Vega$ (1978-1981). ... The Ford Thunderbird is a car manufactured in the United States by the Ford Motor Company. ...

Plot

Dan Tanna was a detective available for private hire. One of his chief clients was Phil Roth (Tony Curtis), aka Slick, the owner of the Desert Inn Hotel/Casino/Country Club in Las Vegas. Tanna was always called in when something was awry at the hotel. Many times this involved the criminal element, though he was sometimes brought in to investigate the absurd. One example included a nun who claimed to own the land on which the Desert Inn stood, when she was bequeathed an old deed from a prospector who died. (To further complicate matters, she initially wanted to turn the hotel into a convent.) Roger Moore and Tony Curtis in The Persuaders! Tony Curtis (born June 3, 1925) is an American film actor. ... The Desert Inn was a Las Vegas, Nevada hotel/casino that operated from April 24, 1950 to August 28, 2000. ... Nun in cloister, 1930; photograph by Doris Ulmann In general, a nun is a female ascetic who chooses to voluntarily leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent. ... This article is about an abbey as a religious building. ...

Tanna lived on the Las Vegas Strip next to Circus Circus Hotel/Casino, in a warehouse owned by the Desert Inn, which he converted into his living place. The design of Tanna's pad (long before the popularity of loft space) allowed him to park his T-bird in his living room. Tanna also used gadgets that were very high-tech for the time (but are pretty commonplace today), such as a car-phone and an answering machine (that physically picked the phone up off the hook and the receiver spoke directly into the microphone of a tape recorder). This warehouse in reality no longer exists, as it has been replaced by a shopping center which includes Arby's and a museum. The south end of The Strip. ... Circus Circus is a circus-themed hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip, owned by the Mandalay Resort Group. ... A loft, in the sense of the word meaning attic. ...

Tanna's choice of weapon was a .357 magnum that he didn't like to use, but would if the situation deemed necessary. Most often Tanna would use more non-lethal means, such as his fists. The . ...

Tanna often did battle with many of the various criminal element that would threaten the desert oasis. Some villains he faced include a psychopath who thought he was Wayne Newton (and subsequently Newton was impersonating him), as well as a mafia boss named Martin Gleaver (Tom Simcox) who blackmailed a magic sisters act with photographs of "all the sick/weird things they used to do" referring to when they used to host risque Hollywood parties. Wayne Newton Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942) is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... ...

Tanna was a veteran of the Vietnam conflict. This was illustrated through flashbacks in various episodes. It is curious, however, that during these flashbacks, he was participating in ground combat. In a later episode, where he gets mixed up with a case involving a defector from the Soviet Union, he shows up at Nellis Air Force Base in his old United States Air Force uniform. (The Air Force was rarely, but occasionally, involved in direct ground combat during Vietnam.) He is also referred to as "Captain Tanna", indicating that he was an officer. He served with his best friends Harlon Twoleaf (Will Sampson), the chief of a local Native American tribe, and Mitch Costegian (Chick Venerra), a Vegas lounge singer. Twoleaf and Costegian would occasionally join Tanna in investigating various mysteries. A defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. ... Map showing the locations of Nellis AFB and the NAFR Nellis Air Force Base (IATA: LSV, ICAO: KLSV) is a United States Air Force base, located in Clark County, Nevada, on the northeast side of Las Vegas. ... Aircraft of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing and coalition counterparts stationed together at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, in southwest Asia, fly over the desert. ... Will Sampson (September 27, 1934 - June 3, 1987), a Native American, was an American actor and painter. ... An Aani (Atsina) named Assiniboin Boy. ...

Supporting cast

Tanna would not be effective without a good supporting cast. Phyllis Davis played Beatrice, his assistant who is a single mom and a former showgirl. There is evidence that she was married before, but her husband had died. Although she and Tanna made a dashing couple, their relationship seemed to be purely platonic. Greg Morris played Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Lt. David Nelson. Nelson was a no-nonsense cop who often had Tanna's back (and he, his). While Nelson was never one to breach protocol, he often secretly assisted Tanna in cases Metro Police couldn't officially touch. Bart Braverman played Binzer, who did Dan Tanna's leg work and usually provided comic relief. In the beginning of the series, Binzer was a petty thief. Tanna seemed to have taken him under his wing and used his knowledge and connections of the street. Judy Landers played Dan Tanna's other assistant, Angie, who was also a showgirl, but unlike the savvy Beatrice was usually an airhead and would get things screwed up. She appeared only during the first season. Phyllis Davis (born July 17, 1947 in Port Arthur, Texas) is an actress who appeared primarily on television. ... A Las Vegas showgirl, from the Folies Bergere. ... Francis Gregory Alan Morris (September 27, 1933 - August 27, 1996) was an African-American television and movie actor. ... The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (also known as the LVMPD or Metro) is the joint city-county police force for the Las Vegas metropolitan area. ... Bart Braverman (born February 1, 1946 in Los Angeles, California) is a actor who is well know for guest starring on many shows. ... Judy Landers (October 7, 1961) is an American actress. ...

Guest stars

The series featured numerous performances and cameos by notable guest stars including: Dean Martin, Kim Basinger, Melanie Griffith, Kim Cattrall, Abe Vigoda, Morey Amsterdam, Shelley Fabares, Shelley Berman, Alex Trebek, Sid Caesar, Slim Pickens, Isabel Sanford, Maureen McCormick, Cesar Romero, Doc Severinsen, Mamie Van Doren, Muhammad Ali, Robert Loggia, Leslie Nielsen, Lola Falana, Rudolph "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, Eve Arden, Barbi Benton, Lisa Hartman, Shelley Winters, Wayne Newton, Captain & Tennille, Wolfman Jack, Tanya Roberts, Lorne Greene, Erin Gray, Gary Lockwood, June Lockhart and Dick Butkus. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Kimila Ann Basinger (pronounced ) (born December 8, 1953 in Athens, Georgia) is an Academy Award-winning American film actress and former fashion model. ... Melanie Griffith at Cannes, 2000 Melanie Griffith (born August 9, 1957 in New York City) is an American film actress. ... As Samantha Jones in Sex and the City Kim Victoria Cattrall (born August 21, 1956) is an Anglo-Canadian actress. ... Abe Vigoda, born Abraham Charles Vigoda on February 24, 1921, in New York City, is an American movie and television actor. ... Morey Amsterdam on Match Game 73. ... Shelley Fabares (born January 19, 1944) is an American actress and singer. ... Shelley Berman (born 3 February 1926, in Chicago, Illinois) is a comedian, writer, teacher, and actor. ... Alex Trebek, with his once-iconic mustache, hosting a 1986 episode of Jeopardy! George Alexander Trebek (born as Giorgi Suka-Alex Trebek [1] on July 22, 1940) is an Emmy Award-winning Canadian-American television personality and game show host, best known as the host of the game show Jeopardy... Sid Caesar (born Isaac Sidney Caesar on September 8, 1922) is an Emmy-winning comic actor and writer, best known as the leading man on the 1950s television sketch comedy series Your Show of Shows. ... Slim Pickens riding the bomb in the movie Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Louis Bert Lindley, Jr. ... Isabel Sanford (born as Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford August 29, 1917 – July 9, 2004) was an American actress most famous for her role as Louise Weezie Jefferson on the CBS television sitcoms All in the Family (1971-1975) and The Jeffersons (1975-1985). ... Publicity photo of Maureen McCormick as Marcia Brady in The Brady Bunch Maureen Denise McCormick (born August 5, 1956 in Los Angeles, California) is an American actress best known for her role as Marcia Brady in the television series The Brady Bunch. ... Cesar Romero, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. ... Carl Hilding Doc Severinsen (born July 7, 1927 in Arlington, Oregon) is an American pop and jazz trumpeter, most known for leading the Tonight Show Band in the Johnny Carson era. ... Mamie Van Doren Mamie Van Doren (born February 6, 1931) is an American actress and sex symbol. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Robert Loggia (born January 3, 1930 in New York City) is an Italian-American character actor. ... Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen, OC (born February 11, 1926 in Regina, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian actor and absurdist comedian. ... Lola Falana (born Loletha Elaine Falana on September 11, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey) is an American dancer and actress of Cuban and African American descent. ... Minnesota Fats On Pool, 1965 Rudolph Walter Wanderone Jr. ... Arden with Armed Forces Radio Service in the 1940s Eve Arden (April 30, 1908 – November 12, 1990) was an Oscar-nominated American actress whose career in films was as a supporting and character actor, due, in large part, to the fact, that while tall and slim, she was not a... Barbi Benton Barbi Benton in Deathstalker, 1983 Barbi Benton (born 28 January 1950) is an American model and actress. ... Lisa Hartman (b. ... Winters in Cry of the City (1948) Shelley Winters (August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Wayne Newton Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942) is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. ... The Captain & Tennille are a husband and wife US pop music duo who achieved success during the 1970s. ... Robert Weston (Bob) Smith (January 21, 1939 – July 1, 1995) became world famous in the 1960s and 1970s as a disc jockey using the stage name of Wolfman Jack. ... On the cover of Playboy, October 1982 Tanya Roberts, born Victoria Leigh Blum on October 15, 1954, is an American actress best known for her roles in Charlies Angels, The Beastmaster, A View to a Kill and That 70s Show. ... Lorne Greene in his role as Ben Cartwright in Bonanza Lorne Greene as Commander Adama in Battlestar Galactica Lorne Greene O.C., LL.D. (February 12, 1915 – September 11, 1987) was a Canadian actor best known for two iconic roles on American television. ... Erin Gray as Col. ... Gary Lockwood (born John Gary Yusolfsky on February 21, 1937 in Van Nuys, California) is an American actor. ... June Lockhart (born 25 June 1925 in New York City, USA) is an American television and film actress best known for her roles as the mothers on Lassie and Lost in Space. ... Richard Marvin Dick Butkus (born December 9, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former American football player and actor. ...

Crossovers

In the Season 3 premiere of Charlie's Angels titled "Angels in Vegas", Robert Urich does a cameo as his Vega$ character Tanna. Charlies Angels was a television series broadcast from 1976 to 1981, about three women who work for a fictional private investigation agency, the Charles Townsend Agency. ...

Trivia

- Initially, Michael Mann was to produce the show. He envisioned Tanna to be a recovering alcoholic, with brooding characterization. Very early on Spelling took over and Mann's ideas for the tone of the show were dropped. Mann later took the similar approach to another series, Miami Vice. Miami Vice was a popular television series (five seasons on NBC from 1984-1989) starring Don Johnson (James Sonny Crockett) and Philip Michael Thomas (Ricardo Rico Tubbs) as two Miami police detectives working undercover. ...

External links

• Vega$ at the Internet Movie Database
• Vega$ at TV.com