Planet of the Apes: The Complete TV Series

 

 

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Science Fiction Television does not get any better than this. (Arguably)

I remember very well back in 1974 a unique TV series aired entitled `Planet of the Apes', previously I enjoyed the movie `Escape from the Planet of the Apes', back in 1971, (I didn't see the other films-for whatever reason), so I was somewhat surprised that a TV series was to follow, after the last apes' film `Battle for the Planet of the Apes'.

Due to `Escape', Roddy McDowall (sadly no longer with us), became one of my favourite actors and still is; thus when he was in the `Planet of the Apes' TV series, I had to watch...boy was I in for a surprise, I enjoyed every episode of the series, I didn't know the other two actors at the time-Ron Harper (appearing later in the TV series Land of the Lost) and James Naughton (appearing later in the TV series Trauma Center), but that was okay, they were great too-real likable fellows.

I was really sad that the show ended after 13 episodes, later...very much later I found out there was a 14th episode that was never aired called `The Liberator', and a few years ago I got the video release of the series that contained that missing un-aired episode, finding it was like gold to me and I watched it thinking this is great-it was 1974 all over again, why it was never aired originally is beyond me.

---The Series---

Set in 3085, the series starred Roddy McDowall as Galen, Ron Harper as Alan Virdon, James Naughton as Pete Burke, Mark Lenard as General Urko and Booth Colman as Councilor Zaius (not Dr. Zaius as many would believe). It was based on the 1968 Planet of the Apes film and its sequels in which McDowall also starred in except `Beneath'.

The series ran from the 13th of September to the 6th of December, 1974.

Although fourteen episodes were produced, only 13 were originally networked; the 14th episode, `The Liberator', was never shown, but was included in a 2 Box Set Video release in Australia and now also in DVD form.

The show was cancelled after half a season because of low ratings, (It seems Americans cannot appreciate great shows) due to direct competition by other shows being aired at the time. It was reported that the show was going to continue in the new year under new directions-I really don't know if this was true, but as history tells this never happened. However, it was very successful in Britain for ITV; (I believe Ron Harper once said that the show should have been produced and made in Britain).

The series was also unique in that it did not have a `Pilot' episode, this was because 20th Century Fox felt the show didn't need one due to the strength of the `Ape' movies, so it was assumed that the fans would welcome and understand the show without such a `Pilot'. In all honesty I believe a `Pilot' was necessary to help establish the characters and the show as a whole.

---The Episodes---

Escape from Tomorrow
Original Airdate: 13 Sep 1974
Director: Don Weis

Passing through a time warp, astronauts Virdon and Burke crash land back on earth in an unimaginable future. A human named Farrow takes the unconscious astronauts to safety only to be captured by gorillas, they find an ally in the chimp named Galen, who is fascinated by their origin. He helps them escape back to their spaceship where Virdon retrieves a magnetic flight disc that might help them return to the past, and the three become fugitives.

Featuring:
Zaius - Booth Coleman
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Starring:
Farrow - Royal Dano
Arno - Bobby Porter
Veska - Woodrow Parfrey
Ullman - Biff Elliot
Proto - Jerome Thor
Grundig - William Beckley

Personal Comment:
1] This is the first and only time that we see Virdon and Burke in their ANSA uniforms.
2] Royal Dano's character is short-lived in this episode, thus very under used, if the series went a full 24 episodes I would have liked Farrow to last say the first 4 of them. This would have given strength to the series and Royal's character in general and to establish a better view of the world through his eyes.
3] I also feel that the characters of Galen,(who would not meet the astronauts until episode 5), Zaius and Urko, would be strengthened, plus a more understanding of ape society, through their eyes in the first four episodes.

The Gladiators
Original Airdate: 20 Sept 1974
Director: Don McDougall

The loss of the precious magnetic flight disc causes Burke and Virdon to become involved with gladiators, the burly Tolar and his son Dalton. The astronauts are captured in a village of humans ruled by Barlow. Believing that men are violent natured, Varlow encourages them to participate in gruesome sport similar to those in Ancient Rome times.

Featuring:
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Starring:
Barlow - John Hoyt
Dalton - Marc Singer
Tolar - William Smith
Jason - Pat Renella
Gorilla Sergeant - Eddie Fontaine
1st Gorilla - Ron Stein
2nd Gorilla - Jim Stader

Personal Comment:
1] I liked the character Jason in this episode, it's a pity that this character had to die, as I think Pat's performance was great and the Jason character could have been used more in later episodes.

The Trap
Original Airdate: 27 Sept 1974
Director: Arnold Laven

Burke General Urko, must work together to survive when an earthquake traps them in the ancient ruins of a subway station in Old San Francisco. Virdon and Galen get the ape soldiers to cooperate in a rescue. Meanwhile as the rescue is being formed top-side and while Burke is trying to do the same below, Urko searching for materials is horror-struck when he sees an old zoo poster showing caged ape being fed a banana by a human.

Featuring:
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Starring:
Zako - Norman Alden
Miller - John Milford
Olam - Eldon Burke
Mema - Ron Stein
Lisa Miller - Cindy Eilbacher
Mary Miller - Wallace Earl
Jick Miller - Mickey LeClair
Old Woman - Gail Bonney

Personal Comment:
1] This is one of the best episodes of the series the dramatic interplay between Burke and Urko is top notch.
2] Is this episode we get a glimpse of earth's past, and what was achieved-technology wise (posters on the wall).

The Good Seeds
Original Airdate:4 Oct 1974
Director: Don Weiss

When Galen is wounded, he and the astronauts seek shelter at the farm of Polar whose son believes that the humans have put a curse on their one precious possession--a cow, which goes into a difficult labour to give birth to eventually give birth to twin calves . While looking after the cow trying to save it's life, Virdon and Burke win their hosts over by teaching them valuable lessons about farming.

Featuring:
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Starring:
Anto - Geoffrey Deuel
Polar - Lonny Chapman
Remus - Bobby Porter
Zantes - Jacqueline Scott
Jillia - Eileen Ditz Elber
Gorilla Officer - Dennis Cross
Police Gorilla - John Garwood
Police Gorilla - Fred Lerner
Patrol Rider - Michael Carr

Personal Comment:
1] This again is a great episode, but this time we see that not all apes hate and mistrust humans; again great dramatic interplay between the apes `masters' and the human `slaves' comparison.

The Legacy
Original Airdate: 11 Oct 1974
Director: Bernard McEveety

In a ruined city, the astronauts find a computer with a filmed message from a scientist of their own era. If they can elude gorilla pursuers long enough to repair the ancient computer, the film will tell them where to find a secret storage room filled with other computers and knowledge to help revitalize human civilization. Virdon is captured and reveals the hidden computer, its a race against time as he is aided in part by a young woman named Arn, and a street urchin named Kraik, whom was captured also.

Featuring:
Zaius - Booth Coleman
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Starring:
Arn - Zina Bethune
Kraik - Jackie Earle Haley
Gorilla Captain - Robert Phillips
Gorilla Sergeant - Wayne Foster
Scientist - Jon Lormer

Personal Comment:
1] What a great episode, I feel this episode should have been a 2-parter, thus in both parts we explore not only the finding of the computer and it's implications, but also the capture of Virdon and his predicament. Again great character drama from all sides; especially with the character of Kraik the boy trying to find himself, should he side with the apes to get more food or help Virdon and Arn escape?
2] Again we get a glimpse of the past earth events/happenings though the scientist, with hints of nuclear war-but not actually mentioning it.

Tomorrow's Tide
Original Airdate: 18 Oct 1974
Director: Don McDougall

When the astronauts are forced to work for Hurton in charge of a fishing village employing human slave labour, they must prove their worth as fishermen or be sacrificed to the gods of the sea.

Guest Starring:
Hurton - Roscoe Lee Browne
Bandor - Jay Robinson
Soma - Kathleen Bracken
Romar - Jim Storm
Gahto - John McLaim
Drayman #2 - Larry Ellis

The Surgeon
Original Airdate: 25 Oct 1974
Director: Arnold Laven

After Virdon is shot and seriously injured in an escape from gorilla soldiers hunting for them, Galen enlists the reluctant aid of a chimpanzee surgeon Kira, who was once his fiancé.

Featuring:
Zaius - Booth Coleman
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Starring:
Kira - Jacqueline Scott
Leander -... Read more ›

I first saw the Planet of the Apes TV series in the 80's when it was broadcast as a series of TV movies with titles like "Life, Liberty, and Pursuit On the Planet of the Apes". I'll never forget that title! I also never forget how engaging those movies were as a boy. My friends and I loved those movies when we were growing up. It wasn't until I was older that I discovered that my favorite Apes movies were in fact edited together episodes of the Apes TV show.

Over the years I've watched all of the Ape theatrical movies, but it just wasn't the same as my memories of the Apes TV movies. Roddy sticks out in my memory as being especially good as Galen the chimp. Burke and Virdon were decent characters played by decent actors. Virdon's desire to see his wife and kid again made him rather different from Heston's astronaut in the original film. Urko and Dr Zaus were both excellent. Urko and Galen were the funnest characters of any Planet of the Apes show or movie. I never thought I'd see those TV movies again, but it turns out those episodes and more are on DVD. I love it! The Law Giver has answered my prayers!

I saw the series when I was in 7th grade and never forgot it. Like many Sci Fi series, it never went past the first season, which was unfortunate since I felt the series was excellent.

I purchased the VHS set(with all 14 episodes just like the DVD set) in PAL format when FOX released it in Australia only(not sure why) almost a year ago. This PAL VHS set is now Out Of Print according to FOX.

I, like many Planet of the Apes fans, am glad that FOX has finally decided to release this to the US audiences in DVD format so fans can stop being forced to buy bootleg versions taped from the Sci Fi channel a few years ago or transfer copied from the only official VHS release(up to now) of the series which was in PAL format and not playable on American VCRs.

FYI, the SCI FI channel airings of the Planet Of The Apes TV Series were about 5 minutes shorter than the original aired length of the show. This was for additional commercial space, so those of you who have only seen the series there missed OVER 1 HOUR of the show during the course of the 14 episodes.

Bottom line is BUY THIS DVD SET!!!! In addition to the original 13 shows aired in the USA, you get the 14th episode "The Liberator" which never got aired here in the United States because the show got axed. It was aired in the UK, however.

It was very satisfying to see an original "never before aired in the US" episode of one of my favorite series 27 years after it went off the air.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Planet of the Apes: The Complete TV Series
I am happy to have this series in my collection. I only wish that it had gone on longer then what it did.

Published 8 months ago by Watcher

3.0 out of 5 stars Planet of the Apes Tv Series
Good show for its time... Some of the stories are weak, the disc from the ship in the first couple of episodes are never mentioned again in the later shows. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Joe

5.0 out of 5 stars APES RULE !!
This awesome 4 disc boxed set of the "Planet of the Apes" TV series is a welcomed addition for fans of the show or the movies. Read more

Published on Jun 23 2006 by The Critic

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST TV SERIES EVER
I will never understand why so many so called experts hate this tv show.
Even the actors didnt like it. Read more

Published on July 16 2004 by Stuart Scott-davis

5.0 out of 5 stars blast from the past
All the episodes of the POTA series are here and on DVD. This series is a real joy to watch. It brings back so many fond memories from my childhood. Read more

Published on Jun 10 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars ONE SMALL STEP FOR A MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR APE-KIND!
IT'S ABOUT A BUNCH OF APES AND HUMANS WHO CAN'T GET ALONG!!! WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN THAT? Yet, the Planet of the Apes Television is highly under rated as an asset to the POTA... Read more

Published on May 13 2004 by John Valdez

5.0 out of 5 stars no ending! why not?
This is great to see on DVD, but they did NOT include the ending to the TV series! In 1981, Roddy played Galen for about 8 minutes to do openings and closings to 5 tv-edited... Read more

Published on April 16 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Owning this set is like finding a long lost friend
Anyone who loved the original POTA movie series from the late 1960s and early 1970s will love the TV series. Read more

Published on Mar 18 2004 by MGA

5.0 out of 5 stars Camp Ape by garrie keyman
Recalling a fondness for a favorite show of my youth, it was with some surprise that I recently re-viewed it. Read more

Published on Mar 12 2004 by garrie keyman

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasing trip down Ape lane
Lacking the budget to have the pyrotechnics, location shooting and opticals of the first two Apes films, the television series focused more on character development. Read more

Published on Feb 8 2004 by WTDK

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