Customer Reviews

Planet Of The Apes: TV Series (1974)

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 - Martin Brooks
Haman - Ron Stein
Jordo - Phil Montgomery
Girl - Jamie Smith Jackson
Travin - Michael Strong
Bridid - Diana Hale
Dr. Stole - David Naughton

Personal Comment:
1] In this episode we have a glance into Galen's past, why he and Kira never married is a mystery within the series.
2] James Naughton's brother David as Dr. Stole appears in this episode.
3] These episodes just keep getting better, not only great dramatics between the ape characters, but also between Burke and Travin-who just doesn't trust him or just can't understand why Burke has certain liberties of duty.

The Deception
Original Airdate: 1 Nov 1974
Director: Don McDougall

While hunting a band of murderous ape dragoons responsible for Fauna's father's death, Burke becomes the object of the affections of a blind female ape named Fauna, who is unaware that he is human.

Guest Starring:
Fauna - Jane Actman
Sestus - John Milford
Perdix - Baynes Barron
Zon - Pat Renella
Chilot - Eldon Burke
Jasko - Hal Baylor

Personal Comment:
1] This is another favourite of mine, I really sympathize with Jane's character Fauna, and her quest to find some kind of happiness in her life.
2] Again in this episode we have a mixture of apes-hateful, honourable, kind-hearted and deceitful, a real mixed bag, and into this we have Burke playing an ape to a blind chimpanzee, this is a real dramatic smorgasbord all round.

The Horse Race
Original Airdate: 8 Nov 1974
Director: Jack Starrett

Virdon participates in a horse race, to save Gregor's life; all the while under Urko's eyes.

Featuring:
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Starring:
Barlow - John Hoyt
Prefect - Henry Levin
Kagan - Wesley Fuller
Zandar - Richard Devon
Gregor - Meegan King
Martin - Morgan Woodward
Zilo - Joseph Tornatore
Damon - Russ Mavin

Personal Comment:
1] With this episode we see the return of our favourite ape Barlow; I think if the show went a full season, I'm sure he would have been in another episode.

The Interrogation
Original Airdate: 15 Nov 1974
Director: Alf Kjellin

Captured by simian pursuers, Burke faces two equally menacing possibilities: The gorilla Urko wants to kill him, and the orangutan ruler Zaius wants to use him in a brain washing experiment. Galen and Virdon work out a rescue plan with the help of Galen's parents, Ann and Yalu.

Featuring:
Zaius - Booth Coleman
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Starring:
Ann - Anne Seymour
Wanda - Beverly Garland
Yalu - Normann Burton
Dr. Malthus - Harry Townes
Peasant - Eldon Burke
Susan - Lynn Benesch
Gorilla Leader - Ron Stein
Officer Gorilla - Lee Delano
Lt. Gorilla - Wayne Foster

Personal Comment:
1] In this episode we see Burke being captured this time, and through the interrogation techniques, we get to see him with his past love Susan.
2] This again is one of the best episodes of the series, with insights to Galen's parents and Burke's past.
3] Beverly Garland is excellent as Wanda a strong character for a female chimpanzee.

The Tyrant
Original Airdate: 22 Nov 1974
Director: Ralph Senensky

The fugitives are trying to foil the plans of a tyrannical gorilla named Aboro, who is using bribery to gain total control over a district of human farmers. The trio help remove Aboro from office, even though they have to risk an encounter with Urko to do it.

Featuring:
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Starring:
Aboro - Percy Rodrigues
Daku - Joseph Ruskin
Janor - Michael Conrad
Augustus - Tom Troupe
Mikal - James Daughton
Sam - Klair Bybee
Gola - Arlen Stuart

Personal Comment:
1] With this episode we see the other side of the coin in ape society through Aboro, a ruthless ape with ambitions of power. Percy Rodrigues is great in this role and he shows us the devil in us all (apes and humans it seems are not too dissimilar after all).
2] In a rare insight we also get to see Urko's character fighting his conscious in trying to trust Virdon-a human against his long time friend Aboro-an ape, who does he believe?, In the end, his duty to the state compels him to do the right thing-he doesn't like it...but the truth was evident. Thus in some way the astronauts can rely on Urko's honour when it counts.
3] We also get to see through Janor and Mikal the passive and aggressive human qualities; Janor is submissive in ape society, while Mikal wants to rebel against it.

The Cure
Original Airdate: 29 Nov 1974
Director: Bernard McEveety

The astronauts come to aide a village which they stayed in being devastated by malaria and manage to help the local medical officer, Zoran, to discover a cure.

Featuring:
Zaius - Booth Coleman
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Staring:
Zoran - David Sheiner
Amy - Sondra Locke
Inta - Eldon Burke
Kava - Ron Soble
Talbert - George Wallace
Mason - Albert Cole
Nessa - Ron Stein
Orangutan - Biff Elliot

Personal Comment:
1] What we have here is co-operation between ape and human, and the development of trust and faith. There is conflict on all sides, Urko wanting to burn the village, Zoran trying to convince Zaius not to, Virdon trying to help Zoran and the village while trying to amend his relationship with Amy, and Burke and Galen stuck in the middle keeping it all together. What an organized mess-I love it.
2] David Sheiner's character Zoran is a likable ape and worthy of future inroads to the series if it continued. Zoran's conflict with Virdon is especially noticeable.

The Liberator
Original Airdate: n/a
Director by Arnold Laven

Galen and the astronauts get captured by a tribe of humans who turn over fellow humans to the gorillas as slaves for the salt mines.

Guest Staring:
Brun - John Ireland
Miro - Ben Andrews
Clim - Peter G. Skinner
Talia - Jennifer Ashley
1# Gorilla Guard - Ron Stein
Villager - Mark Bailey
2nd Gorilla - Tom McDonough

Personal Comment:
1] As I understand it, this episode never aired as it was considered too controversial; apparently it discusses the creation of poison gas as a weapon of mass destruction,(in the movie `Beneath', the Alpha-Omega bomb is also a weapon of mass destruction), the temple reminding everyone of the `gas chambers' used by the Nazi's in WW2. Plus in 1974 we had the Watergate Scandal, the Ant-War Movement, Vietnam War; all in all it was decided to not air this episode because of such similarities of story to the real world.
All I can say is `Wake-up' world and get real, if we as a society are ashamed and embarrassed about make-believe realities within a movie and or series, perhaps we should look to ourselves and realize, we as humans should improve our way of life instead of hiding our heads in the sand, and saying this does not exist.
Well it does, and it just proves that we as humans just can't face the real, realities of life, and worst of all we even fail to fix them to improve human society/civilization as a whole.
We need to face up to ourselves, and say we did this, and try not to do it again, we must learn and gain wisdom from our past and present mistakes. If we are to survive as a species.

Up Above the World So High
Original Airdate: 6 Dec 1974
Director: John Lucas

The Astronauts help a human, Leuric, to make a working hang glider so he can fly, arousing the unwelcome interest of a lady chimp scientist named Carsia.

Featuring:
Zaius - Booth Coleman
General Urko - Mark Lenard

Guest Staring:
Carsia - Joanna Barnes
Leuric - Frank Aletter
Konag - Martin Brooks
Gorilla Guard - Ron Stein
2nd Trooper - Eldon Burke
Human Driver - Glenn Wilder
Council Orang - William Beckley

Personal Comment:
1] If Wanda and Aboro were not bad enough, along comes the meanest of them all-Carsia, she not only hates humans but Orangutans and Gorillas too, as she tries to use Leuric's glider to bomb the High Council Chambers. Joanna Barnes is brilliant as the `mad' chimp Carsia bent on death and destruction, believing that chimpanzees are superior to the other ape species.
2] This is the last episode of the live action series of the Planet of the Apes; in 1975 there was a follow-up animated series called `Return to the Planet of the Apes', get this on DVD if you can, it is excellent.
3] This is also the last we see of Zaius and Urko as well, all in all Mark Lenard (appearing in 11 episodes) and Booth Coleman (appearing in 6 episodes) are superb in their roles. I would have liked 1 episode each at least devoted to their characters, if only to strengthen the series-perhaps maybe this was on the cards (wishful thinking), if the series lasted longer.
4] Planet of the Apes is by all accounts is a unique series, then and even now; if it were produced today, I dare say we would enjoy 7 seasons, but alas even this seems impossible.

---The Extras---

Sadly this DVD set's Special Features are next to nothing, so don't hold your breath for anything special...there are no interviews with the surviving cast and crew or any previous guest cast, no behind the scenes of the TV series, not even any bloopers, or alternate scenes deleted or otherwise and no Photo Gallery...all you get is a Planet of the Apes Cross Trailer and a Theatrical Trailer of the Planet of the Apes 2001 movie version and that's it. (how disgusting!) Plus on top of that no decent booklet to guide you through the series. So really you just get the bare bones of the series and nothing else. (I am so very disappointed).

---The Music---

If you can, get the `Original Music From Planet of the Apes the TV Series', CD from Intrada [...] on it you will find music of the `Main Title', `The Gladiators', `The Legacy', The Good Seeds' and `End Credits', plus a hidden track. This CD is a limited edition run of 3000, (you might be lucky), The CD will definitely compliment your Planet of the Apes collection.

For those who are interested, below is a short Planet of the Apes Timeline

---The Timeline---

1942----------

January 12: Alan J. Virdon is born in Jackson County, Texas. His parents own a farm and he grows up there.

1951----------

December 06: Peter J. Burke is born.

1969----------

August 20: ANSA (American National Space Administration) is born.

Due to the success of the first moon landing in July, ANSA is commissioned by the President as a parallel division of NASA to develop a new prototype spacecraft to help explore interstellar space. This ambitious project to go beyond our solar system is named: The Icarus Program. (The aim of ANSA is to develop protocols, procedures and technologies to advance interstellar spaceflight to go beyond the solar system. ANSA's first target is Alpha Centauri.)

1980----------

August: After a pre-flight indoctrination, Virdon and Burke enjoy a relaxing couple of days at Hanson Point, on the shore of California. Virdon's wife Sally is there, along with Burke's date, a redhead named Jam Adams. Smitten with her, Burke carves her initials in a cave on the beach. Though Burke is a ladies' man, Jan is the only woman whose initials he ever carves anywhere. (This information comes from the novelization of "The Deception" from Planet of the Apes #2: Escape to Tomorrow. The script places this incident at Pebble Beach.)

August 19: Astronauts Colonel Alan Virdon, Major Peter Burke and Major Stephen Jones are launched by the ANSA's fifth and final interstellar space flight the Hyperion to Alpha Centauri. (The date above is from the Hyperion's chronometer from the opening credits.)

As the ship approaches Alpha Centauri, it travels through "radioactive turbulence" and goes out of control. Is this a Hasslein Curve? Virdon directs Jones to activate the automatic homing device. (The Icarus Program is officially terminated shortly after the Hyperion leaves Earth, making it the last attempt to reach for Alpha Centauri. Unofficially the Icarus Program still exists under a different program and is kept under tight security.)

2785----------

The early part of the Ornan Period, a fever which struck only the human population killed several hundred people in a section of the rural zone. The entire sector became barren for years afterward. (This was described in "The Cure." It is impossible to accurately pinpoint the exact date of "The Ornan Period." The implication is that it occurred hundreds of years in the past and was not common knowledge to the ape population at large. So I think it would be safe to say that this incident happened about 300 years ago.)

3034----------

March 08: Zaius is born.

3035----------

October 15: Urko is born.

3061----------

September 17: Galen is born in Central City to Ann and Yalu.

3070----------

Zaius joins the High Council. (This occurs prior to the beginning of the series.)

General Urko is appointed Chief of Security. (This occurs prior to the beginning of the series.)

3073----------

A Space craft of similar type to the one flown by Virdon & Burke crash-lands on Earth. Two Astronauts survive. Zaius, a member of the Ape High Council, wants to question these two astronauts, but General Urko, The Chief of security, has them killed. (Zaius says that Human astronauts from the past crashed "more than ten years ago". Twelve years sounds like a fair estimate for this length of time.)

3081---------

Galen and Kira become engaged. For undisclosed reasons, they do not get married. (From the Planet of the Apes episode of "The Surgeon".)-(Galen and Kira infer that they broke off the engagement in recent years.)

3083----------

July: Farrow from the settlement of Chalo, discovers an old bomb shelter "about two years ago". He tells Burke and Virdon this in June of 3085.and makes it his "secret cave". Inside are a number of ancient artefacts, including books from many centuries earlier. Unable to read them, he uses most of them to start fires. One he keeps, however, as he enjoys looking at the pictures. (From the Planet of the Apes episode of "Escape From Tomorrow".)

3085----------

June 14:

Escape From Tomorrow. The Hyperion reentries and crash-lands on Earth outside the Human settlement of Chailo, in the region of the United States that was once south-western California. Astronauts Colonel Alan Virdon and Major Peter Burke survive, but Major Stephen Jones dies in the crash. At this time the ape government, which rules over most of the area, is an orang-utan faction headed by Councilor Zaius. General Urko, a gorilla, works cooperatively with him; with continual "reminding" that Zaius is in charge. Urko chafes at the situation. To Zaius and Urko, the constant threat of the renegade astronauts starting a human rebellion.

The date above is from the opening credits of the TV Series, but Hyperion's chronometer when it crash-landed back to Earth states it is 21st of March 3085.

June 16:

Burke and Virdon are captured by Urko and Galen.

June 17:

Burke and Virdon are set up to be "shot while trying to escape". Galen accidentally kills Urko's Lieutenant in a struggle.

June 24:

Virdon, Burke and Galen begin their adventures together.

The astronauts gain the chimpanzee Galen as a friend and traveling companion. Between them they leave a few traces of twentieth century human culture, like certain agricultural and farming techniques, that don't do much good for the humans but eventually serve to advance ape civilization. (Virdon remarks that it has been a week since they escaped.

July:

The Gladiators. Burke estimates they are North of San Francisco. A Human kills Urko's Lieutenant, Jason. Urko holds Barlow responsible for Jason's death and transfers him to the remote outpost of Venton.

The Trap. Burke, Virdon and Galen are near the village of Numai. This is near ancient ruins of San Francisco.

The Good Seeds. Burke, Virdon and Galen go to Polar's farm. The farm is "four day's hard ride from Central City. The travelers spend two weeks here so that Galen's leg can mend.

August:

The Legacy. Burke, Virdon and Galen enter the ruins of Ancient Oakland.

Tomorrow's Tide. Burke, Virdon and Galen approach the Pacific Ocean. Burke speculates that it could be Malibu, Pismo Beach or Paradise Cove.

The Surgeon. Virdon is shot by a Gorilla patrol. Galen and Burke take him to a medical center outside Central City.

The Deception. The trio befriend a blind female chimp named Fauna whose father has been killed, supposedly by humans. Fauna develops a crush on Burke while the trio deal with vigilante apes known as `Dragoons'.

September:

The Horse Race. Burke, Virdon and Galen enter the village of Venton. After winning the wager with Urko, Barlow, along with Martin and Gregor, return to Kaymak.

The Interrogation. Burke is captured and taken to Central City. Urko goes on an inspection tour of the outer provinces. (Yalu, Galen's father is recently elected to the High Council. Galen learns of this within this episode)- (Wanda states that she discovers an ancient book on brainwashing techniques in a time capsule from the late 20th century.)

The Tyrant. Virdon, Burke and Galen enter the village of Hathor.

The Cure. Virdon, Burke and Galen enter the village of Trion. Virdon meets Amy. One week later the group leaves the village.

October:

The Liberator. It is Autumn. Virdon, Burke and Galen approach the village of Borak.

Originally it is suppose to be Summer, but I changed it to Autumn, to fit this timeline. But if the 21st of March 3085 date is used from the Hyperion's chronometer when it crash-landed back to Earth, then the Summer reference would be correct, as the story would have happened in July.

Up Above the World so High. Virdon, Burke and Galen are near the sea and come across Leuric, a human from Chatka, trying to fly his glider; which he has been working on and designing for months, hoping to successfully be the first human to fly.

The Hostage.* The United Freedom Force, a radical group of humans and apes, kidnap a daughter of a prominent Ape family. Virdon offers to negotiate for the daughter's release.

A Fallen God.* Virdon, Burke and Galen come to a town. To avoid suspicion from the local preacher, Syrinx; Alan and Peter go to work on a farm owned by Telemon, a local farmer. Once there Virdon spies Telemon's family praying to their altar which contains a radio transmitter.

* These stories come from scripts that were developed for the Live Action TV Series, which can be found on Hunter Goatley's website.

November:

The Trek.** An ethnic minority tribe has been on the run and hiding for years. It has been guilty of resisting the Apes and was ordered exterminated. Virdon, Burke and Galen become involved with this tribe; which has two choices: fight the Apes and go down fighting or seek a better life beyond the Forbidden Zone.

Freedom Road.** Odin, a human saves one of the astronauts and thus could be identified to the local Gorilla Prefect for helping the fugitives. The Perfect offers amnesty for information about the fugitives, so Galen visits him to see if it is legitimate. But he tells Galen that various humans have been disappearing; so after the Prefect himself goes missing, Virdon, Burke and Galen investigate.

The Mine.** Our trio comes upon advanced technology in the form of a water-driven mill. The architect is an old man who once visited a super-civilization; this information could lead the astronauts a way home, but the old man is being forced to work in a salt mine. The astronauts are captured while trying to rescue the old man, so Galen in the guise of a government inspector attempts to free them.

The Trial.** In a highly productive village, a nasty Gorilla hazes a human in the fields. Virdon attempts to help the human, but gets into a struggle with the Gorilla, who is accidentally shot. Burke and Galen raise doubts about Alan's guilt, which are supported by the villagers threatening to stop work if Virdon is unfairly punished. So the Commanding Gorilla agrees to a trial. Can Burke and Galen find the real killer?

** These are story synopses that could have been developed into scripts for the Live Action TV Series. They can be found in the UK fanzine Simian Scrolls #12.

---Final Word---

If you have ever wondered what science fiction can achieve in all its glory, you can't go past the Planet of the Apes...the movies or the TV series (and don't forget the animated series as well). Science fiction has produced various gems over many decades; and Planet of the Apes is a stand alone work of art that defies the human psyche, in determining it's place and relevance within our society, plus trying to understand and uncover the hidden meaning of purpose, which in some ways is very transparent if you know where to look.

Science fiction is a genre that can explore even the most sacred and profound taboos in our society, no matter how small or significant the subject matter (that said other genres do the same in their own way), but the science fiction genre seems to be at the forefront of scrutiny and analysis when controversial ideas and idioms and the investigation of subject is at hand to shock the human society into thinking...why?

And the answer is simple...we need to confront ourselves and our way of life, to improve our society for the better...if we are to develop a civilization worthy for our children.

Planet of the Apes the series in its purest form is to be enjoyed by the science fiction fan who enjoys science fiction without the need to explain...why?

Get this series and add it to your collection, you won't be disappointed.

Thanks to the Internet, Wikipedia, The Planet of the Apes CD & DVD of the series for additional information.

Special thanks to various people and myself (author of this review) for information so I can put together this shortened version of the Planet of the Apes Timeline.

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.

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. The good thing is you really don't have to know anything about the movies to enjoy this show. I recently picked up this set and had a planet of the apes TV marathon of my own. This set containing all 14 episodes of the short lived TV series has brought back some great childhood memories for me. The one thing I never forgot about this show was the opening theme music, it definitely added to the mood of the show.

This show features some great episodes and memorable characters and it ended much too soon. 20th Century Fox Studios has done a pretty good job with this set. The picture and sound are nice, but nowhere near the quality of the evolution or legacy sets. The video transfer is pretty clear and the mono sound is good but should have been in digital 5.1. Fox studios could have remastered the picture and sound but didn't for some reason. Let's face it; television just isn't what it used to be anymore. Reality TV has taken over and there isn't anything for the whole family to watch. Who knows, if you buy this set your kids may go ape over it.

In the year 3085 two astronauts Alan Virdon and Pete Burke traveling from 1981 crash land back on Earth after entering a warp in time. The two men don't now it yet, but the Earth isn't anything like they remember. This new Earth is ruled by intelligent Apes and Humans are the lowest form of life. The astronauts are soon captured by the Apes and sentenced to death until they are rescued by a chimpanzee named (Galen) played by Roddy McDowall. General Urko played by (Mark Lenard) is bound and determined to kill the astronauts and their accomplice. Can the three friends stay one step ahead of the Gorillas, how will it end?

The Cast:
Roddy McDowall ...Galen
Ron Harper ... Alan Virdon
James Naughton ...Pete Burke
Mark Lenard ...Urko
Booth Colman ...Zaius
Ron Stein ...First Gorilla

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. It's also a lot better than I remembered. There are some fantastic episodes to be found in this set. There are also many wonderful moments in the fine performances of Harper, Naughton, McDowell, and Lenard. I'm so glad they made this program available! I have a large DVD collection, but I really treasure this set.

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 cult genre. In the series, Ron Harper and James Naughton play astronauts, Alan Virdon and Peter J. Burke from their Earth of the past, crashing on the Ape planet, not realizing at first that they have come home in much the same fashion POTA fans are accustomed to in the movies. There is an excellent attention to the teaser and intro for these episodes indicating that the writing and production were of superior quality for television studios in 1981. In fact, the attention to the music, costume, and set (mostly shot on location outside the studio) denote the meticulous quality of direction and editing that took place. A lot of work was done to reconcile the movies that predated the series, and a lot of changes were made in a good way. Differing from the movies, humans in the series talked and wore clothes (more similar to the humans in the Tim Burton version of the Planet of the Apes Movie, starring Mark Wahlberg). This was necessary to reduce the tension from apocalyptic themes to humankind struggles-you simply cannot have an explanation of the problems of humanity if the people cannot talk. It just doesn't work that way. The best news however, is that Roddy Mcdowell who played Cornelius in the movies is back as "Galen" in the series. Booth Coleman does a remarkable job of course as Zaius and the most excellent tid-bit of trivia for the cast is revealed with Mark Lenard who plays General Urko. Lenard is a recruit from the hit cult TV series, Star Trek, and is best known for his outstanding performance as Sarek of Vulcan.

Lenard's performance is in fact so good as General Urko, that when I think of Ape military, Urko is the character that stands out in my mind. General Urko is played sufficiently brutish, rash, and impatient, just as you would expect from watching the movies. However, every actor's performance was a testament to the quality of these episodes bringing shame to the many hi-tech, hi-cost jet set science fiction series that flop in the 21st century. I prefer to think of the TV series as a huge mini-series based on this point alone. Clearly, good writing played a large part in these episodes with complex themes coupled with exciting film work. Each episode is like a movie all its own, and with 14 episodes, you will never tire of them. It is sad that this series was cut short but it also creates a strong point for viewers. This series is obtainable, watchable, and learnable in a very short period of time. You can study the characters, experience their social messages and enjoy them without the cheesy special effects present in comparable sci-fi on TV or in movies for the series' time period. Not only do I recommend the Planet of the Apes TV series, but I would be so bold as to say that it is the best medicine for the entertainment blues of more than just sci-fi or POTA fanatics. I've personally introduced the series to women, youngsters, teens, and older people who always have something good to say or reflect upon.

In short, I'd also like to add that this wholesome family entertainment from a dying breed of TV show that respected family values and ideals. The show's handling of virtue and integrity are refreshing from the smut that generally ruins what was originally a great idea on television. Enrich yourself and others, buy this series before this world goes to the simians.

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 movies. In that 8 minutes, we learn that Galen lived to become an old chimp with grey hair; and that Burke & Virdon found a computer in a city, used their disc with it to build a new spaceship, and they returned home! Galen chose not to go with them. Why isn't this footage here? Why is the version of BATTLE that Fox puts out missing 10 minutes of footage? Why not show deleted scenes (like the aponauts watching the earth blow up in the beginning of ESCAPE)? Come on, Fox, put EVERYTHING out!

Anyone who loved the original POTA movie series from the late 1960s and early 1970s will love the TV series. Unfortunately I had only seen one or two episodes when this first came out in 1974 because I was starting my first year of college back then. I did watch a couple of the syndicated movies (two episodes blocked together into a TV movie) in the 1980s but never really got into it. Having rediscovered the ape movies recently, I was eager to look at the entire TV series, but hesitant to spend the money to buy the set.

It turns out that my money was well spent. In fact, this is the single best DVD purchase I've ever made. To say that I was stunned when I saw the episodes in all of their wonderful crispness and glory would be an understatement. The film transfer is mint. Sure, there's a few specs, but so what? It's as near to perfect as anyone could expect. Watching these episodes is sheer joy, and I would say without hesitation that these episodes are even better than the movie sequels.

All of the above seems to contradict what some reviewers have said about this series using phrases like "low budget" and not having the kind of location shooting that the films had. Nothing could be further from the truth! Every episode is filmed, more or less, exactly like the movies were. You see mountains, ocean, crisp blue skies, forests, elaborate set pieces...if this isn't shooting on location, then what is? The TV series also takes advantage of the creative costumes, makeup work, and even stock footage that was created for the original film. But there is enough new sets and location filming here for the series to make its own mark. No other science fiction TV series had the kind of budget that the POTA TV series did. For example, both Lost in Space and Star Trek both primarily filmed on stage with a bunch of cardboard props. Not POTA. I felt like I bought 14 mini-movies, most of which I've never seen. Don't make the mistake of assuming this is some kind failed crackerbox low grade exploitation of the film series. This series of films really do justice to the film series and to Pierre Boulle. They successfully transfered the zany and elaborate world of the apes onto the small screen.

Roddy McDowell, who played Cornelius and Caesar in the movie series, plays Galen in the TV series. This fine actor is what brings the whole series together. He is imminently watchable in this series. Ron Harper and James Naughton both do fine work as the two astronauts who crash landed on the simian-ruled planet. By the middle part of the series, you can see the simian Galen and the humans bonding. And the series really takes off with "The Legacy" (where a matte is expertly used to create the impression of a bombed out city) and all episodes following.

It simply isn't fair to compare the POTA TV series to any other science fiction series because of the high production values. You see more apes in this series than you do in "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" which resorted to using cheap masks for all the extras. No such short-cuts were made here. They may have streamlined the makeup process for the series, but it looks just as good as it did in the 1968 original.

I still have a few episodes to watch before I write a more elaborate review, but I'm just too excited to wait. I've been a big fan of POTA for a long, long time. I've read "Monkey Planet" by Pierre Boulle several times. I was able to see all 5 ape films on the big screen in a single night (in addition to seeing them all on the big screen when first released). I was disappointed by Timothy Burton's "revisioning" (though the film is still worth watching). Watching the POTA TV series on crisp DVD with no commercials is a real treat...it's to a POTA fan what a Star Wars TV series would be to a Star Wars fan if done right. The POTA TV series was done very true to the spirit of the original films and to the book as well. I was also impressed that each episode had a moral or message, and was socially relevant.

BRAVO! This DVD set is a must have, and the price is just right. It's bittersweet that there were only 14 episodes filmed. After watching them, you'll understand why. They were really making mini POTA movies, not episodes. This series was simply too good for television.

Recalling a fondness for a favorite show of my youth, it was with some surprise that I recently re-viewed it. Where I anticipated a rather sour slice of unmitigated camp - the type of television you or I would be loath to admit we once liked -- I was served, instead, a satisfying meal of mid-years science fiction. I say mid-years because we're not talking the dawn of televised Sci-Fi, as in the original Twilight Zone or re-runs of movie fare like The Blob or Day of the Triffids, yet neither were we up-to-snuff with the kind of digital special effects viewers often anticipate today.

Planet of the Apes, the TV show, strayed somewhat from the set of movies launched by Charlton Heston's well-known character, Taylor, but not in any way that's bad. The series follows the escapades of a trio of pals whose bond of friendship is forged at first by common desperation, to wit, the need to stay alive when, having been identified as enemies of the state, they are in perpetuity hunted by Chief Urko (aptly played by Mark Lenard who immortalized the character Sarek - Spock's father - of Star Trek fame).

The world, or rather time, into which astronauts Major Pete Burke, swimmingly played by -- yowsa! -- James Naughton (The Cosby Mysteries, Faraday & Co.) and Commander Alan Virdon, portrayed by Ron Harper (Garrison's Gorillas) find themselves cast is one of clearly defined social strata. Gorillas such as Urko are the brawn: the brutal if somewhat dimwitted police and local force of security. I'd be apt to cry stereotype were it not for the fact that I, too, once wore a badge - as the first female police officer in a certain PA township which shall remain nameless. While I had some hairy co-workers, none of them were dumb.

Burke and Virdon are aided, then joined, by a sympathetic chimpanzee named Galen, a keen portrayal by Roddy McDowall whose expressive eyes can make you forget you're looking at layers of latex. Chimpanzees are the future-world think-tank (and you thought I was talking about now) where the third caste of ape, the orangutan, represents the political - pretty much the long-long-arm of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government. The head orangutan, Dr. Zaius (Shakespearean-trained actor, Booth Colman), and his cohorts, while not as lacking in sympathy as Gorillas, live in fear that Burke and Virdon will infect the human slave-slash-poverty-line-wage-earner population with the dangerous knowledge that man is no mere dolt - or at least wasn't always - and either by accident or deliberation will incite revolt.

The union formed between Galen and the astronauts turns to genuine friendship as they travel from village to village, ever on the run and always a half-step ahead of Urko's troops. Determined to find a remnant of past civilization where software might be unearthed that can interpret the data stored on a flight recorder disk salvaged from their ship, Virdon keeps the others moving, always hoping that, somehow, he'll find a way home to the wife and son he left behind.

If two's company and three's a crowd, remember that the interplay of the tertiary role can work well. Think Kirk-Spock-McCoy, if you like. In that familiar trio we saw the inter-racial tension and potential for likable banter that can come of the odd-man-out-amid-peers character structure. In Planet of the Apes we have the same ingredients, but with a twist. This time, the odd-man-out is no man at all and rather than inter-racial we have inter-species. But both species being sentient, we are left with an apt framework in which to examine telling social issues without exactly picking on anyone we know.

In its short span, this show did not shirk when it came to addressing conflicts of the human condition. From the evil of slavery and the irreversibly sinister efficacy of mass weaponry, to the need for tolerance across the lines that we draw in the sand between ourselves and others, Planet of the Apes availed itself of the opportunity to comment meaningfully while remaining an imaginative and entertaining vehicle of potentially epic quality. It is only to our loss that this show did not clear whatever hurdles the executives of CBS required of it, cut short of life -- like so many decent shows are -- in its prime.

I had the added perspective of viewing this show with my husband, Mike, who is himself no die-hard fan of anything SF&F. Mike refers to my favorite genre collectively as "men in tights," whether or not the characters are, indeed, so clad. Burke and Virdon aren't, but that's not to say there is any lack of opportunity to view this fit pair in burlap breechwear or toiling shirtless beneath a punishing sun while lashed to leather leashes. Perhaps his impetus was merely to scope out the competition, knowing James Naughton was the heartthrob of my teenage years.

My husband did comment at one point that these fellas seem to sweat on a regular basis - that, or be soaking wet (I told him this was merely a theatrical device intended to infuse the program with a sense of realism and returned to panting at the screen). My point -- likely all but entirely lost by now -- is that, despite his prevailing judgement of the genre at large, my husband liked the show. His observations were: not only could he fail to see why this show hadn't lasted longer, but he could easily see it airing today.

At an hour per episode, the series was comfortably paced with ample time to develop character as well as plot, which to my mind is a crucial characteristic of success. We get to know the players. We know their stats: Virdon the optomist, raised farm boy; Burke the sardonic street-brat of Jersey City who played running-back with Michigan State, pitched no-hitter baseball in high school and laments he should have bought that cozy corner bar instead of aspiring to the stars.

Planet of the Apes is family fare and food for budding minds if you want your kids to develop a rudimentary social consciousness when watching TV rather than just be anesthetized by grotesque aliens and gore. I know, because a new generation in my house has gotten hooked. Sorry Mike.

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. Essentially, Planet of the Apes the t.v. series was The Fugitive set in a truly alien, yet oddly familar world. James Naughton (who returned primarily to the stage after the series was cancelled)and Ron Harper give very strong performances as the astronauts stranded in the future (the ship they used was the same one build for the second film in the series).

When they are found and befriended by Galen (Roddy McDowell), the trio become fugitives. Hunted by General Urko and Dr. Zaius (the marvelous late Mark Lenard of Star Trek fame), they are forced to endure a number of hardships together but develop a strong bond in the process. My favorite episodes involves Urko describing what he thinks "brainwashing" is (he literally thinks that you open the skull and wash the brain!)and also another where Naughton becomes stranded with another Ape in an underground cavern which is an old Bart station. Some of the episodes fell into the routine and predictable. Even these episodes have some nicely played character moments from the actors.

Like many television series from the era (this was made in 1974), Apes the series had budget limitations and tended to use standing sets to save money (the recreation of the Court Room from the first film clearly was done on a very tight budget as it isn't quite as convincing). Still, many of the standing sets from the film series (most notably Ape City)make a return cameo in the series giving it larger than life production values for television.

I'd snatch this up as quickly as possible as rumor has it that Fox will eventually be putting the series out of print. It's a pity that there really aren't any extras. Naughton is still around so Fox could have contacted him for commentary. Evidently, the market isn't large enough for the series to warrant the additional cost of commentaries or behind-the-scenes stuff (you know they had to make a couple of promo pieces for the series to sell it to advertisers!).

Like the recently released Lost in Space, Apes comes with all the episodes produced (and, yes, the 14th episode was, indeed, aired)but nothing to provided any context for the series. I'm happy that it's available though and that they didn't go back and artifically create a widescreen edition like they are planning for Kung Fu.