Return to the Planet of the Apes

Let's talk about the good. Very little. A few interesting ideas, but this takes place in an alternate reality Planet of the Apes. The producers went the cheap route, giving the apes vehicles and human artillery. The color palate was limited, as were characters expressions. I'll add in having them land in a mercury looking space capsule was really cheap. Wouldn't it have been as cheap to draw the Taylor ship from the movies? This really doesn't fit in with the existing timeline at all. As I said, since IMDB won't give a zero rating, but insists on 600 characters, this wasn't a good show in any sense, but, in some ways it was better than the live action show. It lifts a few ideas from the movies, "Bright eyes", being one, and friendly chimps being another, but again, some of the ideas are straight out of the 1950's. Barely worth a watch.

In 1973,Mad magazine spoofed a seemingly endless movie series in a sequence titled "The Milking of The Planet of the Apes." Little did the people at Mad magazine know or little did they know that they haven't seen the last of the efforts to milk the success of this sci-fi story line involving a futuristic Earth run by simians and other hairy primates which first surfaced as a novel by Pierre Boulle and a 1968 movie titled "The Planet of the Apes",which was followed by four more sequels that were released theatrically in 1970,1971,1972,and 1973. Following high ratings for the TV showings of the sequels(there were five "Apes" movies that were released in theatres between 1968 through 1973),CBS-TV made a live-action hour long television series that was short-lived,also titled "Planet of the Apes" that CBS put onto its prime-time schedule on Friday nights,where it produced 16 episodes and ran from September 13,1974 until December 27,1974. After the cancellation of the series,the producers and the head of operations at 20th Century-Fox figured that was not the end of the simian saga. Also to point out Fox re-released all five "Apes" back in theatres during the summer of 1974.

In September of 1975,NBC made it into a Saturday morning cartoon entry that produced 13 episodes and was produced for DePatie-Freleng Productions in association with 20th Century-Fox Television. The series ran from September 6,1975 until September 4, 1976. However,NBC reaired all 13 episodes during part of the 1976-1977 season. The animated series based on Pierre Boulle's novel and the movies of the same title,was the replacement for the animated version of "Star Trek" which was cancelled in 1975 after two seasons.

This animated retelling was set in the year 3810,nearly 1,000 years after the date given in earlier renditions. There were two new passengers in this adventure-youngsters Jeff and Judy,who crash-landed with Bill in an area where Dr.Zaius was the scientific leader of the planet,as he was in the original series and the theatrical features. And as in the movies,General Urko was the military commander and what made this good,is that the simians were technologically advanced. The other characters were Cornelius and Zira(from the theatrical version),and Nova,young chimp buddies and rough counterparts to Jeff and Judy(who went missing during the first half of this animated series). The animation was superb,since it was done by Doug Wildey,the creator of Jonny Quest. The musical score for this piece was done by jazz musician and conductor Dean Elliott. This was a series that have a lot of potential,but it was slow in the development stages. Worth seeing if you're a fan of classic Saturday Morning cartoons from the mid-1970's.

I remember seeing this as a kid, and I finally got myself a copy of the complete series on video. The cartoons series is a laugh to watch now, especially since some of the language used may not be politically correct according to year 2000 standards. Nether the less, the series was fun to watch. The whole cartoon tv-series focuses on a "cat and mouse chase", whereby three stranded astronauts are chased across the four corners of the earth by superior intelligent apes.

Yes I predicted that there'd be a Planet of the apes cartoon the year before it came true.

Agreeably it's a mess but also still goes out of bounds of the website of Monkeying with the time-line.

Just like for the "Planet of the apes."TV-Series."Dolls they made a mistake because of the movie of "Beneath the Planet of the apes."and made Ursus the one with the helmet while on the TV-Show it was Urko who wore the helmet and so then just to satisfy the customers they switched the 2 dolls of which they'd made the mistake with.It also was an easy thing to do because this takes place in the 31st century while The Cartoon like the 1st and 2nd Planet of the apes Movie took place in the 40th century but in the cartoon it's Urko with helmet like in the TV-Series and as mentioned it's a blend of characters from The Series of Movies and The TV-Series that followed.

In this all over again like in the 1st movie called Planet of The Apes It's news when Cornelius and Zira do hear Bill Hudson Speak then he introduced himself by name and they let him go but know that the guard overheard them and so upon letting him out of the cage they then posed it like he got the keys,knocked them out,locked them in the cage,and escaped.

On Nova's Dogtag it indicates another Brent born in 2076.As it was told that like in the novel by Pierre Boule The Apes had cars and advanced science & like in the original film to be released of which also had Charlton Heston as Taylor and Edward G. Robinson as Dr.Zaius but he passed away before they could complete it and so they then did it over and I know this from the Special on Bravo called "Behind The Planet of the Apes."It also includes mention of Planet of The Apes:The Forbidden Zone."of which was not only released by Malibu Graphics but was made possible by me after I wrote to them about their 4 issue Mini-series of Planet of The Apes:Blood of the apes and the misquote of the ape on the cover saying "Ape must never kill ape unless it's his job." so in making this and the other time Paradoxes make sense in the above mentioned title that I made possible with the little or not known peace time from "Battle" the fifth installment of the movies. Malibu Graphics had later got consumed by Marvel Comics and of which was the first Comics Group to adapt "Planet of the apes." Malibu had also acknowledged this cartoon in their introduction to "Ape Nation" in Ape Nation #1 of which blends/blended Planet of the Apes and Alien Nation and was doable because they're both 20th century Fox Productions.While at DC in the mid 80's a Star Trek/V crossover wasn't possible because they were by separate studios and in this order both Paramount and Warner Brothers.

But back to the cartoon Bill got coined by Zira as "Blue Eyes" while Taylor got coined by Zira as "Bright eyes."in the 1st Movie.

A Land quake consumed Judy but upon going underground Bill and Jeff found her and she got to leave with them she got coined USA and mistaken for USA and sounding like oosa by Crador,yes it sounds kind of like Crater. who was the head of the Underdwellers because of the headstand found that looked like her and said USA on it.

A once thought extinct volcano turned out not to be and so lava came up and with the help of The 3 astronauts they made the lava take a detour not to do anticipated damage.Lava has its associations with craters. This cartoon has a near happy ending in the last episode but without giving too much away while at The End of "Battle."there really is a happy ending.

When a boat full of Dynamite in the water got turned around by the Astronaughts and went toward Urko and the Gorillas then upon not knowing how to give the right answer but"I am,Run for it!"after being told by another ape "Your The General do something."Before this Bill also appeared in the Mirror to tell Cornielius and Zira of this warning and to tell Dr.Zauis too.Dr.Zauis even says"Cornelius I Hope you didn't get me out of bed just for some wild goose chase."Of which upon finding out that he didn't then finds he has to suspend Urko of his Authority for 3 months.The following week just when Cornelius and Zira thought there was no risk to sneak up and visit the 3 Astronauts but it turns out that Urko put another Superior Ape Soldier in his place.

This cartoon has a Dr.Zaius like in the 1st 2 movies while the Dr. Zaius in The TV Series is set in the 31st century.This cartoon like The 1st 2 movies is set in the 40th Century but still doesn't agree. Jeff was voiced by Austin Stoker and as said was the only Movie Ape Alumnist to return for this cartoon as you'll see in a follow-up.

Anyone who doesn't find this review helpful obviously doesn't know their Pota Movie and TV-Series Data.and therefore should brush up on it and see what I'm talking about.

Truly,Stephen "Steve" G. Baer a.k.a. "Ste" of Framingham,Ma.USA

I saw this back in the '70s myself. The animation, as one reviewer said, sucks. That's because it was hand-drawn in the '70s and not computer generated. That didn't come about until seven years later with the Disney science fiction movie Tron. Jeff's last name is Allen, and not Carter. I think that's Bill's last name. I've never read the Pierre Boulle novel Monkey Planet, which was what the French title Planet of the Apes translates to in English. Three astronauts, Bill, Jeff, and Judy, are on a top secret mission when their spaceship is sent through a time vortex to the year 3979. The apes have a high degree of civilization. They have cars and trucks. They even have their own culture. In one episode, Urko finds an old World War II era P-40 and repairs it to use against the "humanoids." The language is simplistic and un-PC in 2007. The cartoon, like the movie Beneath the Planet of the Apes, is very much maligned. The Underdwellers are from Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Another reviewer said that it was a worthy sequel. I agree. It's a worthy sequel. I never saw it on video so I hope there's a DVD release soon. I'd buy it.