Planet of the Apes: TV Series (1974)
14 episodes, approx. 47 minutes each.
The human population can talk. It's a departure from the norm but it makes sense for dramatic purposes. Before getting upset about such changes, it's worth considering that the first Planet of the Apes film was set in the year 3978. The TV series is set sometime during or after the year 3085 (it's never specifically stated). That leaves a possible 893 years between series and film, ample time for mankind to forget how to speak for any number of reasons.
Alternatively, and this is my own preferred stance, the series can be considered as a separate entity, as simply another telling of the original 1963 Pierre Boulle novel. The reason I feel that approach makes more sense is because it avoids a number of other small inconsistencies with the films.
Enough of that jibber jabber. Is it any good? Yes, in a typical low budget 1970's kind of way. It starts out with an ongoing story arc clearly defined but drops it somewhere along the way. I'm guessing it would've resurfaced had the series been allowed to come to fruition. Unfortunately, it got cancelled after just fourteen episodes.
Roddy McDowall returns to the franchise. He plays a different character than he did in the films, but is again sympathetic to humans. Being caught between two worlds and unwelcome in both means he receives most of our sympathies as viewers.
The story requires that Roddy and the two human protagonists are forever moving from town to town. It gives the writers the opportunity to create their own subsection within the ape world while still remaining a part of the larger premise.
Three distinct zones were planned: an ape city with human slaves; a rural zone where humans were allowed to farm provided they supplied produce to the city; and a Forbidden Zone inhabited by rebellious humans. The last zone was held back and never got the chance to be explored.
-The Three Zones-
Continuity is maintained throughout by having the trio of escapees pursued by a butt-hurt gorilla, determined to see them shot for their "crimes" against the accepted doctrine.
Like the book and films it uses the format to comment on various social problems that are still relevant today. It mostly plays it safe but occasionally leaves you in no doubt as to what it's attempting to say. While it probably won't hold the attention of the average viewer weaned on modern TV, if you're an Apes fan and can appreciate 1970s productions, then it's an entertaining journey for as far as it gets. The world is believable, and the characters are developed enough that they grow to be more than just the aforementioned vehicles for social commentary.
NOTE: many episodes were later merged to make TV Movies (five in all), with newly filmed framing introductions by Roddy McDowall added, but they aren't included on the DVD Box Set. You can find them on YT. The quality is bad but they have some fascinating revelations.
NOTE: Pic directly above is derived from the bookmarks made by Dave Ballard. You can find the full versions HERE.
(EDIT 2024: link was removed due to expiration.)
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