Planet of the Apes - TV series - Episode #1

(From IMDB) Planet of the Apes was a short-lived science fiction television series that aired on Friday evenings at 8:00 (Eastern) on CBS in 1974. The series starred Roddy McDowall, Ron Harper, Booth Colman and James Naughton (my favorite character!). Mark Lenard guest starred in almost every episode.

The series ran from September 13, 1974 to December 20, 1974. Although fourteen episodes were produced, only 13 were originally aired; the 14th previously unseen "lost" episode was included in the DVD box set - which my hubby got for me for Christmas 2006. The show was cancelled after one season. The first episode, Escape From Tomorrow, aired September 13, 1974

Escape from Tomorrow

This episode tells the story of the astronauts' crash. An adolescent chimpanzee and an aging human quickly pulls them from the wreckage and hides them in his secret place in the woods.



The two astronauts, Alan Virdon (Ron Harper) and Peter Burke (James Naughton), awake on what they believe is an alien world in what appears to be an ancient bomb shelter. Their benefactor - Galen (Roddy McDowall) - insists they stay hidden from the apes while he finds appropriate clothes for them, but they go outside and are impressed by how Earth-like this place appears. They are spotted and chased; they hide in the wood to escape but face for the first time the reality that this world is ruled by the great apes.

Their friend returns and explains that humans have no status; he also shows them a book he found in the shelter and kept because it has pictures. Examining the book, they realize that they have actually landed back on Earth, but in the far future. This is particularly hard for Virdon, who has left a family back in his own time. They return to the spaceship and are captured by General Urko (Mark Lenard) who needs little excuse to kill them, but Galen, who has been sent by Dr. Zaius (Booth Colman) to ensure that Urko captures the humans alive, intervenes.

While taking them to Central City, Galen interviews the astronauts, and they tell him that humans did once have a civilization while apes were considered animals. Galen is not inclined to believe this except he has found the book and secretly studies it.


Once in the City, the humans are tried by the High Council. While it is clear that their intelligence and notions of freedom are considered a threat, Zaius convinces the Council to keep them alive temporarily so that they may learn more about them in case more humans come from the past. Urko does not agree, and he conspires to assassinate the humans. Galen, who has spent some time with the humans and finds them interesting, returns to the jail in the evening and foils the assassination attempt, killing a trooper accidentally. Virdon and Burke escape, but Galen is caught and imprisoned for murder. The book is also found and possession of such a book is punishable by death; Galen does not understand why the truth should be suppressed. Virdon and Burke go to Zaius and discover that human civilization was destroyed in a terrible man-made catastrophe; the apes feel that humans are innately destructive and would destroy the world again if given a chance. They free Galen and return to their ship just in time to recover a computer disc before the apes destroy the ship.

I love this series! It may be a little "campy" by today's standards, but the storyline is wonderful. I was 12-year-old when this series was on, and I missed Friday night basketball games at my high school just so I could stay home and watch it. Now that I own the series on DVD, I indulge myself at least once a year.

If you love the original Planet of the Apes, then you will enjoy this series!