# Blast from the Past: Planet of the Apes



## The Master™ (Jun 26, 2005)

Astronauts Alan Virdon and Pete Burke are thrown 1100 years forward in time to 3085 AD to find evolved apes have become the dominant species and humans their apathetic slaves. Feared by the ape authorities, their plight turns the head of a promising young chimpanzee named Galen, who adopts the heretical idea that maybe humans aren't a lower species and can co-exist with apes as equals. As the three struggle to survive life on the run, a bond of friendship grows between them like an intricate tapestry woven right before our eyes, a multi-threaded miracle born of compassion, respect, and the desire to replace fear with understanding.

Cast:
Roddy McDowall 
Role: Galen 
James Naughton 
Role: Peter Burke
Ron Harper 
Role: Alan Virdon
Booth Colman
Role: Zaius
Mark Lenard
Role: Urko


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## Dave (Dec 13, 2009)

This was another series I watched avidly as a child, and last year I purchased the DVD boxed set which has all 14 episodes (one of which was never shown on TV.) 

The DVD box claims that "It Changed the Face of Television Forever," quite a statement, but not untrue as that kind of make-up and sets for a TV show must have been unheard of. It came in the wave following the enormously popular series of films, and the cult following they had at the time was unbelievable today. I still have a 'Planet of the Apes' board game somewhere, and yet in the thread in the films forum here, some people hadn't heard of this TV series before.

It hasn't aged much, because the Ape society is so primitive. There are a few differences to the films - humans have farms and work rather than all being mute savages - there are ruins from the twentieth Century that survive in the Forbidden Zone - San Francisco survives with it's subway. Those episode are probably the best: 'The Legacy' and 'The Trap' when they do a kind of 'Alien Mine; with Urko and Burke, but sees a poster for a zoo.

Mark Lenard, Roddy McDowall and Booth Colman are perfect in their roles, and it is a pity there was only the one Season.

One continuity error between the TV series and the films is the appearance of a dog in an episode.


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## Rodders (Dec 13, 2009)

Yeah, i used to love this when i was a kid. I'll have to look out for that DVD boxset. I have all the movies already, although i must confess that i only really liked the Original one.

I also remember that i really enjoyed the TV series of Logans Run. Is that available too?


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## Dave (Dec 13, 2009)

Rodders said:


> I also remember that i really enjoyed the TV series of Logans Run. Is that available too?


I expect so. I bought 'Planet of the Apes' in a sale. They seem to re-release these things in cycles with a shiny new box, much advertising and an inflated price. Wait a couple of years and you can get it with a half or two-thirds of the price knocked off, but wait too long and you either can't find it or have to pay full price again. I was waiting for Alien Nation and the V Ministries to come down in price. Just my luck that they decided to make a new V TV series.


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