From The Land of Forgotten Television - Planet of the Apes (1974)

The Planet of the Apes franchise was immensely popular in the early 1970s, though many modern science fiction fans are unaware of its cultural impact. The original Planet of the Apes film spawned four sequels, two TV series, and a merchandising bonanza of dolls, playsets, and books. While Star Wars is often considered the first film to generate such an extensive toy craze, Planet of the Apes had produced a similar mania years earlier.

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In the CBS TV adaptation of Planet of the Apes, Roddy McDowall was asked to put on John Chambers' makeup one last time, though not to reprise his role as the chimpanzee Cornelius from the Apes films. Instead, McDowall played Galen, an aide to Councilor Zaius (portrayed by Booth Colman) who befriends two astronauts from Earth's past, played by Ron Harper and James Naughton. The series also featured Star Trek actor Mark Lenard, known for playing Spock's father Sarek, as the ruthless gorilla army general Urko.

The series would follow the basic storyline from the first two Planet of the Apes films with some changes. As in the first "Apes" film, a group of astronauts from Earth's past crash land in the future where humans have destroyed themselves and apes rule. Unlike the films, the humans are not mute savages but humble slaves, since mute characters would make for boring television. While the original films centered on New York, this series takes place near the ruins of San Francisco. The show would focus on Alan, Peter, and Galen as they run from Zaius, Urko, and the Gorilla Army, meeting humans who help them escape. Each episode would introduce new friends and foes while retaining the core "chase" premise.

The Planet of the Apes series, though well-written and starring established actors, suffered the same fate as Battlestar Galactica four years later, cancelled due to high production costs. The extensive makeup alone consumed most of the budget, leaving little for special effects and location filming, limiting shooting to the Fox Ranch. Despite its quality, the show's average ratings could not justify its high costs, sealing its cancellation. Planet of the Apes was ahead of its time.

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Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975)(NBC)

Unlike the film, its sequels, and the 1974 live action TV series, which involved a primitive ape civilization, Return to the Planet of the Apes depicted a technologically advanced society, complete with automobiles, film, and television; as such it more closely resembled both Boulle's original novel and early concepts for the first Apes movie which were changed due to budgetary limitations in the late 1960s.

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Geek-O-Rama On The Planet of the Apes

The film would center around George Taylor (Heston) an astronaut who had given up on mankind and traveled the stars to find out just what else the universe had to offer. He and his crew of three, one woman and two other men, traveled to the deepest reaches of space in suspended animation. 

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