Return to the Planet of the Apes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Return to the Planet of the Apes |
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DVD cover of Return to the Planet of the Apes
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| Genre | |
| Based on | Characters created by Pierre Boulle |
| Developed by |
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| Starring |
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| Theme music composer | Dean Elliott |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 24 minutes without commercials |
| Production company(s) |
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| Distributor | Disney–ABC Domestic Television (Disney Platform Distribution) |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | September 6 – November 29, 1975 |
Return to the Planet of the Apes is an exciting animated TV show from 1975. It was made by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and 20th Century Fox Television. The series is based on the 1963 book Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle. This book also inspired five movies and another TV show, starting with the 1968 film Planet of the Apes.
Unlike the movies and the 1974 live-action TV show, which showed apes living in a simple, primitive way, Return to the Planet of the Apes shows a very advanced ape society. These apes have cars, movies, and television! This idea was actually closer to Boulle's original book. This cartoon was one of the last Planet of the Apes projects for many years.
Contents
The Story: Apes Rule the Future
Just like the movies and other TV shows, Return to the Planet of the Apes is about astronauts from Earth who travel far into the future. They crash-land on a world where intelligent apes are in charge, and humans are primitive.
Astronauts in an Ape World
Over 13 episodes, the astronauts try to stay safe from the apes. They also try to understand what happened to Earth. They do their best to protect the primitive human population from the apes. Each episode tells a mostly complete story, but the overall adventure continues from one episode to the next. So, it's best to watch them in order!
Ape Society and Famous Names
The animated series fits into the larger Apes universe. It uses characters and ideas from the movies and the original book. For example, General Urko is from the live-action TV series. Dr. Zaius, Zira, Cornelius, Brent (called Ron Brent here), and Nova are from the movies. The Krador and the Underdwellers are like the mutants from the movie Beneath the Planet of the Apes.
The show ends without the astronauts finding a way back to their own time. However, it does offer a conclusion for the ape society. Doctor Zaius realizes that General Urko is a threat and removes him from command. Cornelius and Zira believe that humans should have equal rights. They plan to ask the ape Senate to make this happen.
Characters in the show often mention famous apes named after human historical figures. They add "ape" to the name. A funny example is "William Apespeare," who is like William Shakespeare. Another scene shows ape soldiers talking about a new movie called The Apefather, like The Godfather.
Main Characters
Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in the show:
- Bill Hudson (voiced by Richard Blackburn and Tom Williams) – One of the two male astronauts. He has blond hair and blue eyes.
- Cornelius (voiced by Henry Corden and Edwin Mills) – A smart male chimpanzee who is a scientist and archeologist.
- Zira (voiced by Philippa Harris) – A female chimpanzee scientist. She often speaks out against the gorilla leaders.
- General Urko (voiced by Henry Corden) – A mean gorilla general. He wants to get rid of all humans and Underdwellers.
- Judy Franklin (voiced by Claudette Nevins) – The only female astronaut. She is a skilled airplane pilot.
- Jeff Allen (voiced by Austin Stoker) – The other male astronaut. He is African-American.
- Dr. Zaius (voiced by Richard Blackburn) – The orangutan leader of the ape scientists. He is like a wise grandfatherly politician who questions General Urko's harsh methods.
- Nova (voiced by Claudette Nevins) – A human female who joins the astronauts on their adventures.
- Ronald Brent – A U.S. astronaut who arrived on the ape planet years before Bill, Jeff, and Judy.
- Krador – The leader of the Underdwellers.
- The Underdwellers – A group of people who live underground. They are based on the mutants from the film Beneath the Planet of the Apes.
Austin Stoker, who voices Jeff, also played Mr. MacDonald in Battle for the Planet of the Apes. He was the only voice actor in the cartoon who had also been in the live-action movies or TV series.
Episode Guide
Here's a quick look at the adventures in each episode:
| # | Title | Air date | Summary |
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| 1 | "Flames of Doom" | September 6, 1975 | |
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Astronauts Bill Hudson, Jeff Allen, and Judy Franklin crash-land on a strange planet in the year 3979 A.D. They discover it's Earth, ruled by intelligent apes. General Urko wants to destroy all humans, but scientists Cornelius and Zira want to study them. Bill is captured and taken to Ape City.
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| 2 | "Escape from Ape City" | September 13, 1975 | |
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Jeff and Nova escape, but Bill is taken to Ape City. He pretends he can't speak to survive. Cornelius and Zira choose Bill for study. When Bill accidentally speaks, Zaius orders all humans destroyed. Zira and Cornelius help Bill escape. He meets Jeff and Nova, and they free other humans, stealing a truck to escape.
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| 3 | "The Unearthly Prophecy" | September 20, 1975 | |
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Bill and Jeff enter an underground world. They find ruins of New York City and discover Judy, who is under the control of Krador, leader of the Underdwellers. Krador believes Judy (called Oosa) will help them return to the surface. Bill and Jeff rescue Judy, but she is pulled back by Krador's power.
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| 4 | "Tunnel of Fear" | September 27, 1975 | |
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Bill and Jeff need a safe place for the humans. They sneak into Ape City and ask Cornelius and Zira for help. Cornelius suggests a hidden valley. They travel through an underground river, facing dangers, and eventually reach the human caves. They plan to get their laser from their crashed ship to build a fortress.
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| 5 | "Lagoon of Peril" | October 4, 1975 | |
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The ape Senate hears rumors of intelligent humans and a spaceship. Urko plans an expedition to the Forbidden Zone to find the ship. Cornelius and Zira warn Bill and Jeff. The astronauts, with Nova's help, race Urko to their crashed ship. They retrieve their laser and blow up the ship to hide the evidence.
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| 6 | "Terror on Ice Mountain" | October 10, 1975 | |
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Cornelius finds an old human book, A Day at the Zoo, which proves humans came before apes. He fears Urko will find it. Bill and Cornelius use an old hot-air balloon blueprint to fly to Mount Ghar to hide the book. A storm forces them to crash. They meet mountain apes and hide the book with the High Lama.
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| 7 | "River of Flames" | October 18, 1975 | |
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Judy asks Bill and Jeff to bring their laser to the Underworld to save Krador and his people from a lava flow. Urko's troops find the laser, but Bill and Jeff get it back. They use the laser to cut a new path for the lava, saving the Underdwellers. Krador, grateful, allows Judy to leave with them.
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| 8 | "Screaming Wings" | October 25, 1975 | |
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Bill, Jeff, and Judy see apes testing an old World War II-era P-40 fighter plane. Urko plans to use it for war games, with humans as targets. The astronauts decide to steal the plane. Judy disguises herself and flies the plane during a demonstration, while Bill and Jeff destroy the ape's aircraft factory.
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| 9 | "Trail to the Unknown" | November 1, 1975 | |
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The humans build rafts to reach New Valley. Urko is furious about his stolen plane and plans to attack the human caves. Bill, Jeff, and Judy lead the humans through a difficult journey. They find the crashed spaceship of another astronaut, Ron Brent, who has been stranded for years. Brent guides them to New Valley.
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| 10 | "Attack from the Clouds" | November 8, 1975 | |
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A mysterious flying monster attacks Ape City. In New Valley, the monster also attacks the humans' herd. Bill and Judy fly the P-40 plane to fight the monster. They have an air battle, and the P-40 strikes the monster, sending it into a lake. The monster survives, but Bill and Judy land safely.
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| 11 | "Mission of Mercy" | November 15, 1975 | |
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Nova gets very sick with a contagious lung disease. Ron Brent knows a serum can cure her. Bill and Jeff go to find fuel for the plane, while Judy flies to Ape City to get help from Zira and Cornelius to make the serum. They face challenges from Urko's troops but manage to get the serum and fuel back to Nova in time.
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| 12 | "Invasion of the Underdwellers" | November 22, 1975 | |
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Valuable items are stolen from Ape City. Urko disguises his gorillas as Underdwellers to blame them and start a war. Krador tells Bill and Jeff the Underdwellers are innocent. Bill, Jeff, Zira, and Cornelius work together to expose Urko's plan to Dr. Zaius. They stop Urko from blowing up the Underworld tunnels.
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| 13 | "Battle of the Titans" | November 29, 1975 | |
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Urko is suspended from duty. Cornelius and Zira decide to retrieve the ancient human book from Mount Ghar to prove humans came first. Bill and Cornelius use the hot-air balloon. Urko plans a surprise attack on New Valley. The flying monster attacks the balloon, but Kigor, a giant ape statue, comes to life and fights the monster.
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See also
In Spanish: Regreso al planeta de los simios (serie animada) para niños
