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Manimal

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Manimal
GenreAction/Adventure/Fantasy
Created byGlen A. Larson
Donald R. Boyle
Written byMichael Berk
Larry Brody
Sam Egan
Joseph Gunn
Paul Mason
Douglas Schwartz
Directed byChuck Bail
Georg Fenady
Daniel Haller
Sidney Hayers
Leslie H. Martinson
Russ Mayberry
StarringSimon MacCorkindale
Melody Anderson
Michael D. Roberts
Narrated byWilliam Conrad
Theme music composerPaul Chihara
Opening theme"Manimal"
ComposersPaul Chihara
Alan Silvestri
Country of originUnited States
Original languageTransclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{lang-en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead.
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producersGlen A. Larson
Paul Mason
Running time45 min
Production companies20th Century Fox Television
Glen A. Larson Productions
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 30 (1983-09-30) –
December 17, 1983 (1983-12-17)

Manimal is an American action-adventure series that ran from September 30 to December 17, 1983 on NBC. The show centers around the character Dr Jonathan Chase (Simon MacCorkindale), a shape-shifting man who possessed the ability to turn himself into any animal he chose. He used this ability to help the police solve crimes.

Opening narration

For every episode except the pilot, actor William Conrad recites the opening narration that tells of Chase's wealthy present life and his early days in Africa with his missionary father.

Dr Jonathan Chase... wealthy, young, handsome. A man with the brightest of futures. A man with the darkest of pasts. From Africa's deepest recesses, to the rarefied peaks of Tibet, heir to his father's legacy and the world's darkest mysteries. Jonathan Chase, master of the secrets that divide man from animal, animal from man... Manimal!

Overview

Manimal premiered as a 90-minute pilot that aired on September 30, 1983. The series featured the story of Dr Jonathan Chase, a shape-shifter who could turn himself into any animal of his choice, and used this ability to help fight crime. Only two people were aware of Jonathan's secret, his friend Ty Earl and Police Detective Brooke Mackenzie. Jonathan and Ty would assist Brooke with a case she was working on, with Jonathan transforming himself into an animal when it became useful.

By modern standards the show's special effects, though plentiful, are low-quality. While Jonathan had the ability to change himself into any animal, he would transform into a hawk and a black panther, in nearly every episode. In some episodes, he would transform into a third animal, such as a horse, dolphin, or bull, with the transformation taking place offscreen, though once he was shown becoming a snake. The transformation sequences were designed and created by the Academy Award-winning SFX artist Stan Winston.

Cast

Reception and cancellation

Manimal was scheduled opposite CBS's popular soap opera Dallas, and was canceled after eight episodes. However, Manimal was very popular in a number of other countries where it was broadcast.

Manimal was a part of NBC's 1983 fall lineup which also featured eight other series that were canceled before their first seasons ended (including Jennifer Slept Here, Bay City Blues, and We Got it Made).[1]

Glen A. Larson, the creator, briefly resurrected the Jonathan Chase character for a crossover with his 1990s series Night Man.

It frequently appears on lists of the worst television shows of all time.

Episode list

  • PC = Production code.
№ Title Airdate PC
1"Manimal"September 30, 1983 (1983-09-30)101

90-minute pilot: When a group of thieves devise a plan to hijack a shipment of nerve gas, Detective Brooke Mackenzie must stop them. She teams up with Dr. Jonathan Chase, a man that knows the secrets that divide man and animal and who is trained in an African technique that allows him to change into different animal forms.

Special Guest Stars: Ursula Andress as Karen Jade and Ed Lauter as Colonel Hunt
2"Illusion"October 14, 1983 (1983-10-14)102

A Bulgarian ambassador hides behind his immunity status to smuggle illegal goods into the country.

Special Guest Star: Richard Lynch as Zoltan Gregory
3"Night of the Scorpion"October 21, 1983 (1983-10-21)103
While being interrogated by Russian agents about the location of a list, a man dies from a truth serum drug. A note and $2 million dollars are left to his daughter, Terry. Jonathan, Brooke and Ty must protect Terry while trying to locate the list before the Russian agents do.
4"Female of the Species"October 28, 1983 (1983-10-28)104

After a girl is found living with wolves in the forests of Sultanpur, India, she is the topic of discussion at a local university where she is being held. When an attempt is made on her life, Jonathan takes her into his care and protection. Her identity must be found in order to discover who it is that is trying to kill her.

Special Guest Star: Michael McGuire as Stanford Langly

NOTE: This episode has an almost identical storyline to a 1986 episode of The Wizard titled "Endangered Species". Both episodes were written by Michael Berk and Douglas Schwartz.
5"High Stakes"November 4, 1983 (1983-11-04)105

When a horse trainer recognizes her stolen horse in a race, Jonathan helps her try to recover it.

Special Guest Star: David Sheiner as Sheldon Greentree
6"Scrimshaw"December 3, 1983 (1983-12-03)106

While at the beach, Jonathan and the others discover a scrimshaw (walrus tusk with carvings on it) in the clutches of a skeleton. They begin investigating at a local bar where they encounter someone who has been looking for it for their whole life.

Special Guest Stars: Meeno Peluce as Corky Morgan and Keenan Wynn as Sea Dog Morgan
7"Breath of the Dragon"December 10, 1983 (1983-12-10)107

Jonathan, Brooke and Ty must stop a criminal who extorts money from businesses in China Town while posing as a superstitious icon known as The Dragon.

NOTE: In this episode, Walter Nebicher from Automan can be seen walking outside a Chinese restaurant. Both Manimal and Automan were filmed back-to-back with the same scene, at a different angle, appearing in an episode of Automan.
8"Night of the Beast"December 17, 1983 (1983-12-17)108
While on a well deserved vacation, Jonathan, Ty and Brooke get involved to thwart an attempt by a syndicate boss to illegally take over the town of Birch Hollow in order legalize gambling and build a large casino.

International broadcasters

References

  1. ^ Hofstede, David (2004). What Were They Thinking: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History. Back Stage Books. p. 87. ISBN 0-823-08441-8.
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