Me and the Chimp
Me and the Chimp | |
---|---|
Created by | Garry Marshall Thomas L. Miller |
Starring | Ted Bessell Anita Gillette Scott Kolden Kami Cotler |
Music by | Charles Fox |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 13 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Garry Marshall |
Producer | Alan Rafkin |
Running time | 30 minutes per episode |
Production company | Paramount Network Television |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | January 13 – April 27, 1972 |
Me and the Chimp is an American television situation comedy which aired for one season during 1972 on CBS. The series was created by Garry Marshall and Thomas L. Miller and was produced by Alan Rafkin for Paramount Television.[1] The series is considered by many to be one of the worst shows in the history of American television.
Premise
Mike Reynolds (Ted Bessell) is a dentist who lives with his wife (Anita Gillette), two children (Scott Kolden and Kami Cotler), and a chimp named Buttons, a washout from the space program (though unknown to Mike and his family until an old army sergeant visits).
Episodes revolve around Buttons' doings or undoings, such as extending the line Mike drew on a map (to mark their driving route) onward to a ghost town, and stealing an alarm clock which gets Mike arrested for public indecency (in his pajamas).
Cast
- Ted Bessell ... Mike Reynolds
- Anita Gillette ... Liz Reynolds
- Scott Kolden ... Scott Reynolds
- Kami Cotler ... Kitty Reynolds
- Jackie ... Buttons[2]
Production
The series was created by Garry Marshall and Thomas L. Miller, both of whom are better known for their later work on Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. Bessell originally refused to participate when the title was first given as the grammatically incorrect "The Chimp and I".[3]
The chimpanzee who portrayed Buttons was owned by veteran animal expert Lou Schumacher and was trained by Bob Rydell who was responsible for teaching the chimp to perform its "acting" tasks on cue by responding to various hand and voice signals.[4]
Reception
The series is considered by many to be one of the worst shows in the history of television; for many years it was a frequent punch line when comedians wished to reference bad TV shows. In July 2002 the series was featured on TV Guide's "List of the 50 Worst Shows of All Time", being named the 46th worst show ever.[citation needed]
Episode list
# | Title | Original Airdate | Episode Summary |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "Mike's Day With Buttons" | January 13, 1972 | Mike's life as a dentist becomes more complicated when his daughter brings home a chimp named Buttons. |
2 | "My Pet, the Thief" | January 20, 1972 | Mike fights a losing battle trying to convince his wife and children that they can't keep Buttons. |
3 | Mike's Burglar Alarm | January 27, 1972 | The effort of Mike to train Buttons to ring a bell when a stranger enters the house backfires when a burglar offers the chimp candy. |
4 | "Mike the Matchmaker" | February 3, 1972 | Buttons meets a female chimp named Mildred that he's attracted to, but when Mike attempts to discuss the situation with the other chimp's owner, he's distracted by the chimp's baby sitter, a beautiful Swedish blonde. |
5 | "Mike's Big Act" | February 17, 1972 | Mike reluctantly agrees to use Buttons during his magic act before the PTA, which results in him trying to teach Buttons some entertaining tricks. |
6 | "The Lost Flashlight" | February 24, 1972 | After Buttons loses his flashlight at a drive-in movie theater, the chimp keeps the neighborhood in turmoil while the item is missing. |
7 | "One Romantic Evening" | March 2, 1972 | Mike and Liz are all set to celebrate their wedding anniversary along, but Buttons ends up causing havoc while Liz's mother watches the children. |
8 | "Tennis Anyone?" | March 16, 1972 | Buttons helps Mike cure a small case of bigotry at the local country club. |
9 | "The Paint Job" | March 23, 1972 | The Reynolds are chosen by a paint manufacturer as the ideal family to demonstrate their product on television, but Buttons ends up causing chaos. |
10 | "The Ghost Town" | March 30, 1972 | A planned weekend trip to the snow country ends up in a deserted ghost town. |
11 | "Mike's Night-In" | April 6, 1972 | The Reynolds discover that Buttons was once a part of the space program and that they might have to return him to the government. |
12 | Hoop-Lah" | April 13, 1972 | After Mike squabbles with his son's basketball coach, he takes over the coaching of the team, which eventually involves Buttons. |
13 | "Liz's Allergy" | April 27, 1972 | While Mike is out of town at a dentists' convention, Liz develops an allergy that appears to be connected to the presence of Buttons. |
References
- ^ "Me and the Chimp". The Montreal Gazette. January 15, 1972.
- ^ "Chimp Tells Of Stardom". Schenectady Gazette. June 10, 1972.
- ^ TV Guide. July 20 - 26, 2002. pg. 26.
- ^ "Adjusting to life with chimpanzee". The Calgary Herald. January 28, 1972.
External links
- 1970s American television series
- 1970s American comedy television series
- 1972 American television series debuts
- 1972 American television series endings
- CBS network shows
- American television sitcoms
- Television series by CBS Television Studios
- Television shows set in California
- Lists of sitcom television series episodes
- Lists of American television series episodes
- Comedy television series stubs