Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp

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Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp
Image:Lltitle.gif
Genre Action/Adventure/Family/Comedy
Creator(s) Stan Burns and Michael Marmer
Starring Tonga (chimpanzee) / Dayton Allen
Country of origin Flag of United States United States
Production
Running time 60 min (1970–1971)

30 min (1971–1972)
Broadcast
Original channel ABC
Original run September 12, 1970 – September 2, 1972
Links
IMDb profile

Created by Stan Burns and Michael Marmer, Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp was an American television show on ABC from September 12 1970 to September 2 1972. This Saturday-morning, live-action filmed series featured a cast of chimpanzees who were given apparent speaking roles by overdubbing with human voices. The show appeared in both half-hour and hour-long editions. The first season aired hour-long shows and included cartoons from Warner Bros. Pictures. The second season was trimmed to half-hour segments and consisted of repeats from the first season with the cartoons removed.

The plot revolved around Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp, and his female colleague Mata Hairi, in secret agent and spy satires, loaded with pop-culture references. Link worked for APE (Agency to Prevent Evil), engaged in a long conflict with the evil organization CHUMP (Criminal Headquarters for Underworld Master Plan). In each episode CHUMP's monocled chief, Baron von Butcher, hatched the latest master plan that would endanger the world. The Baron's network of international fiends included sneaky chauffeur Creto, mad scientist Dr. Strangemind, treacherous Dragon Woman, drowsy Wang Fu, singing sheik Ali Assa Seen, and cultured Duchess.

Between the spy adventures there were "Laugh-In"-styled blackouts: "Chimpies" were this show's answer to Laugh-In's "quickies," showing random sight gags and jokes. A regular weekly feature was a musical number an all-chimp band, "The Evolution Revolution". An LP of these songs, recorded by studio musicians with lead singer Steve Hoffman, was released on the ABC/Dunhill record label. There were also Lancelot Link comic books and other merchandise, including Halloween costumes.

The show was later played on the Nickelodeon cable television channel during the 1980s.

In June 2006, representative episodes from the series were released on a 2-DVD set by Image Entertainment.

Contents

[edit] Characters

Characters included:

  • Good guys
    • Lancelot Link (played by Tonga, voiced by Dayton Allen)
    • Mata Hairi (played by Debbie, voiced by Joan Gerber)
    • Commander Darwin (voiced by Dayton Allen)
    • Bruce (no voice; official APE courier)
  • Bad guys
    • Baron von Butcher (voiced by Bernie Kopell)
    • Dragon Lady (voiced by Joan Gerber)
    • Creto
    • Wang Fu
    • The Duchess (voiced by Joan Gerber)
    • Ali Assa Seen (voiced and sung by Dayton Allen)
    • Dr. Strangemind (voiced by Dayton Allen)
  • Additional Characters
    • Marty Mandrill (former songwriter for The Evolution Revolution turned CHUMP spy)
    • The Orang-Utan (appears in cameos as a picturesque extra, often referred to by Lance as "the weido")
    • Blackie, the drummer in The Evolution Revolution (who has since suffered a stroke).

The episodes were narrated soberly by Malachi Throne.

[edit] The Evolution Revolution

The all-chimp band featuring Lance Link (played by Tonga) on guitar, Mata Hairi (played by Debbie) on tambourine, and 'Blackie' on drums. The name of the chimpanzee on keyboards was never mentioned on the show. A self-titled album was released, on ABC/Dunhill, as well as a single titled 'Sha La La La Love You'. The musical style was heavily bubblegum pop, almost interchangeable with the music of The Grass Roots, who had the same recording facilities and the identical studio musicians. Some songs also contained heavy guitar riffs, reflecting the growth of hard rock and heavy metal at the time.

Early episodes show the chimps flailing away at their instruments wildly, with the film editor cleverly cutting the visual action to synchronize with the recordings. After hours of filming simian bedlam in the studio, someone decided to just play the music on the set, so the chimps could hear it. The chimps fell into the rhythm and started to "play" their instruments realistically.

[edit] Episodes

Episodes include[1]:

  1. There's No Business Like Snow Business
  2. The Lone A.P.E. / Missile Beach Party
  3. The Mysterious Motorcycle Menace / The Great Beauty Contest
  4. C.H.U.M.P. Takes a Holiday / To Tell the Tooth
  5. The Great Brain Drain / The Great Double Double Cross
  6. Lance of Arabia / The Doctor Goes A.P.E.
  7. The Surfin' Spy / The Missing Link
  8. Bonana / The Greatest Chase in the World
  9. The Reluctant Robot / The Royal Foil
  10. The Great Great Race / The Great Plane Plot
  11. Landlubber Lance / The Temporary Thanksgiving Turkey Truce
  12. The Dreaded Hong Kong Sneeze / The Great Bank Robbery
  13. The Sour Taste of Success / The Baron's Birthday Ball
  14. The Golden Swwwword / The Chilling Chump Chase
  15. The Spy Who Went Out in the Cold / Too Many Chumps
  16. The Chump Code Caper / Weather or Not
  17. The Evolution Revolution / The Great Water Robbery

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp Episode List - TV.com

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../l/a/n/Lancelot_Link%2C_Secret_Chimp_d421.html"