Me and the Chimp was a short-lived American television series which aired during 1972 on CBS starring Ted Bessell. He played a dentist who lived with his wife, two children, and a chimp named Buttons, a washout from the space program (though unknown to Ted and his family until an old army sergeant visits). Episodes revolved around Buttons' doings or undoings, such as extending the line Ted drew on a map (to mark their driving route) onward to a ghost town, and stealing an alarm clock which gets Ted arrested for public indecency (in his pyjamas).
Bessell refused to participate when the title was first given as "The Chimp and I". It 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.
The show was created by Garry Marshall and Thomas L. Miller, both of who are known for their work on Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley.
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.