Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp
Encyclopedia
Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp is an American action/adventure
comedy series
that originally aired on ABC
from September 12, 1970, to September 2, 1972. The Saturday morning
live-action film series featured a cast of chimpanzee
s given apparent speaking roles by overdubbing with human voices.
Two of the three producer/creators — Stan Burns and Mike Marmer — who had been writers for Get Smart
, quit their jobs as head writers on The Carol Burnett Show
to work on Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp.
According to The Believer
, "to make the dialogue fit the chimps’ lip action, Burns and Marmer went to ridiculous lengths. Voiceovers were ad-libbed on the set, giving birth to beautifully absurd moments of the chimps breaking into songs at the end of sentences or spontaneously reciting Mother Goose
rhymes just so it would look right."
, the plot was always played for laughs and featured Lancelot Link and his female colleague, "Mata Hairi," whose own name in turn was a play on Mata Hari
, in secret agent and spy satires. Link worked for A.P.E., the Agency to Prevent Evil, in an ongoing conflict with the evil organization C.H.U.M.P., the Criminal Headquarters for the Underworld's Master Plan. APE's chief Darwin gave Link and Hairi their orders as part of his "theory," a play on the Charles Darwin
(after whom the character had been named) scientific theory of evolution
. CHUMP's monocle
d chief Baron von Butcher inevitably hatched the latest plan to endanger the world. The Baron's network of international fiends included his shifty chauffeur Creto, mad scientist Dr. Strangemind, imperious Dragon Woman, drowsy Wang Fu, singing sheikh
Ali Assa Seen, and the cultured Duchess. One or more would appear in each episode.
A regular weekly feature was chimp TV host "Ed Simian" introducing a musical number by an all-chimp band, "The Evolution Revolution." An album of these songs was released on the ABC/Dunhill record label. There were also Lancelot Link comic books and other merchandise, including Halloween
costumes.
Most episode titles would be shown in Scanimation on a white background in Berthold Herold Reklameschrift BQ typeface, after the first minute or so (The Great Bank Robbery being an exception).
The episodes were all narrated, in a mock-sober delivery, by Malachi Throne
.
In episode "The Evolution Revolution", it was established that the band's music was used to communicate coded messages for APE agents.
The songs were usually co-written and performed by Steve Hoffman, in the Bubblegum pop
style then in vogue; Hoffman received "voices" credit along with the various character actors. A Lancelot Link record album was released on ABC/Dunhill, as well as a single titled "Sha-La Love You", a song originally intended for The Grass Roots
; the music shared some of its style with the music of The Grass Roots, who used the same recording facilities and studio musicians. Some songs contained heavy guitar riffs, reflecting the growth of hard rock.
The first season aired hour-long shows that included recent Warner Brothers cartoons. The second season consisted of repeats from the first season with the cartoons removed. The original network broadcast included a laugh track; later syndicated and video versions do not.
Sources vary as to the number of episodes; the following list is taken from TV.com
:
cable television
channel during the mid-1980s; the program was also shown on TV Land
for a brief time. The Comedy Channel (now Comedy Central
) aired reruns of this as well as the BBC stop-motion series Dick Spanner in a block hosted by detective-themed stand-up comedian Tommy Sledge.
set by Image Entertainment
.
; it includes a reunion between the show's two creators, and was "shot in shlocky Hi-8 video, and [featuring] an entertaining juxtaposition of anecdotes from Burns and Marmer and some of the show's finest moments."
Adventure (genre)
The adventure genre, in the context of a narrative, is typically applied to works in which the protagonist or other major characters are consistently placed in dangerous situations...
comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
that originally aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from September 12, 1970, to September 2, 1972. The Saturday morning
Saturday Morning
-Album credits:*All tracks produced by Ralph Sall for Bulletproof Recording Company Inc.*Executive Producer/Concept: Ralph Sall for Bulletproof Recording Company Inc.*Engineered by Peter McCabe and Larry Fergusson....
live-action film series featured a cast of chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s given apparent speaking roles by overdubbing with human voices.
Production
Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp had a "seven-figure budget" with location filming, props and costumes, and the laborious staging and training of the animals. The filmmakers made the most of the budget, staging multiple episodes with the same settings and wardrobe, occasionally reusing the more elaborate chase footage that sometimes included a Rolls Royce.Two of the three producer/creators — Stan Burns and Mike Marmer — who had been writers for Get Smart
Get Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
, quit their jobs as head writers on The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show is a variety / sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. It originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 278 episodes and originated from CBS Television City's Studio 33...
to work on Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp.
According to The Believer
The Believer (magazine)
The Believer is a United States literary magazine that also covers other arts and general culture. Founded and designed in 2003 by the writer and publisher Dave Eggers, it is edited by Vendela Vida, Heidi Julavits and Ed Park...
, "to make the dialogue fit the chimps’ lip action, Burns and Marmer went to ridiculous lengths. Voiceovers were ad-libbed on the set, giving birth to beautifully absurd moments of the chimps breaking into songs at the end of sentences or spontaneously reciting Mother Goose
Mother Goose
The familiar figure of Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes which are often published as Mother Goose Rhymes. As a character, she appears in one "nursery rhyme". A Christmas pantomime called Mother Goose is often performed in the United Kingdom...
rhymes just so it would look right."
Plot construction
Owing considerable homage to Get SmartGet Smart
Get Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
, the plot was always played for laughs and featured Lancelot Link and his female colleague, "Mata Hairi," whose own name in turn was a play on Mata Hari
Mata Hari
Mata Hari was the stage name of Margaretha Geertruida "M'greet" Zelle , a Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and accused spy who was executed by firing squad in France under charges of espionage for Germany during World War I.-Early life:Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born in Leeuwarden, Friesland,...
, in secret agent and spy satires. Link worked for A.P.E., the Agency to Prevent Evil, in an ongoing conflict with the evil organization C.H.U.M.P., the Criminal Headquarters for the Underworld's Master Plan. APE's chief Darwin gave Link and Hairi their orders as part of his "theory," a play on the Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
(after whom the character had been named) scientific theory of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
. CHUMP's monocle
Monocle
A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the vision in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string. The other end of the string is then connected to the wearer's clothing to avoid losing...
d chief Baron von Butcher inevitably hatched the latest plan to endanger the world. The Baron's network of international fiends included his shifty chauffeur Creto, mad scientist Dr. Strangemind, imperious Dragon Woman, drowsy Wang Fu, singing sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
Ali Assa Seen, and the cultured Duchess. One or more would appear in each episode.
A regular weekly feature was chimp TV host "Ed Simian" introducing a musical number by an all-chimp band, "The Evolution Revolution." An album of these songs was released on the ABC/Dunhill record label. There were also Lancelot Link comic books and other merchandise, including Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
costumes.
Most episode titles would be shown in Scanimation on a white background in Berthold Herold Reklameschrift BQ typeface, after the first minute or so (The Great Bank Robbery being an exception).
The episodes were all narrated, in a mock-sober delivery, by Malachi Throne
Malachi Throne
Malachi Throne is an American actor, most noted for his roles on Star Trek and It Takes a Thief.Throne was born in New York City...
.
APE
- Lancelot Link (played by Tonga, voiced by Dayton AllenDayton AllenDayton Allen was a comedian and voice actor. He was one of the "men in the street" on the '"The Steve Allen Show."' His catchphrase was "Why not, Bubbe?"...
) - Mata Hairi (played by Debbie, voiced by Joan GerberJoan GerberJoan Gerber is an American voice actress for a variety of cartoons.- Filmography :* 1959: Matty's Funday Funnies : Additional Voices...
) - Her name was a take-off on Mata HariMata HariMata Hari was the stage name of Margaretha Geertruida "M'greet" Zelle , a Dutch exotic dancer, courtesan, and accused spy who was executed by firing squad in France under charges of espionage for Germany during World War I.-Early life:Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was born in Leeuwarden, Friesland,...
. - Commander Darwin (voiced by Dayton AllenDayton AllenDayton Allen was a comedian and voice actor. He was one of the "men in the street" on the '"The Steve Allen Show."' His catchphrase was "Why not, Bubbe?"...
) - Named after Charles DarwinCharles DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory... - Bruce - Official APE courier
CHUMP
- Baron von Butcher (voiced by Bernie KopellBernie KopellBernard Morton "Bernie" Kopell is an American television character actor who is probably best known for his roles as Dr. Adam Bricker in The Love Boat and KAOS agent Siegfried in Get Smart...
) - Modeled on Kopell's character of "Siegfried" in Get Smart!Get SmartGet Smart is an American comedy television series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams , Barbara Feldon , and Edward Platt...
Kopell is believed to have approached his voicings of the Baron as if Siegfried were the head of KAOS. - Dragon Woman (voiced by Joan GerberJoan GerberJoan Gerber is an American voice actress for a variety of cartoons.- Filmography :* 1959: Matty's Funday Funnies : Additional Voices...
) - - Creto (voiced by Dayton AllenDayton AllenDayton Allen was a comedian and voice actor. He was one of the "men in the street" on the '"The Steve Allen Show."' His catchphrase was "Why not, Bubbe?"...
) - His name was basically a play on the word "cretin." Also a play on "Kato" The Green Hornet's chauffeur and crime fighting sidekick. - Wang Fu (voiced by Bernie KopellBernie KopellBernard Morton "Bernie" Kopell is an American television character actor who is probably best known for his roles as Dr. Adam Bricker in The Love Boat and KAOS agent Siegfried in Get Smart...
) - - The Duchess (voiced by Joan GerberJoan GerberJoan Gerber is an American voice actress for a variety of cartoons.- Filmography :* 1959: Matty's Funday Funnies : Additional Voices...
) - - Ali Assa Seen (voiced and sung by Dayton AllenDayton AllenDayton Allen was a comedian and voice actor. He was one of the "men in the street" on the '"The Steve Allen Show."' His catchphrase was "Why not, Bubbe?"...
) - His name was meant to sound like "assassinAssassinationTo carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
") - Dr. Strangemind (voiced by Dayton AllenDayton AllenDayton Allen was a comedian and voice actor. He was one of the "men in the street" on the '"The Steve Allen Show."' His catchphrase was "Why not, Bubbe?"...
impersonating Béla LugosiBéla LugosiBéla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
) - Name inspired by Dr. Strangelove.
Additional characters
- Marty MandrillMandrillThe mandrill is a primate of the Old World monkey family, closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the drill. Both the mandrill and the drill were once classified as baboons in genus Papio, but recent research has determined they should be separated into their own genus, Mandrillus...
- former songwriter for The Evolution Revolution turned CHUMP spy. - Unnamed OrangutanOrangutanOrangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
- Appeared in cameos as a picturesque extra. Often referred to by Lance as "that weirdo") - Blackie - The drummer in The Evolution Revolution
- Ed Simian - A television MCMaster of CeremoniesA Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
, and a parody of Ed SullivanEd SullivanEdward Vincent "Ed" Sullivan was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the presenter of the TV variety show The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was broadcast from 1948 to 1971 , which made it one of the longest-running variety shows in U.S...
. - Parnelli Smith - An auto racing champ and supplier of cars to APE, his name was a takeoff on former Indy 500 champion Parnelli JonesParnelli JonesRufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones , is a retired American racing driver and racecar owner. He is most remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 win, and almost winning the 1967 Indy 500 in a turbine car...
.
The Evolution Revolution
This all-chimp band, dressed in colorful hippie-style wigs and wardrobe, featured Lancelot Link (played by Tongo) on guitar and Mata Hairi (played by Debbie) on tambourine, with Blackie as "Bananas Marmoset" on the drums. "SweetWater Gibbons" (in fringed vest and granny glasses) was credited for playing Farfisa organ, although the organ usually pictured in the clips was a Vox Continental organ.In episode "The Evolution Revolution", it was established that the band's music was used to communicate coded messages for APE agents.
The songs were usually co-written and performed by Steve Hoffman, in the Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
style then in vogue; Hoffman received "voices" credit along with the various character actors. A Lancelot Link record album was released on ABC/Dunhill, as well as a single titled "Sha-La Love You", a song originally intended for The Grass Roots
The Grass Roots
The Grass Roots is an American rock band that charted between 1966 and 1975 as the brainchild of songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri.In their career, The Grass Roots achieved two gold albums, one gold single and charted singles a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they...
; the music shared some of its style with the music of The Grass Roots, who used the same recording facilities and studio musicians. Some songs contained heavy guitar riffs, reflecting the growth of hard rock.
Episodes
The first season aired hour-long shows that included recent Warner Brothers cartoons. The second season consisted of repeats from the first season with the cartoons removed. The original network broadcast included a laugh track; later syndicated and video versions do not.
Sources vary as to the number of episodes; the following list is taken from TV.com
TV.com
TV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
:
- There's No Business Like Snow Business
- The Lone A.P.E. / Missile Beach Party
- The Mysterious Motorcycle Menace / The Great Beauty Contest
- C.H.U.M.P. Takes A Holiday / To Tell The Tooth
- The Great Brain Drain / The Great Double Double Cross
- Lance Of Arabia / The Doctor Goes A.P.E.
- The Surfin' Spy / The Missing Link
- Bonana / The Greatest Chase In The World
- The Reluctant Robot / The Royal Foil
- The Great Great Race / The Great Plane Plot
- Landlubber Lance / The Temporary Thanksgiving Turkey Truce
- The Dreaded Hong Kong Sneeze / The Great Bank Robbery
- The Sour Taste Of Success / The Baron's Birthday Ball
- The Golden Sword / The Chilling C.H.U.M.P. Chase
- The Spy Who Went Out In The Cold / Too Many C.H.U.M.P.s
- The C.H.U.M.P. Code Caper / Weather Or Not
- The Evolution Revolution / The Great Water Robbery
Syndication
Each episode was rerun a single time on the NickelodeonNickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
channel during the mid-1980s; the program was also shown on TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
for a brief time. The Comedy Channel (now Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
) aired reruns of this as well as the BBC stop-motion series Dick Spanner in a block hosted by detective-themed stand-up comedian Tommy Sledge.
DVD release
In June 2006, most of the episodes were released on a 2-DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set by Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
.
Documentary
A 1999 documentary short, I Created Lancelot Link, was made by Diane Bernard and Jeff KrulikJeff Krulik
Jeff Krulik is a director of independent films and a former Discovery Channel producer.Krulik's work frequently explores the fringes of popular culture from an enthusiastic and appreciative point of view....
; it includes a reunion between the show's two creators, and was "shot in shlocky Hi-8 video, and [featuring] an entertaining juxtaposition of anecdotes from Burns and Marmer and some of the show's finest moments."
External links
- TvParty page
- Evolution Revolution Album Copy provided by producer Bob Emenegger
- Lancelot Link at Grand Comics Database Lancelot Link comic books