# Planet of the Apes (1974)

> Two astronauts and a sympathetic chimpanzee friend run from an ape-dominated future Earth.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/16

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 14
- Episode runtime: 50 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: science fiction, adventure, drama
- Created by: Anthony Wilson
- Network: CBS
- Cast: Roddy McDowall, Ron Harper, James Naughton, Mark Lenard, Booth Colman, Jacqueline Scott, Zina Bethune, Norman Alden
- TMDB rating: 7.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071033/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: adventurous, tense, allegorical, earnest, nostalgic

## What critics say

Reviews are mixed, with audiences rating the single season moderately and the series remembered more for its premise than its execution.

## Synopsis

Planet of the Apes (1974) is a American science fiction adventure series created by Anthony Wilson for CBS, a single-season run of 14 episodes. Astronauts Alan Virdon (Ron Harper) and Pete Burke (James Naughton) are stranded in a future Earth dominated by humanoid apes, where they must survive as fugitives. Their sympathetic chimpanzee ally Galen (Roddy McDowall) helps them evade hunters, most notably the ruthless gorilla Urko (Mark Lenard) and the scheming orangutan Zaius (Booth Colman). The engine of each episode is the cat and mouse chase: the duo hides, improvises escapes, and tries to find a way home through a hostile society of ape cities, villages, and wild lands. Each stand alone adventure builds on the fugitive premise rather than a single long arc. The tone blends action with a thoughtful allegorical eye on prejudice, authority, and loyalty across species. Fans of the 1968 film Planet of the Apes, along with Lost in Space and Land of the Lost, will find resonance in this 1970s network adventure set in a post apocalyptic future Earth.

## Shows like Planet of the Apes

- [Farscape (1999)](https://ember.film/tv/4058)
- [Odyssey 5 (2002)](https://ember.film/tv/1790)
- [Tarzan (1966)](https://ember.film/tv/10052)
- [Battlestar Galactica (1978)](https://ember.film/tv/471)
- [The Ark (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/42933)
- [The 100 (2014)](https://ember.film/tv/43887)
- [Terra Nova (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/30145)
- [Space: 1999 (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/121)
- [Logan's Run (1977)](https://ember.film/tv/33679)
- [Land of the Giants (1968)](https://ember.film/tv/3183)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt