Manimal
Encyclopedia
Manimal is an American action
–adventure
series that ran from September 30 to December 17, 1983 on NBC
. The show centers on the character Dr Jonathan Chase (Simon MacCorkindale
), a shape-shifting man who possessed the ability to turn himself into any animal he chose. He used this ability to help the police solve crimes.
recites the opening narration that tells of Chase's wealthy present life and his early days in Africa with his missionary father.
that aired on September 30, 1983. The series featured the story of Dr Jonathan Chase, a shape-shifter who could turn himself into any animal he chose, and used this ability to help fight crime. Only two people were aware of Jonathan's secret, his friend Ty Earl and Police Detective Brooke Mackenzie. Jonathan and Ty would assist Brooke with a case she was working on, with Jonathan transforming himself into an animal when it became useful.
While Jonathan had the ability to change himself into any animal, he would transform into a hawk
and a black panther
in nearly every episode. In some episodes, he would transform into a third animal, such as a horse, dolphin, or bull, with the transformation taking place offscreen, though once he was shown becoming a snake. The transformation sequences were designed and created by the Academy Award-winning SFX artist Stan Winston
. Another aspect of the transformations that added to the show's camp factor involved Dr. Chase's clothing during a transformation: He was depicted generally wearing a three-piece suit and tie, and the viewer would see it rip off of him as he shape-shifted into an animal, though once the transformation was complete there would be no sign of his discarded clothing. A bit later, he would transform back into human form with all of his clothing perfectly restored upon his person, even if he was unconscious.
's popular soap opera
Dallas
, and was cancelled after eight episodes. However, Manimal was very popular in a number of other countries where it was broadcast.
Manimal was a part of NBC's 1983 fall line-up which also featured eight other series that were cancelled before their first seasons ended (including Jennifer Slept Here
, Bay City Blues
, and We Got it Made
).
TV Guide
ranked Manimal number 15 on TV Guides List of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list in 2002.
Action genre
The word action has more than one meaning in fiction. Action is one of the fiction-writing modes authors use to present fiction. The term is also used to describe an exiting event or circumstance.-Action as a fiction-writing mode:...
–adventure
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...
series that ran from September 30 to December 17, 1983 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. The show centers on the character Dr Jonathan Chase (Simon MacCorkindale
Simon MacCorkindale
Simon Charles Pendered MacCorkindale was a British actor, film director, writer and producer. MacCorkindale spent much of his childhood moving around due to his father's commission with the Royal Air Force. Poor eyesight prevented him from following a similar career in the RAF, so he instead...
), a shape-shifting man who possessed the ability to turn himself into any animal he chose. He used this ability to help the police solve crimes.
Opening narration
For every episode except the pilot, actor William ConradWilliam Conrad
William Conrad was an American actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television....
recites the opening narration that tells of Chase's wealthy present life and his early days in Africa with his missionary father.
Overview
Manimal premiered as a 90-minute pilotTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
that aired on September 30, 1983. The series featured the story of Dr Jonathan Chase, a shape-shifter who could turn himself into any animal he chose, and used this ability to help fight crime. Only two people were aware of Jonathan's secret, his friend Ty Earl and Police Detective Brooke Mackenzie. Jonathan and Ty would assist Brooke with a case she was working on, with Jonathan transforming himself into an animal when it became useful.
While Jonathan had the ability to change himself into any animal, he would transform into a hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
and a black panther
Black panther
A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...
in nearly every episode. In some episodes, he would transform into a third animal, such as a horse, dolphin, or bull, with the transformation taking place offscreen, though once he was shown becoming a snake. The transformation sequences were designed and created by the Academy Award-winning SFX artist Stan Winston
Stan Winston
Stanley Winston was an American visual effects supervisor, makeup artist, and film director. He was best known for his work in the Terminator series, the Jurassic Park series, Aliens, the Predator series, Iron Man, Edward Scissorhands, and Avatar...
. Another aspect of the transformations that added to the show's camp factor involved Dr. Chase's clothing during a transformation: He was depicted generally wearing a three-piece suit and tie, and the viewer would see it rip off of him as he shape-shifted into an animal, though once the transformation was complete there would be no sign of his discarded clothing. A bit later, he would transform back into human form with all of his clothing perfectly restored upon his person, even if he was unconscious.
Cast
- Simon MacCorkindaleSimon MacCorkindaleSimon Charles Pendered MacCorkindale was a British actor, film director, writer and producer. MacCorkindale spent much of his childhood moving around due to his father's commission with the Royal Air Force. Poor eyesight prevented him from following a similar career in the RAF, so he instead...
- Dr. Jonathan Chase - Melody AndersonMelody AndersonMelody Anderson is a Canadian American social worker and public speaker specializing in the impact of addiction on families. She is also known as an actress, with her most high-profile role being Dale Arden in the 1980 adaptation of Flash Gordon. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Anderson started off as...
- Brooke Mackenzie - Michael D. RobertsMichael D. RobertsMichael D. Roberts is an American actor.-Career:Roberts played the role of "Roosters" in the 1970s television series Baretta. Roberts starred in the short-lived 1980s television series Manimal, appearing in five of the eight episodes which aired, as Tyrone C. Earl...
- Tyrone "Ty" C. Earl - Reni SantoniReni SantoniReni Santoni is an American film, television and voice actor.Santoni was born in New York City of French and Spanish descent.He began his career in off-Broadway theatre...
- Lt. Nick Rivera - William ConradWilliam ConradWilliam Conrad was an American actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television....
- Narrator (opening scene) - Glynn TurmanGlynn TurmanGlynn Russell Turman is an American stage, television, and film actor as well as a writer, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as high school student Leroy "Preach" Jackson in the 1975 coming-of-age film Cooley High, math professor and retired Army colonel Bradford...
- Tyrone "Ty" C. Earl (pilot episode) - Jack Greer - Young Jonathan Chase (pilot episode)
Reception and cancellation
Manimal was scheduled opposite CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's popular soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
, and was cancelled after eight episodes. However, Manimal was very popular in a number of other countries where it was broadcast.
Manimal was a part of NBC's 1983 fall line-up which also featured eight other series that were cancelled before their first seasons ended (including Jennifer Slept Here
Jennifer Slept Here
Jennifer Slept Here is an American fantasy sitcom series that ran for one season on NBC from October 21, 1983 to September 5, 1984.-Overview:...
, Bay City Blues
Bay City Blues
Bay City Blues is an American comedy-drama series that aired on NBC from October 1983 to November 1983. The series stars Michael Nouri, Dennis Franz, and Pat Corley, and was created and produced by Steven Bochco.-Synopsis:...
, and We Got it Made
We Got it Made
We Got It Made is an American sitcom that aired on NBC during the 1983-1984 season, and in syndication .-1983 NBC version:The show focuses on Mickey Mackenzie , a stunningly beautiful woman in her early 20s who applies for a housekeeping job in Manhattan...
).
TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
ranked Manimal number 15 on TV Guides List of the 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list in 2002.
Episode list
- PC = Production code.
№ Title Airdate PC
Night Man
- Glen A. LarsonGlen A. LarsonGlen Albert Larson is an American television producer and writer best known as the creator of Battlestar Galactica, The Fall Guy, Magnum, P.I. and Knight Rider.-Career:...
, the creator, briefly resurrected the Jonathan Chase character for a crossoverFictional crossoverA fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
with his 1990s series Night ManNight ManNight Man is an American action/adventure/sci-fi series that aired in syndication from September 15, 1997 to May 17, 1999. The series is loosely based on a comic book published by Malibu Comics and was created by Steve Englehart and developed for television by Glen A...
. In that episode, Manimal's traditional, practical-effects transformation was abandoned in favor of a CGIComputer-generated imageryComputer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
sequence.
№ Title Airdate PC
International broadcasters
- Canal 9 - Bangladesh TelevisionBangladesh TelevisionBangladesh Television , also known by the acronym BTV, is the state-owned Television network in Bangladesh. It started broadcasting as Pakistan Television in what was then East Pakistan on 25 December 1964. It was renamed Bangladesh Television after the independence in 1971. Broadcasts in full...
- Rede GloboRede GloboRede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...
, Rede MancheteRede MancheteRede Manchete was a television network from Brazil. It first aired on June 5, 1983 in Rio de Janeiro and simultaneously in other 5 Brazilian cities, like São Paulo on Rede Exclesior's old channel 9 frequency...
, TV Guaíba - TVN - FR3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
(1985), M6 - Sat. 1 - TVRITVRITelevisi Republik Indonesia Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) (formerly known as Televisi Indonesia (Indonesian Television in English) and Radio Indonesia (Indonesian Radio in English) is a state-owned television station, the oldest television station in...
- RTÉ OneRTÉ OneRTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
- Channel 1Channel 1 (Israel)Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels in Israel and one of five terrestrial channels in the country...
- Canale 5Canale 5Canale 5 is an Italian private television network of Mediaset, the media branch of Fininvest. Canale 5 was the first private television network to have a national coverage in Italy in 1980, based on a local channel, TeleMilano 58, founded in 1978....
- NTVNepal TelevisionNepal Television is the oldest and most watched television channel in Nepal.Nepal Television was for many years the only television channel native to Nepal, but several others have begun operation in recent years....
- Canal 13XHST-TVXHST channel 13, is the flagship station of the canal|trece educational network. canal|trece is an educational and public television network owned and operated by the government of State of Yucatán in Merida, Yucatán. canal|trece transmits diverse programming, from cultural, artistic and variety...
- NTMNetwork Television MarketingNTM - A former Shalimar Television Network ChannelThe Network Television Marketing was Pakistan's first ever private sector Television Channel. NTM had started its transmission in 1990 under a 3-year agreement with Shalimar Recording & Broadcasting Company . NTM succeeded in acquiring much...
- Canal 5 -RPN 9 - RTP1 - RCTVRCTVRadio Caracas Televisión Internacional is a Venezuelan cable television network headquartered in the Caracas neighborhood of Quinta Crespo. It was sometimes referred to as the Canal de Bárcenas. Owned by Empresas 1BC, RCTV Internacional was inaugurated as Radio Caracas Televisión on 15 November...
- Channel 5 -TTVTaiwan TelevisionTaiwan Television Enterprise, Ltd. , commonly known as TTV is launched), is the first television broadcast station in Taiwan...
- BBC 1BBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
(1984), Bravo, Zone ThrillerZone ThrillerZone Thriller was a television channel in Europe that launched on 3 July 2006. The channel aired a number of varying movie styles including psychological dramas and murder mysteries....
(2008) - RupavahiniRupavahiniSri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation , is the national television network of Sri Lanka. Gifted by the people of Japan to the people of Sri Lanka, mainly for the provision of education, information and entertainment....
- Glen A. Larson