Series synopsis
Tarzan is an American action & adventure drama television series that premiered on NBC on September 8, 1966. It ended on April 5, 1968. It was created by Sy Weintraub. It stars Ron Ely, Manuel Padilla Jr., Rockne Tarkington and Alan Caillou.
Tarzan is a series that aired on NBC from 1966 – 1968. The series portrayed Tarzan as a well-educated character, one who, tired of civilization, had returned to the jungle where he had been raised. The show retained many of the trappings of the classic movie series, including Cheeta, while excluding other elements, such as Jane, as part of the "new look" for the fabled apeman that producer Sy Weintraub had introduced in previous motion pictures starring Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney, and Mike Henry ...
Premise
Tarzan is a series that aired on NBC from 1966 – 1968. The series portrayed Tarzan as a well-educated character, one who, tired of civilization, had returned to the jungle where he had been raised. The show retained many of the trappings of the classic movie series, including Cheeta, while excluding other elements, such as Jane, as part of the "new look" for the fabled apeman that producer Sy Weintraub had introduced in previous motion pictures starring Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney, and Mike Henry. CBS aired repeat episodes the program during the summer of 1969.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Ron Ely as Tarzan
- Manuel Padilla Jr. as Jai
- Rockne Tarkington as Rao
- Alan Caillou as Jason Flood
- James Earl Jones
- Simon Oakland
- Michael Witney
- Susan Oliver
Supporting cast
- BarBara Luna
- Ralph Meeker
- Ernie Terrell
- Harry Townes
- Robert DoQui
- Sean McClory
- Joel Fluellen
- Nancy Malone
- Diana Hyland as Diana Russell
- Yaphet Kotto
- Gigi Perreau
- Suzy Parker
Guest cast
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 57 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 31 | September 8, 1966 | April 14, 1967 |
| Season 2 | 26 | September 15, 1967 | April 5, 1968 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Eyes of the Lion A man-eating lion is mistaken for the 'seeing-eye' lion of a young blind girl, who has trained the lion from infancy to be her eyes and protector in the jungle. Tarzan must prevent the hostile villagers from killing the wrong lion. |
September 8, 1966 |
| 2 |
The Ultimate Weapon When a game warden is shot by an ivory poacher looking to make a fortune off the seasonal elephant migration, the poacher falls off a cliff after tangling with Tarzan, but the accidental death causes the man's son to vow revenge. |
September 16, 1966 |
| 3 |
Leopard on the Loose A trading-post worker in need of money tries to steal Jai's pet leopard. |
September 23, 1966 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Tiger, Tiger A deadly tiger is loose in the jungle but, despite a warning from Tarzan, an engineer insists on continuing work on a project although he lacks the experience to cope with the animal. |
September 15, 1967 |
| 2 |
Voice of the Elephant Jai's pet baby elephant is charged with killing a white man. Under tribal law the elephant is entitled to a trial. Jai goes on the search for evidence and someone to present it. |
September 22, 1967 |
| 3 |
Thief Catcher Two convicts escape while being transfered to another prison. Their actions spark a wave of crime around local villages. Tarzan must track and capture the two men before more people are put in danger. |
September 29, 1967 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | NBC |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 8, 1966 |
| Last aired | April 5, 1968 |
| Runtime | 46 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Friday at 19:30:00 |