''The Chimp Channel'' is an American sitcom which aired on
TBS Superstation
TBS (an abbreviation for Turner Broadcasting System) is an American pay television network owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It carries a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy, alo ...
in 1999. Based on the ''
Monkey-ed Movies'' interstitials that TBS aired one year prior, it is the network's first original
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
. The series primarily consists of costumed
chimpanzee
The chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes''), also known as simply the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed subspecies. When its close relative th ...
s and
orangutan
Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ...
s,
voiced
Voice or voicing is a term used in phonetics and phonology to characterize speech sounds (usually consonants). Speech sounds can be described as either voiceless (otherwise known as ''unvoiced'') or voiced.
The term, however, is used to refer ...
by human actors,
parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
ing popular television shows, movies, and advertising as well as stars and personalities within the industry. ''The Chimp Channel'' marked the first all-
simian
The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders New World monkeys (Platyrrhini) and Catarrhi ...
series since
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
's
Saturday morning ''
Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp
''Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp'' is an American action/adventure comedy series that originally aired Saturday mornings on ABC from September 12, 1970 to January 2, 1971 and rebroadcast the following season. The live-action film series featured a ...
'', which ended in 1972.
Premise
The series revolves around the behind the scenes antics of the fictional, eponymous cable network, The Chimp Channel (abbreviated TCC), and the shows it produces. Television programs filmed at the network include ''
NYPD Zoo'', ''
Treewatch'', ''
Ally McSqeal'', ''
The Murray Price Show'', ''News at Night'', and ''Movies on Film''. The latter has two critics reviewing films from the ''Monkey-ed Movie'' library with a non-
opposable
The thumb is the first digit of the hand, next to the index finger. When a person is standing in the medical anatomical position (where the palm is facing to the front), the thumb is the outermost digit. The Medical Latin English noun for thumb ...
thumbs up or down. Due to the show's racy humor, it earned a
TV-14 rating.
Background and production history
In 1998, TBS aired
Tom Stern's ''Monkey-ed Movies''. Forty-eight of the short segments were produced to run during the feature-film program ''
Dinner and a Movie
''Dinner and a Movie'' is an American cooking and entertainment television program aired on TBS Superstation, TBS from 1995 in television, 1995 to 2011 in television, 2011.
Each episode included a movie and the preparation of a creative dinner ...
'' and in odd time slots after sporting events. However, one day when a golf tournament ran short, the station played about half an hour of ''Monkey'ed Movies'' to unexpected results. The ratings actually increased, which prompted TBS to order 13 episodes of an expanded half-hour series. Aiming for a young male audience, TBS placed ''The Chimp Channel'' on Thursday nights at 10:05 p.m. ET following the network's top-rated
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
show ''
WCW Thunder
''WCW Thunder'', or simply ''Thunder'', is an American professional wrestling show that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) which aired on TBS from January 8, 1998 to March 21, 2001.
The popularity of WCW in 1996 and 1997 allo ...
''. An April 1999 press release noted the series' original title as ''Channel of the Apes''. The renamed ''Chimp Channel'' debuted on June 10, 1999.
Not long into production, Stern found himself at odds with TBS management regarding the direction of the series. This led to an incident on March 8, 1999 in which he improvised a raunchy
performance art
Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
piece that involved full nudity and breaking two liquor bottles on the show's set. Stern was promptly fired for the incident despite claiming that he had permission from network officials to do what he called "
improv comedy
Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, a ...
" described as "trying to get stuff off my chest about the wrong-headed direction the show was taking." On June 9, one day before the ''Chimp Channel'' series premiere, Stern filed a breach-of-contract suit against TBS, Warner Bros. Domestic Pay TV, Telescopic Pictures, and Palomar Pictures in Los Angeles, seeking damages in excess of $1,675,000. Stern was represented in the suit by Los Angeles attorney David Wall. Production of the series continued for a few more months without its creative founder.
Filming of ''The Chimp Channel'' required a reportedly critical sensitivity regarding its animal cast. In attempt to avoid any performance hampering or distraction, studio personnel and visitors were instructed not to mingle with, make gestures toward, or make eye contact with the chimps. Brief scenes required strenuous rehearsal before filming could begin, and all personnel not required for immediate set consulting, including the director, viewed the shooting from monitors 50 feet away. Regarding the apes' behavior on set, Tom Stern quipped "Maggie,
he chimpwho plays Marina, loves the Lycra suit she wears and can't refrain from going to the bathroom in it — she thinks it's just a really cool red diaper. All the chimps wear diapers, though, so it's a lot like ''
Frasier
''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey (screenwriter), Peter Case ...
''."
The ape performances were coached by off-screen trainers using signals to communicate with them. This made shooting more than two chimps at once difficult, so high-tech editing was used to multiply the number of apes in the frame. And since they couldn't always follow the script perfectly, the apes' reactions were cataloged and often edited together to create cohesive scenes. Regarding the unpredictability of the apes, co-executive producer Tim Burns noted, "They're a comedy writer's best friend. I think the stuff is funny to begin with, but there's no replacing how much funnier it is when the monkeys add their own peculiar performance style."
The
American Humane Association
American Humane (AH) is an organization founded in 1877 committed to ensuring the safety, welfare, and well-being of animals. It was previously called the International Humane Association before changing its name in 1878. In 1940, it became t ...
's Film and Television Unit supervised the filming of both ''The Chimp Channel'' and its predecessor, ''Monkey-ed Movies'', and reported:
:"The chimps and orangutans are receiving a very high standard of care. The trainers use modern, humane techniques to cue and motivate the animals. . . The TBS production team has been very cooperative, has upheld the Guidelines and insures the wellbeing
icof the chimps during filming." AHA field representative Netta Bank rated the crew's treatment of the apes "A-plus" and noted "This is all chimps, all the time, so they're treated like stars. . . They have their own dressing room, their own green room. They have a play area for themselves."
Characters
On-camera stars
* Brock Hammond (voiced by
Daran Norris
Daran Morrison Nordland (born ), known professionally as Daran Norris, is an American actor. He has appeared or voiced characters in more than 400 films, video games, and television programs, including: Gordy in ''Ned's Declassified School Surviv ...
) is a 39-year-old male actor fitting the self-absorbed, masculine archetype, similar to
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on ''The You ...
.
* George W. Heinlein (voiced by
Richard Doyle) is The Chimp Channel's veteran news anchor.
* Marina (voiced by
Jennifer Hale
Jennifer Hale is a Canadian-American voice actress. She is best known for her work in video game franchises such as ''Baldur's Gate'', ''Mass Effect'', ''Metal Gear Solid'', ''BioShock Infinite'', ''Metroid Prime'', ''Overwatch'', and '' Star Wa ...
) is a parody of
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress and model. She is best known for her glamour modeling work in ''Playboy'' magazine and for her appearances on the television series ''Baywatch'' (1992–1997).
Anders ...
, the "super sexy" blond actress from ''Treewatch''.
* Murray Price (voiced by
Eugene Roche
Eugene Harrison Roche (September 22, 1928 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor and the original " Ajax Man" in 1970s television commercials.
Personal life
Roche was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Mary M. (née Finnegan ...
) is the "undisputed king of all celebrity interviews," a parody of
Larry King
Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was an American television and radio host, whose awards included 2 Peabodys
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program ...
who hosts his own talk show. He is played by an
orangutan
Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ...
.
Behind the scenes stars
* Bernard the Sarcastic Parrot (voiced by
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor, comedian, and impressionist. He has voiced the Brain in '' Animaniacs'' as well as its spin-off '' Pinky and the Brain'', Big Bob in ''Hey Arnold!'' (1996–2004), and a variety of ...
) is the parrot sidekick of Harry.
* Bif & Stan (voiced by
Michael Donovan
Michael Donovan is a Canadian voice actor and director known for his roles as Suikotsu in ''Inuyasha'' and Zoken Mato in ''Fate/stay night''. He has also directed many animated series and feature films.
Roles
Animation
* ''3-2-1 Penguins!''K ...
and
Dwight Schultz
William Dwight Schultz (born November 24, 1947) is an American television, film and voice actor.
He is known for his roles as Captain "Howling Mad" Murdock on the 1980s action series ''The A-Team'' and as Reginald Barclay in the ''Star Trek'' ...
) are veteran writing team who provide material for a plethora of television genres.
* Ford Carter (voiced by Richard Doyle) is a 58-year-old, Australian, self-made "gazillionaire" who owns The Chimp Channel in addition to newspapers, hotel chains, and other properties. He shares traits with
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
, a long-standing media rival of
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, cable news ch ...
's.
* Timmy Briar (voiced by
Richard Steven Horvitz
Richard Steven Horvitz (born July 29, 1966) is an American actor and comedian, best known for his voice work in animation and video games. His voice credits include the original Alpha 5 on ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', ''Power Rangers Zeo'' an ...
) is a young, bright-eyed intern at The Chimp Channel.
* Harry Waller (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) is the 52-year-old president of The Chimp Channel and a television veteran.
* Candy Yuponce (voiced by
Mindy Cohn
Mindy Cohn (born May 20, 1966) is an American actress, who appeared on VH1's List of "100 Greatest Kid Stars". She starred as Natalie Green in the sitcom '' The Facts of Life'' from 1979 to 1988, and is known for voicing Velma Dinkley in the ''Sc ...
) is The Chimp Channel's makeup girl.
Episodes
Reception
While the training and animal work was commended, ''The Chimp Channel'' received largely negative critical reception with the notion that it fails its attempt to expand the simple, effective concept of ''Monkey-ed Movies''. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
Caryn James gave a negative review of the show, stating "''The Chimp Channel'' is so scattershot and predictable it becomes tiresome in about five minutes. . . And the brief parodies of television shows and movies offer mere glimpses of wit."
Ray Richmond of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' described how the original ''Monkey-ed Movies'' "proved to be clever stuff, in large part because it was short and sweet" but that "with ''Chimp Channel'', TBS monkeys with an undeniably thin concept and stretches it past the limit." While he commended the "sharp, well-organized direction from Mitchell Walker and the uncannily effective animal work from head trainer Bob Dunn, coordinator Mike Morris and their team," Richmond added "What seems cute in small doses feels awfully humiliating in this expanded format, sucking out any novelty and leaving in its wake only the uncomfortable entrails."
Tom Jicha of the ''
Sun-Sentinel
The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as surrounding Br ...
'' claimed "''The Chimp Channel'' sounds a lot funnier than it turns out to be on the air. As an occasional brief skit on a show like ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' or ''
MADtv
''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentiet ...
'', ''The Chimp Channel'' might be entertaining." However, Jicha also provided additional insight into the series' predicament, pondering "TBS seems to have it's days and nights confused. Cleaned up of its occasional randy references - there's even a snarky shot at
Monica Lewinsky
Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American activist and writer. President Bill Clinton admitted to having an affair with Lewinsky while she worked at the White House as an intern in 1995 and 1996. The affair, and its repercus ...
- ''The Chimp Channel'' might work for the audience at 10 in the morning on Saturday. At 10 at night on Thursdays it's a
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
-sized loser."
[Jicha, To]
A New Prim(ate)-time Series: The Chimp Channel
''Sun-Sentinel
The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as surrounding Br ...
'' (June 6, 1999). Retrieved on 4-08-10.
Fan reception appears to be somewhat more positive; as of 2010, ''The Chimp Channel'' holds an 8.2/10 rating on the
Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
and 6.2 "Fair" on
TV.com
TV.com was a website owned by Red Ventures that covered television series and episodes with a focus on English-language shows made or broadcast in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Origin ...
.
In popular culture
The show was promoted during time trials for the 1999
Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, is an annual NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, on a Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. The first race, held in 1960, was also the first on ...
by commentator
Ken Squier
Kenley Dean Squier (born April 10, 1935) is an American sportscaster and motorsports editor from Waterbury, Vermont. From 1979 to 1997, he served as the lap-by-lap commentator for ''NASCAR on CBS'', and was also a lap-by-lap commentator for T ...
, who, after reading the promo, was jokingly non-verbally referred to as a chimp by broadcasting partners
Buddy Baker
Elzie Wylie "Buddy" Baker Jr. (January 25, 1941 – August 10, 2015) was an American professional stock car racing driver and commentator. Over the course of his 33-year racing career, he won 19 races in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the 198 ...
and
Dick Berggren
Richard Berggren (born May 27, 1942) is a motorsports announcer and magazine editor from Manchester, Connecticut in the United States. He is commonly seen wearing a trademark flat cap.
Academia
Berggren described himself as "the worst student" ...
.
See also
*
Chimp Lips Theater, a pair of pilots also featuring live chimpanzees with a similar premise that aired on
Fox Kids
Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized as FOX KIDS) was an American children's block programming, programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channel ...
in 1997.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chimp Channel
1999 American television series debuts
1999 American television series endings
1990s American parody television series
1990s American sitcoms
American television spin-offs
Cultural depictions of Rupert Murdoch
English-language television shows
TBS (American TV channel) original programming
Television shows about chimpanzees
Television series about television
Television series by Studio T
Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios