1974

This page chronicles events that take place in the year 1974.

See also: Timelines

Planet of the Apes Timeline

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Production Timeline

• Literally hundreds of Planet of the Apes-related items are licensed and flood the market in anticipation of the debut of the TV series in September.

• A novelization of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes written by John Jakes is published by Award Books.

• Power Records adapts four of the five original Planet of the Apes films as 'Book & Record' sets comprising a full color comic with a record providing narration and sound effects. The four adaptations are later collected for a compilation LP.

• March 13: A plane carrying a TV production crew crashes near Bishop, California, killing Planet of the Apes actors/costume designers Janos Prohaska and Robert Prohaska.

• April 5: TV series script "Hostage" is completed by Stephen Kandel. Further scripts are written leading up to the start of production in June, most of which will be filmed for the series.

• May: Auditions are held for the role of Urko|Ursus. The next day auditions are held for Zaius, and the following day three couples are tested together: one Ursus and one Zaius. Mark Lenard and Booth Colman are selected.

• May 31: Ron Harper tests for the role of Alan Virdon in Los Angeles.

• June 1: Ron Harper marries Sally Stark in New York. In the second week of their honeymoon, Harper is asked to return from Killarney, Ireland, to test with Roddy McDowall and candidates for the role of Stan Kovak, including James Naughton.

• June 20: A script for episode "The Gladiators" changes the name of Ursus to 'Urkus'.

• June 25th: The first draft of "Escape from Tomorrow" is written. It changes the names of Urkus to 'Urko', and Stan Kovak to 'Ed Rowak'.

• July 1: Production begins on the Planet of the Apes TV series.

• July 3rd: The final shooting script for "Escape from Tomorrow" is completed. It notes that on all future scripts Urso/Ursus should be called Urko, and Rowak/Kovak called Pete Burke.

• July 7: Cinematographer Leon Shamroy passes away. Shamroy was widely acclaimed for his filming of Planet of the Apes (1968).

• Issue #1 of a bi-monthly Planet of the Apes Magazine is published by Marvel Comics (August cover date).

• August 9-10: Mego International stages a special promotion at the Hempstead Times Square Store in Long Island, New York to launch their new line of five Planet of the Apes eight-inch action figures from the original film along with a 'Treehouse' and 'Village Playset' and a remote control horse.

• September 13th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-503, "Escape from Tomorrow" airs on CBS.

• September 20th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-502, "The Gladiators" airs on CBS.

• September 27th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-505, "The Trap" airs on CBS.

• October 1: Composer Lalo Schifrin records the single Ape Shuffle (Theme From "Planet Of The Apes") / Escape From Tomorrow at Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, California to publicize the new Planet of the Apes TV series.

• October 4th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-501, "The Good Seeds" airs on CBS.

• October 6: Japanese TV series Saru no Gundan (Army of the Apes), borrowing heavily from the Planet of the Apes concept, begins its 26-episode run on TBS TV.

• October 11th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-504, "The Legacy" airs on CBS.

• October 13: Planet of the Apes episode "Escape from Tomorrow" first airs in the UK.

• October 18th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-508, "Tomorrow's Tide" airs on CBS.

• October 20: Planet of the Apes episode "The Gladiators" first airs in the UK.

• October 25th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-509, "The Surgeon" airs on CBS.

• October 26: Marvel Comics' weekly Planet Of The Apes comic debuts in the UK.

• October 27: Planet of the Apes episode "The Trap" first airs in the UK.

• November 1st: Planet of the Apes television episode B-510, "The Deception" airs on CBS.

• November 3: Planet of the Apes television episode "The Good Seeds" first airs in the UK.

• November 8th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-511, "The Horse Race" airs on CBS.

• November 10: Planet of the Apes television episode "The Legacy" first airs in the UK.

• November 15th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-512, "The Interrogation" airs on CBS.

• November 17: Planet of the Apes television episode "Tomorrow's Tide" first airs in the UK.

• November 22nd: Planet of the Apes television episode B-513, "The Tyrant" airs on CBS.

• November 24: Planet of the Apes television episode "The Surgeon" first airs in the UK.

• November 28th: The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade includes a Mego Corporation Planet of the Apes display, which features, in costume, Mego staff and the members of the band 'Electric Cowboy', who had just recorded the Planet of the Apes - A Musical Trip LP (on TPI Records).

• November 29th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-506, "The Cure" airs on CBS.

• December 1: Planet of the Apes TV episode "The Deception" first airs in the UK.

• December 6th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-507, "The Liberator" is scheduled to air on CBS, but does not.

• December 8: Planet of the Apes episode "The Horse Race" first airs in the UK.

• December 10: Actor Paul Richards passes away. Richards played the role of Mendez XXVI in Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

• December 13th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-507, "The Liberator" airs on CBS in some areas.

• December 15: Planet of the Apes TV episode "The Interrogation" first airs in the UK.

• December 20th: Planet of the Apes television episode B-514, "Up Above the World So High" airs on CBS - the last episode, as the show has been cancelled.

• December 22: Planet of the Apes TV episode "The Tyrant" first airs in the UK.

• Award Books publishes novelizations of the TV series written by George Alec Effinger under the titles Man The Fugitive, Escape To Tomorrow, Journey Into Terror and Lord Of The Apes.

• Power Records releases a series of three 'Little LP' records featuring completely new audio adventures for the Planet of the Apes TV series characters. These are collected into a compilation LP, along with a fourth original story.

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