IMDb > "Manimal" (1983)

"Manimal" (1983) More at IMDbPro »TV series

Overview

User Rating:
5.9/10   192 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Michael Berk (writer)
Larry Brody (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Manimal on IMDbPro.
Seasons:
1 full episode list
Release Date:
30 September 1983 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Sci-Fi more
Plot:
A man who can change himself into any animal fights crime. full summary
Plot Keywords:
NewsDesk:
'Baywatch' Named Worst U.S. Show Ever by U.K. TV Execs
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 26 November 2004)
User Comments:
Not to be confused with "Garanimals." more (22 total)

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 5 of 9)
Simon MacCorkindale ... Prof. Jonathan Chase / ... (8 episodes, 1983)
Melody Anderson ... Det. Brooke McKenzie / ... (5 episodes, 1983)
Reni Santoni ... Lt. Nick Rivera (5 episodes, 1983)

Michael D. Roberts ... Tyrone C. Earl (4 episodes, 1983)

William Conrad ... Narrator (4 episodes, 1983)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
60 min (8 episodes)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Company:
20th Century Fox Television more

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:
Spoofed in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful.
Not to be confused with "Garanimals.", 28 December 2004
Author: M. C. Brennan (penelopedanger) from Grover Beach, CA

Is there, in the whole English language, a better word than "Manimal"? I think not. And should you be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this show, you'll never be the same again.

Putting the "high" in "high concept," Glen Larson's crime-fighting shape-shifter was a man who could turn into ANY ANIMAL. Any animal at all. As long as that animal is a panther. OK, in a pinch, he can do a hawk, but can we stick with the panther please? It's not so much that special effects technology didn't exist in 1983, it's just that network TV could not afford them. Production costs were high for all that Manimalization, and when low ratings did not quickly morph into Neilsen success, Manimal was hastily euthanized.

Simon MacCorkindale does fine work as the Manimal, but to modern eyes this show plays more like an extended Saturday Night Live skit, when the promise of a man who can be any animal turns into the reality of a guy being swapped out for the same piece of stock panther transformation footage week after week. Still, I sincerely hope Manimal is reissued, because for all its faults, it's a priceless slice of ridiculous 80s fun.

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Trivia for hardcore fans of the show (I know there are) shin-serj-tankian
I met Simon MacCorkindale and asked him to do Manimal Hands... AndrewWorkman
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