>From: MS USA NETWORKS
>Date: Tue, 11 Jun 1996 12:23:15, -0500
>To: woodpile@discover-net.net
>Subject: Tales of the Gold Monkey
>
>I will pass your comments along to our programming department.
>
My, don't they sound enthusiastic. Oh well, I'm sure the person in front of USA's PC is just a mere peon and must refer these important matters to someone with authority. At least we know that the e-mail address is correct. Thanks, Erick.
Boy, when I was whining for e-mails a while back, I didn't think I would get notes like this!!!
Don Bellisario I thought the only one who still gave a damn about Gold Monkey was me. Like my children, I love them all, but Gold Monkey holds a special place in my heart.
No, sir, you are definitely not the only one who still gives a damn as evidenced by the responses on the bulletin boards. The show seems to hold a special place in the hearts of many of my generation. In fact, I finally decided to create my site after reading a Friends web page (Doesn't everything about twentysomething pop culture revolve around Friends?). The episode under discussion featured Rachel and Monica's prom video from the '80s, and somebody wrote, "As a member of the Duran Duran/Tales of the Gold Monkey generation, I found the video to be MOST nostalgic." Well, that did it. An entire generation was waiting for a Gold Monkey web site and I was just the person to give it to them. I hope it meets with your approval.
Thank you so much for your note. I'll be posting it to the bulletin board. However, since I'm not sure if you want your e-mail address flashed all over the world (my informal country response count is now 9), I won't post it. I hope you can stop by again and offer your perspective on this wonderful, and unfortunately neglected, series.
Jayme Blaschke tdt@vvm.com Hey Patricia! Back from the honeymoon--it was quite the exciting experience (apart from roadblocks in Arizona and New Mexico warning the entire state could erupt in a mondo huge fire at any moment...). Went rafting on the Colorado, stopped at Meteor Crater and Lake Havasu (London Bridge) but, maybe perversely, a disproportionate highlight was the two hours we spent in Roswell at the UFO Museum. It got me thinking about a program I used to religiously watch with my Dad back in the late 70's, Project Blue Book. Does anyone else out there remember it? It seems like a Gold Monkiac type of program. I'd think SciFi Channel or USA would run it, 'cuz if I remember correctly, it lasted two seasons or so. Still, haven't seen it in years.
Oh wow, Project Blue Book! I haven't thought of that show in AGES!! Damn, that was a pretty cool show. I wonder if the X-Files folks remember it. Would you like me to post this message to the bulletin board to see if anybody else remembers the show? I wasn't sure if you wanted the whole world (and I do mean that literally) to hear about your honeymoon.
Jayme Blaschke Yeah, sure go ahead and post it. It's not like I'm keeping it secret or anything (but I doubt most will find it very interesting...). Wouldn't it be great if someone had a stash of videos somewhere? Doubtful, I know, but Beta was around back then, wasn't it? The only episode I really remember was where (Formula: they always had one hoax, one explained sighting and one unexplained) some kid made this cool space-bug looking model and took pix of it, all green and glowing, and was exposed at the end. Wait, there was also one with some big hat rack-looking robot abducting a woman and her daughter. Wow! I can't believe this has gone unseen for so long!
I did a little research and the series was entitled Project U.F.O. and ran from Feb. '78-Aug. '79 on NBC. I wasn't too surprised to read that the show was produced by Jack Webb. (Jack Webb, formulaic? Naw!!) If anybody has any info or tapes of this show, please let us know. Think of it as a wedding present for Jayme.
Mitchell Boone mel@pionet.net EXCELLENT WEBSITE!!! Not to sound like a bad cliche, but I can't believe it, I thought I was the only one who remembered that show! Now I find out 2606 other people at least dropped by!!! WOW!!! Have you had
any luck in securing tapes of the show??? Especially the pilot episode, which hooked me instantly!!! I found you by accident doing a totally unrelated search on "Webcrawler". I saw "goldmonkey" in your URL and thought, no way, it couldn't be that....Well, I'm VERY happy to say I was wrong!!! Some related "trivia", the seaplane was used in (I'm not sure this is 100% accurate) COMMANDO w/ Arnold Schwarzenegger(sp.) and when they showed the exterior shot of the plane, you could clearly see/read "Cutter's Goose" on the nose, forward of the cockpit. It's been in some commercials, too. But the "Arnie" movie is the only movie I can recall, but everytime they show it (in commercials, etc.) they have NEVER
bothered to paint-over or otherwise hide the "big" CUTTER'S GOOSE name. Does this lead me to believe a forthcoming sequel/reunion/movie is in the works??? Probably not, it's bad luck once you name an aircraft, ship, etc. to "unname it" or paint over the name. So, unfortunately, it's probably more superstition keeping it on then any "future plans"....(sigh) Well, we can hope. Keep your eyes peeled for beer commercials and movie's using the Grumman Goose, and you will be able to see it to...If you haven't already.
I have to admit that I've never seen "Commando" and don't recall any commercials (but then I'm notorious for channel surfing). Sorry to break this to you though, Mitchell, but the Goose has indeed been painted over. It is now owned by the folks at Seattle Seaplanes, who have painted it blue and white. So much for bad luck.
As for tapes, you have much better luck. I now have all the episodes and even the pseudo-movie, "Curse at the Gold Monkey". Let me know what you want and how you want it. Prices are negotiable.
Also, I seen it mentioned that "Jack", the dog, was allergic to something...I can't remember what? I wanna say gold(?!) Please e-mail me w/ any updates/input...I know you're busy as all us Gen Xer's are, but would appreciate hearing from you.
Well, everybody thought that Jack was allergic to something in 'The Late Sarah White' because he kept sneezing. But at the end of the episode, we all discover that Jack's "allergy" was just a reaction to not getting any action. Once he got some tender loving care from a willing female terrier, he was just fine. BTW, I try to update this site with a little something every day, so I really don't have the time to e-mail everybody with the changes. May I suggest popping by here often to see what's going on. It would make my life easier, and my AOL bill smaller.
P.S. It's the "Arnie" movie where his daughter is kidnapped (not True Lies) and him and Rae Don Chong(?) fly a Goose to an island where the bad guy is holding her...as I recall.
Jayme Blaschke tdt@vvm.com Congrats, Patricia! Seems you've finally hit the big time with the main man his ownself stopping by! Huzzah! Huzzah!
I never thought when I created this site that anybody connected to the series would pop by, let alone the Big Kahuna himself!! Damn, I love the Internet!!
NIT-PICK OF THE DAY (June 17)
Everybody's favorite TV pooch pulled his multiplicity act again in 'Ape Boy'. As the hunters take the "wild child" on to their boat, we see Jack sneeking aboard. Then we see Jake, Corky and Sarah making their way to the beach and Jack's with them. Damn, this dog was truly multi-talented.
Malichi lazarus2@ix.netcom.com I was wasting time when I came across your page and was instantly transported back to my childhood (now I feel old!). I remember watching the show but I do not recall individual episodes that clearly. Your page is
excellent and thank you for taking the time to construct it.
You're welcome. If you wish to try to recall the episodes more clearly, read through my episode guide. And to really jog those memories, we have the entire series available on video cassette. O.K. so it's bootleg, but it's all we've got for right now.
Lesley Pohl pohl@wpo.sosc.osshe.edu Well, aren't you the wonderous one!! Congratulations, Mr. B himself!!
I read the updated bulletin board this morning and am so pleased!! Not only a message from the mighty one himself, but all sorts of new e-mails as well. My wish would be that Mr. Bellasario alerts the former stars of the show of your web site so they can all read it and send you their comments. Wouldn't it be nice to hear from Jake and Sarah and Corky themselves??
That may be a bit too much to hope for. But, I'm basically a greedy, selfish person, so, Mr. B., if you're reading this, please take the hint. We'll pay any price. You name it. Not only am I selfish, but I'm shameless as well.
Because I take my new-found Gold Monkey responsibilities seriously (No, I didn't realize what I was getting myself into.), I've been doing newspaper archive searches through the Net. From time to time, I'll post little things I've found that I think are interesting. Here's a blurb from the Boston Globe discussing the show in a 1982 article about the new fall season:
Among the press releases is the profile of a dog named Leo, who was discovered in an animal shelter in Miami in 1972, and who stars in the series as Jack, a feisty one-eyed terrier.What a coincedence. I too enjoy romping with squeaky toys and barking at the postman, which could explain my reliance on e-mail. But seriously, I think the publicity folks at ABC were a few bricks shy of a full load. With chuckleheads like this at the network, the show didn't stand a chance.
Leo's film credits, according to ABC, include "Conrack," "The Blue Knight" "Nickelodeon," "Helter Skelter" and "Kung Fu."
"When not working," the release says, "Leo enjoys romping with squeaky toys and barking at the postman. While proud of his accomplishments as an actor, Leo's true ambition is to direct."
In case some of you people would rather read than watch TV (What are you, some kind of sicko?), here's the pertinent data to track down that not-quite best-seller, the Tales of the Gold Monkey Storybook. This information is supplied by the ever popular, Lesley Pohl, who is taking the time out of her busy schedule to scan some of the pics and send them to me. I hope to post them soon.
Copyright 1983 by MCA Publishing a division of MCA Communications. Published in the USA by G.P. Putnam's Sons. Published simultaneously in Canada by General Publishing Co. Limited Toronto (another source perhaps?). ISBN 0-399-20990-5. Interestingly enough, the summary states that Jack is a fox terrier.
I think he is a fox terrier, even though I'm not sure. He's sometimes referred to as a Jack Russell terrier, but he's bigger and has different coloring. Hmmm...I wonder if there are any canine experts perusing the site who can tell us just what breed he is.
My frontspiece states that it is a first impression, I presume an equivalent to first edition. Oooooohhhh!! Of course, there probably were no successive printings.
I wouldn't think so, considering that the first printing must have been around the time ABC killed (Oh, I mean cancelled. No, killed's correct.) the show. BTW Lesley, you forgot the most important bit of info. Who's the author? I remember it state's that it's based on the television movie written by Donald P. Bellisario, but someone adapted the story. Wasn't it Carol something or other?
Sorry, here's the missing info:
Written by Donald P. Bellasario, story adapted by Judy Alexander. ALSO, let's not forget, book design by Lynn Braswell.
Sorry, I forgot Lynn. What the hell was I thinking of?
Pat Gallagher Pat_Gallagher/Supelco.SUPELCO@notesgw.sial.com I was delighted to find your web page on "Tales of the Gold Monkey". It is definetly fun reading about a show that I really enjoyed.
I am wondering, do you have episodes of the show that you would be willing to trade or sell?
O.K. folks, one more time, yes I now have all the episodes and am very willing to make copies for everyone. That may be a little excessive, but I'll do my darndest. When it comes to tape dubbing, the People's Republic of China's got nothing on me. Keep those requests coming.
jolayne jstodda@tcs.mailhost.tulane.edu hi! i just visited your homepage. Great job! i have a question for you that is not related to TALES, though. my question has to do with the 80s tv show SQUARE PEGS. i went to see the movie TWISTER last night, and jami gertz was in the movie. i thought that she was in SQUARE PEGS. my boyufriend thought that it was not jami gertz, but sarah jessica parker. my question is, who were the two main characters in the show, and was jami gertz on the show at all? if she was not, then what has she been in? you seem like you know
what's up, and i would appreicate any info you can come up with.
'Tis I, Patricia Annino, '80s TV scholar. I must admit that I never watched Square Pegs, which, like Tales of the Gold Monkey, only ran during the 1982-83 season, but from what I remember there were 2 girls as the stars and one of them was indeed Sarah Jessica Parker (give your boyfriend a gold star). I'm not sure who the other was but I'm pretty sure it wasn't Jami Gertz. Ms. Gertz, however, did co-star in the 1984 sitcom, Dreams, which also starred John Stamos. I didn't watch that one either, but I just know *way* too much stuff. If you'd like more information regarding the shows mentioned in this message (Sorry, watched too many of those damn "Read More About It" specials in my youth), check out "The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network TV Shows" or "Total Television", both excellent TV encyclopedias.
I know the previous message was a little off the subject, but I like showing off my abundant knowledge and I'm getting desparate to find things to post to this board since you folks don't like to send me mail. O.K. the guilt trip's over, for now.
Well, I checked my copy of "The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network TV Shows" and I must make a clarification. Jami Gertz was indeed on Square Pegs, but not as a star. She had a supporting role as Muffy the cheerleader. Now you can all sleep well tonight knowing this bit of information. Back to the subject at hand, it's time once again for...
NIT-PICK OF THE DAY (June 20)
Today's nit-pick deals with ruptures in the time-space continuum. For example, in the pilot, Jake mentions that he bought Jack's eye in 1936, but later on Corky reminds Jack how Jake once flew in a snowstorm to retrieve Jack's eye in 1934. Also in the pilot, Jake tells Sarah that he met Corky in 1933, but in the next episode, 'Shanghaied', Jake states in one of his voice-overs that he's known Corky since 1935. I guess Einstein was right; time is relative.
Travis Bryant zoso@one.net Hi Patricia! I truly was at the Gold Monkey homepage. I was here looking for Jake's last name, to use him as a character in a roleplaying game scenerio. I'm glad you're here, as not knowing his name would have driven me crazy!
Well, I couldn't let you go crazy, now could I, Travis. I don't think I could live with myself if I did.
I've posted Lesley's storybook pics to the pics page. They're the last seven in the ever-growing list. Check 'em out by clicking on the link below.
Well, I got a wonderful present in the mail yesterday. Jayme Blaschke, our favorite newlywed, sent me a laser copy of an 11"x14" publicity photo featuring Jake and Jack at the bar. The color and clarity are so good that you can actually see the scratches on the bar. He doesn't have any other Gold Monkey pictures and doesn't remember how he came about this one, but he did make this offer:
Jayme Blaschke tdt@vvm.com I started thinking, since you're donating so much of your time taping for the betterment of the show, why shouldn't I donate my time for something similar? If people want a laser copy of the photo, I think we
could work out a deal similar to what you're doing now. ($5 ought to cover copying, mailing tube and postage.) So what do you think? Will anyone be interested?
You make the call. Send your requests to Jayme. Believe me, it's definitely worth the $5. Too bad it's too big for scanning, but it's suitable for framing. Jayme also goes on to write:
Also, Jack, as far as I know, is (was... the poor guy's probably long dead by now-dog years and all that) most definitely NOT a Jack Russel terrier. Eddie (Moose) on Frasier is, along with a number of Jack Russels that have cropped up in movies and TV in recent years. Jack has none of that breed's features, apart from size. Still don't know what he is, tho.
Well, at least we've eliminated Jack Russell from the list. Perhaps the storybook is right. Maybe he was (He's either dead or about 24 years old. That's 168 to you and me, as Lorne Greene would say if he weren't dead himself.) a fox terrier.
Dave Simpson MNSM00A@prodigy.com Hey I'm missing two of the episodes of Tales of the Gold Monkey. I was able to tape them off of USA when it was on, but just found a episode guide. Is there anyway to get copies of the episodes I'm missing. Any help would be great and really appriciated. Awaiting your reply.
Await no longer, mon ami. You must be missing 'Shanghaied' and 'Trunk From the Past'. Back in 1987, MCA probably figured that they would never be able to sell the series so they did what they usually do to their short-lived cult series; they hacked episodes together and syndicated them as movies. MCA has done this in the past with such shows as Battlestar Galactica, Planet of the Apes and Kolchak: The Night Stalker, all in the days before they realized the power of cable TV. So MCA butchered those two Gold Monkey episodes into "Curse at the Gold Monkey". Then USA purchased the exclusive rights to the series, but since they couldn't have exclusive rights to those episodes, they couldn't air them. However, in the summer of '88, USA started to run a commercial featuring clips from the missing episodes and ending with the tag line, "There's always some new tale to tell.", thus giving the impression that they had acquired the episodes. But they never did. Those jerks!!!
Now to the business at hand. Thanks to Lesley Pohl and her wonderful Beta VCR, we have 'Shanghaied' and 'Trunk From the Past' as they were telecast on ABC back in 1982. Well, sorta. The tapes are almost 14 years old, so there are a few gaps, but they're essentially viewable. I also have, thanks to Craig Nystrom (Yes, I do believe in giving credit where credit is due.), a copy of "Curse at the Gold Monkey". It's in better viewing condition, but it's not a very good movie. MCA tried to take two totally unrelated episodes and create one coherent story. It didn't work. Let me know which version you would like. Of course, you could always get both and do some comparing.
NIT-PICK OF THE DAY (June 24)
Jayme Blaschke tdt@vvm.com Bythaway, watching the pilot with my brother (a master mechanic, ooh!) he said there were litterally thousands of reasons for an engine to go out, but "Carburator can't take the pounding" definitely goes into the Star Trek category of "remodulating the phase transducer to alter the quantum harmonics." I know it turned out to be sugar in the opposite engine, but a nitpic that almost was is still nonsense.
Hey a nitpick's a nitpick. Thanks, Jayme.
Alex Canas spoiler@ix.netcom.com I ran across your web site... looking for some info for a friend of mine who swore about this TV show ("Tales of...") He needed to prove to the world that it existed because everybody he turned to had not recognized the show... more importantly he needed to know the name of the lead actor Jake Cutter (which I found to be Stephen Collins)
I think your site is very cool... and if you ever need support for the show you've added at least one fan!
I guess my Golden Monkiac # is 2865...
Please thank your friend for me for waking you folks up to this show. I'm beginning to feel like a missionary trying to convert the natives. Can I get an Amen, somebody?
Lesley Pohl pohl@wpo.sosc.osshe.edu Actually, this is about Jayme's nit-pick which you just posted to the Bulletin Board. His master mechanic brother assisted regarding the carburetor of the Goose. In a similar vein, in one episode, Jake and the gang are in the Goose at night trying to sneak onto an island and they state that they are at 25,000 feet, the Goose's ceiling. A friend of mine who has flown such planes said that he's never seen one capable of
attaining an altitude higher than 14,000 feet and that was under exceptionally good conditions. Ah, writers, don't we love them!
That was in 'Once a Tiger...'. Now picking up your thread which you picked up from Jayme, in the same episode it's stated that the top speed of the Goose in around 205 m.p.h. I've read the specs from Grumman regarding the G-21 "Goose" and they say the top speed is 145 m.p.h. Maybe Jake had a super-duper goose.
The following is a semi-personal message to Lesley Pohl. Since this is really my personal web page (I'm just being really nice letting you folks hang out here), I can do what I want.
Hey, Lesley!!! What's wrong with your e-mail, girl? I've replied to all your notes and then some. I've even replied through Compuserve, yet nada. So if you're wondering where I am, I'm right here as usual. (Damn, they never let me leave this place.) I know my messages went through. Others whom I sent mail to yesterday have replied. So, if you're reading this on the bulletin board, may I suggest berating someone in your MIS department into fixing your e-mail system. If you're reading this on your e-mail, you can still berate someone in your MIS department just for the hell of it, but you'll probably be to busy reading all my notes from yesterday.
If you want to help see if Lesley's e-mail is now working, or if you just would like to chat with her (I'm sure she'd enjoy that), send her a note at pohl@wpo.sosc.osshe.edu.
Bob Byrne ByrneUPA@aol.com I was looking through my Tony Hillerman search list, and found your home page. Excellent! Tales of the Gold Monkey and the Adventures of Brisco County Jr are my two favorite shortlived series. It was neat reading the episode summaries. Hope I'll get to see some of them again.
I hope so too!! But if we can't watch it on cable (like Brisco on TNT), I do have copies of the episodes on video if you're interested. You may also be interested in talking to Lesley Pohl, whose e-mail is back up and running. Those are her two favorite shows. Maybe she'll tell you about the e-mail she recently received from Bruce Campbell. BTW, she also has copies of Gold Monkey episodes and if you ask her nicely (and send her weird toys), maybe she'll make you some copies.
jllang@space.honeywell.com I build models for a hobby. I've always wanted to build a "Goose" and was therefore addicted to the series. Does anybody know where I can get some plans?
I don't, but let's see if the fine folks out there do.
Bill Cosson SRLB35A@prodigy.com Patricia - I was cruising around the Net, both engines humming like new watches, and I came across a place called "The Internet Movie Database." The address is http://us.imdb.com/cache/title-exact/69836. It can find any movie or TV show by exact title or approximate title. I dialed up "Tales of the Gold Monkey" and they had some limited data about it. A person could also write a summary or critique of the show, add trivial facts, throw in their opinions, and what-have-you. Their information is sketchy at best, so i thought to myself "Who do I know that knows everything worth knowing about TOTGM, and even some stuff maybe not worth knowing?" Patricia Annino, of course. So if you can find these guys, stop by and set the record straight for them. I have been enjoying the new letters to your page. Over and Out.
Yes, I know about the Internet Movie Database. I've added Gold Monkey stuff to it in the past, like a hyperlink to my site, but recently they've made it extremely difficult, if not impossible to add data. I've tried to include a plot summary and other things, but if you try to follow their directions, you get nowhere. So, I've given up. If people want the best TOTGM deal, they can hit my link. Hey, it's their loss, not mine.
And now another viewer supported episode of...
NIT-PICK OF THE DAY (June 27)
Craig Nystrom psdjuni@qnet.com I noticed another Nit-pick (again I'm probably not the first to notice but in the Sultan of Swat, Corky says there is fire in the port engine. The cutaway scene shows the starboard engine smoking.
John Yoder JYODER@mhi.com Just found your site. Like the 3007 people before me I thought my wife and I were the only ones who loved the Monkey. I have some of the shows on tape from USA, but not all, and wonder if you're as yet overwhelmed by requests for copies for them. I'll send you a list later of those I need. Have your S&H prices changed?
The standard price is $3/tape, but it tends to get even cheaper if you buy in bulk (less postage, you know). I'm booked through the weekend, but submit your request and I'll start on in next week. Always glad to help out a fellow Gold Monkiac.
We got a DSS receiver a year or two ago and had access to a multitude of new channels. For the 1st couple of months the on-screen program guide for Encore-Action had TOTGM. Unfortunately, every time I switched to the station they were playing Robocop or something instead. Any ideas if Encore ever carried it? They might be another source for re-airing the show. But, unlike USA, there probably aren't a lot of people who get Encore.
I get the basic Encore channel, but I think all of the Encore channels only air movies. They may have run the pilot movie, which of course would be better than nothing. Maybe they were just teasing us like the USA Network did with their "There's always some new tale to tell" promo they did in 1988. But thanks for the lead. I'll try to track down the Encore folks on the web.
Bill Cosson SRLB35A@prodigy.com Patricia, my aviatrix friend, I have been unable to contact the Gneech. He hasn't updated his page since May 11, 1996, and his email address no longer works. Perhaps you know more about this shocking
turn of events than I do, but I suspect foul play. We can't lose this guy. After all, if you're out of Gneech, you're out of Goose. Let me know if you find out about his whereabouts. Maybe we need to mount a rescue mission or something.
The last I heard from the Gneech, he told me that all sorts of things were happening and that he would elaborate when he got the time. Obviously, he hasn't gotten the time. But, I'll post your S.O.S. to the board. Gneechie, if you're reading this, phone home.
Remember when I told you folks that the company where you could get the Tales of the Gold Monkey theme on CD, Star Tech, no longer sold scripts. Well, I was wrong. (Don't get too used to seeing me type those words.) They offer a variety of scripts, including all the Gold Monkey ones plus two unused scripts. They sell them for $12 per one hour script and $20 for the pilot. You can order their catalog for US$1 (specify catalog #108 - 1996 Script and Audio Tape Catalog) from: Star Tech, P.O. Box 456, Dunlap, TN 37327 USA.
Here's another bit of information that I've uncovered in my archival research. It's an article from the Philadelphia Inquirer and no, I didn't get their permission to reprint it. I'll burn in copyright infringement hell, but I liked this article so much that I just had to share it. I mentioned this incident in my episode guide under 'The Lady and the Tiger', but here are the details. Enjoy.
TV/RADIO TALK - REALITY INTRUDES ON PRIME TIME
Friday, December 10, 1982 Section: FEATURES TELEVISION RADIO Page: C13
By: BY BILL COLLINS
TEXT:
By Bill Collins
Inquirer Staff Writer
Somewhere in the South Pacific, Jake Cutter faced a showdown with a Japanese cowboy while a man-eating tiger stalked an Amish boy.
A barn was burning and cattle were stampeding in the hills of northern California on "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," and there was a seeing-eye parrot on "Real People"
That was prime-time network television Wednesday night.
In Washington, a pale van lay on its side in the unearthly glare of helicopter searchlights, and what looked like the entire Washington presscorps milled on Washington Mall.
A 66-year-old man had captured the Washington Monument and held it hostage for 10 hours with 1,000 fictitious pounds of dynamite, demanding that the government and the television networks launch a "national dialogue" on nuclear disarmament. Then, apparently feeling that he had made his point, Norman D. Mayer got into his van and drove into a barrage of police bullets.
That was prime-time network television, too.
It was a jumble of reality and fiction, and by the time it was learned that Mayer was dead and that there had been no dynamite (despite the "positive reactions" of dynamite-sniffing dogs) and no second man hiding in the monument, it was no longer a jumble but a fusion.
News "updates" broke into scheduled programs frequently enough to meld ABC News anchor Ted Koppel and reporter Bettina Gregory into the cast of ''Tales of the Gold Monkey." It was probably the same with Dan Rather and ''Seven Brides" on CBS and Tom Brokaw and "People" on NBC, but we stayed pretty much with ABC.
First there was Gregory standing on the mall, nervous because the press had been warned that 1,000 pounds of dynamite was enough to reach the TV camera positions if it went off, and frustrated because nothing much had happened since the van had been knocked out an hour before. There were a couple of ''back to you, Ted"s and "anything new, Bettina?"s before a Japanese patrol marched onto the screen, their tall leader wearing a white sombrero.
The Japanese, it became evident, were out to take over a settlement of nonviolent Amish folk, and soon the man in the white hat was slugging Cutter, who was disguised as a member of the clan.
The camera showed police lugging packages and boxes from the rear of the van. The lingering possibility of an explosive climax to the scene at the Washington Monument was obviously over.
A police spokesman told of tear-gas shells being fired into the monument as the search for a possible accomplice proceded. So it went. Cutter was off to the Japanese headquarters to face the villain. The Amish boy followed on his horse. Police were breaking the windshield of the overturned van.
Cutter arrived at the Japanese camp, faced the Japanese gunfighter and revealed his true identity. Then Cutter and the boy were back in the Amish village, the Japanese killer and the killer tiger were dead. The Amish village and the Washington Monument were safe.
There were commercials.
All ended well, possibly even the way the only real casualty, Mayer, had wanted. For most of a day he had held the attention of the nation and the world. He had said he was ready to give his life to deliver his warning against nuclear suicide. He very possibly died for prime time.
But the morning after he was just an obsessed peacenik who had died in a jump suit for threatening to blow up a 555-foot hostage. While it gave him the coverage he had sought, television ignored his message.
On television, Mayer became part of a blurred blend of fact and fiction. Whether he was a nut or a martyr to a cosmically grave cause, his big chance on TV was a failure. He might just as well have been a member of an Amish encampment somewhere in the South Pacific.
Since I'm probably already in trouble with the Philadelphia Inquirer and, more importantly, none of you folks are sending me messages to add to the site, here's another article that I found in their archives that you may enjoy reading.
ABC TAKES A FLIER ON EXOTIC ADVENTURE
Thursday, August 26, 1982 Section: PEOPLE/HOME/ENTERTAINMENT Page: D07
By: BY JERRY BUCK
TEXT:
By Jerry Buck
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - It's 1938, and as you sit in the Monkey Bar nursing a drink and watching the sun sink into the South Pacific, you half expect to see Sadie Thompson strolling along the island beach. Jake Cutter has just landed his Grumman Goose in the lagoon after flying a contraband load to another island. Louie is behind the bar, decorated with dozens of carved monkeys, and Sarah, the sexy chanteuse, is struggling through another song of unrequited love.
This is the setting of "The Gold Monkey," a new ABC series of adventure and intrigue set on the kind of overlush South Pacific island where author Somerset Maugham placed Sadie Thompson in his story " Miss Thompson," later dramatized as Rain .
This particular mythical island is Boragora, where there's a spy behind every coconut palm and adventure is lurking inside Louie's Monkey Bar. Amotley collection of expatriates has washed up on its shores, each with his own baggage of dreams and a secret in his past.
"It's about a guy who flies a beat-up old airplane in a remote part of the world during our last age of innocence," says Stephen Collins, who stars as American pilot Jake Cutter. "It's a very removed place. I think people yearn for that. Today, two minutes after an event, you've got it on the news and rehashed and replayed. It was a slow world in the 1930s. I think people miss that."
Cutter's world is also a make-believe world. The plane, the lagoon, the bar, the jungle have all been constructed on the back lot of Universal Studios under the guidance of Don Bellisario, the creator and executive producer. Not only that, but Universal has made Boragora a stop on its studio tour. Less than a coconut's throw from the dock in front of the Monkey Bar, the Red Sea parts every few minutes as another tramload of tourists goes by. Collins says, "If we do it right, it'll look like a show of the '30s. If we shot this on location it would look too contemporary."
A movie he is using as a model is Only Angels Have Wings , a 1939 release in which Cary Grant played an air-mail pilot in South America. "If someone described that pilot, you'd never think of Cary Grant," Collins says. " If you described Jake, you'd never think of me. Grant played a two-fisted, old-fashioned hero, but it was one of his best parts. There was nothing urbane about him. When I was sent the script for 'The Gold Monkey,' that movie was the first thing I thought of. "Ours is an action-adventure show," he says, "but it's also about how people relate to each other and react in a foreign environment far from home."
"The Gold Monkey," along with CBS' "Bring 'em Back Alive," has been called a ripoff of Raiders of the Lost Ark . The concepts are similar and they're set in the same period. But the lean, handsome Collins shakes his head no. "Don Bellisario tried to sell this to the networks before Raiders ," he says. "The debt we owe Raiders is that its tremendous success made the network receptive to a 1930s period piece. "This is a much more personal story than Raiders . The truth is we never set out in any way, shape or form to do Raiders . But I think the network is probably delighted that people want to make that comparison."
Collins was born in Des Moines, Iowa, during a visit by his parents to the United States. They promptly returned to Peru, where his father was an executive of Panagra Airlines. He spent some of his infancy in Peru, but was brought up in a small town on the Hudson River north of New York City.
Collins, who is separated from his wife, lives in an old building that was built in Spain, disassembled and moved here in 1927. Clark Gable once lived there, and Collins' next-door neighbor is Bette Davis. "It has a big courtyard," he says. "It's like something out of a Tennessee Williams play, something you would expect to see in Baton Rouge."
In high school and at Amherst College in Massachusetts, Collins was a rock musician and played in several bands. He was also busy with acting and appeared in more than 20 plays at college. When he graduated, he had a small role waiting in Twelfth Night, part of Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park
program in New York.
Although he spent considerable time on the stage, he is probably best known for his roles in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the ABC mini-series ''Inside the Third Reich."
For everyone who was wondering about the Gneech, I've received word from him. He's alive and well and playing the bagpipes. Well, I'll let him explain.
The Gneech The Gneech@aol.com Hey! :) Sorry I've been an absentee; recently I changed jobs, finished a mystery novel, and resumed my bagpipe lessons... it's been a busy month! :)
I trust you folks all had a fine weekend. I'll have to trust you on that since nobody took the time this weekend to send me a note, with the very notable exception of our favorite M.I.A, The Gneech. Oh well, I guess you people don't love me anymore. I'm sure you've found a younger, prettier web site to surf. Fine. I'll survive. Now that my little temper tantrum is out of the way, it's time for...
NIT-PICK OF THE DAY (July 1)
In 'Honor Thy Brother', Jake finds a cobra in his room and gets off about 4 or 5 shots before he blows the cobra's head off. I've got two nit-picks. First, why didn't anybody notice the gunshots, especially the people in the room below, since Jake was shooting through the floor. And second, afterwards Jake picks up the dead cobra and it's miraculously in one piece even though just seconds earlier we literally saw it explode (that was kinda yucky). Points to ponder as you start another work week.
All right, here's more board filler. Yet another article I found while rummaging through the Philadelphia Inquirer's news archive. You know, people, if you would just send me something to post to this board, I wouldn't have to run the risk of the newspaper police bursting down my door.
COVER STORY - STEPHEN COLLINS: THIS YEAR'S SELLECK?
Sunday, October 17, 1982 Section: FEATURES TV WEEK Page: 004
By: BY MARY ANN NORBOM
TEXT:
By Mary Ann Norbom
Inquirer TV Writer
One of the most attractive additions to television this year is Stephen Collins, who heads the cast of "Tales of the Gold Monkey." At 6-feet-2, with blond hair and blue eyes, Collins is a star in the making.
Fortunately, he is already an actor. Collins has an extensive list of stage credits as well as movies and a couple of TV mini-series to his name. That he has, at this time in his life and career, decided to do a series, says a lot about Collins and almost as much about Tom Selleck.
The professional evolution of Selleck, who plays the title role in ''Magnum, P.I.," has been instrumental in bringing a number of his contemporaries to the small screen this fall. Besides Collins, there are Bruce Boxleitner, Tim Matheson, Perry King and Ted Danson.
All are actors who were gradually establishing themselves in the whole range of acting opportunities, with the exception of a weekly series. The fear has long been that once an actor committed to being a TV star, he closed the door on everything else.
Selleck, many in the industry feel, is rewriting that rule book. Although he is hugely successful on TV, he has not become typecast by his role; and by carefully limiting his non-Magnum visibility, he has not so overexposed himself that audiences wouldn't pay to see him in a film. The anticipation in Hollywood for Selleck's first big-budget feature, High Road to China, is evidence of that.
Collins' debt to "Magnum" doesn't stop there. That show's producer, Don Bellisario, had been trying for three years to get "Tales of the Gold Monkey" off the ground. Suddenly a hot property himself, he finally got the backing from Universal Studios and is the series' executive producer.
He even brought with him from Hawaii a couple of "Magnum" favorites. Jeff McKay, who had a recurring role as Magnum's buddy at Naval Intelligence, has co-starring status in "Gold Monkey," as best friend to Collins' character, Jake Cutter. And Marta Dubois, who appeared on a "Magnum" special
as the title character's long-lost wife, is "Gold Monkey's" villainous Princess Kogi.
Both Collins and Bellisario are candid about other debts they owe for the birth of their show. Set in 1938 in the South Seas, "Gold Monkey" features high adventure (our hero flies a cargo plane), Nazi spys and a mythical treasure. The comparisons to Raiders of the Lost Ark are obvious.
Although both producer and star insist their new series is not a copy of that blockbuster movie, they point to the fact that the success of Raiders simply made a believer out of a network. ABC was the convert in this case.
Then there is the character Bon Chance Louie (played by Ron Moody in the two-hour premiere movie, and by Roddy McDowall for the run of the series) and the ambiance of the Monkey Bar, where much of the action takes place. Both the gentleman and the setting are straight out of Casablanca.
"I've not been to Raiders, and, at this point, I'm sort of enjoying not having seen it," says Collins, looking relaxed and tan in the kind of semi- preppy attire befitting a graduate of Amherst College.
"I think the extent to which we owe them something is that George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have their fingers on the American consciousness. They discover trends and set them. Raiders reminded a lot of people in the industry that there is a love for that kind of entertainment. We also owe a lot to Casablanca in terms of tone. No question about it. And for the way the characters relate to each other."
Seated alongside Collins in a conference room at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, Bellisario interjects that when he first pitched his "Gold Monkey" idea three years ago, he was told he'd have to update it into a contemporary piece. Refusing to make that switch, he shelved the project and waited out the change in network thinking.
" 'Gold Monkey' is real life. The characters are not fantasy characters. The relationships are not fantasy relationships," Collins continues. "I was offered half a dozen pilots this season, and one of the things that
attracted me to this was the fact that relationships are developed. What goes on between my character and Jeff MacKay, as my mechanic, reminded me a lot of Bogart and Walter Brennan in To Have and Have Not. These are caring people. This show is not just pure adventure."
Collins says he has relied largely on instinct when selecting roles. His very first was composer Stephen Foster in a grade school play. There were 22 more plays during his college years. His first professional assignment, just weeks after graduation, came from Joseph Papp, producer of the New York Shakespeare Festival. It was a small role in Twelfth Night for a Central Park production.
In the 13 years that have followed, Collins, 35 and a bachelor, has continued his stage work while adding films to his credits, including All the President's Men, Fedora and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He played the younger Joshua Turner to Henry Fonda's older character in last year's TV movie, "Summer Solstice" (the performace that attracted Bellasario) and co-starred in the recent mini-series "Inside the Third Reich."
"I grew up professionally at a time when the relationship between film and TV was very different from the way it is today," Collins says. "I was of the school that if you wanted a serious film career, you didn't do a series. I've turned down a lot of pilots and a couple of firm offers over the years. Now I've watched that whole thing just completely turn around.
"So last fall I had a few meetings about shows that were in development. I guess word got out that I was thinking about doing a series and that's why so many offers came in. It was sort of unwitting, but having said 'no' for such a long time did seem to make me more attractive to producers."
Besides liking the "Tales of the Gold Monkey" scripts, Collins decided on the series because of its producer. He was advised 10 years ago, he says, that if he was ever going to do a series to make sure the producer was someone he could work with and talk to day in and day out, nine months of the year, 12 to 14 hours a day. Bellisario, he believed, was that man.
A Penn State graduate, Bellisario returns the compliment, saying that his star is an easy-going, "terrific" actor to work with, and has had a lot of input into the show. He admits, too, that there are a lot of similarities between his leading man and Selleck. "They are approximately the same age, of course. And they are very much alike in their attitudes."
Collins' attitude influenced him to spend part of the summer in Robert Redford's month-long workshop for independent filmmakers at the Sundance Institute in Utah. It is a setting for serious filmmakers to meet and work on projects. TV series stars are not often inclined to participate, or accepted for enrollment. But then Collins is a man of varied interests. A staunch fan of the New York Mets and of rock music, he has also practiced transcendental meditation for six years and recently lectured at Maharishi
International University in Iowa.
Success, he says, has something to do with when you're ready for it. "You just go out and do your best each time. After we finished work on the three films I was in, the producer called and said, 'Sit tight, you're all set after this one.' I never felt rejection because it didn't happen that way, although it is disappointing when a film you have worked very hard on and have high hopes for comes out and doesn't do what you wanted it to. It's difficult, but you deal with those feelings by building something strong
inside yourself."
This time out, Collins' high hopes, at least for commercial success, may be justified. Several ratings handicappers have picked "Tales of the Gold Monkey" to be one of the few shows this season that will become a hit. ABC is so strong on it that the network threw a lavish pre-debut party for the cast and members of the press on Universal Studio's back lot where the series is filmed.
That last paragraph always brings tears to my eyes. Amazing what can happen in just a few short months. Damn those ABC weenies!!!
Bill Cosson SRLB35A@prodigy.com Patricia - I have been enjoying your 'filler' stuff written by all the pros (although not as much as the off-the-cuff literary gems that you and your devoted web site visitors put out) so keep up the good work. Excited to hear that the Gneech is still alive, although somewhere in late 20th century too-much-to-do captivity. I share the sentiment that it would have been nice if TOTGM had been a hit for awhile. That way we could have had 63 episodes worth of reruns instead of 21. What replaced TOTGM on the tube, do you know?
Well, that's difficult to answer. The show was cancelled at the end of the 1982-83 season, so wasn't technically replaced by any specific show. However, the show that moved into the empty space on Wednesday nights was that TV classic, Hotel, starring the incomparable James Brolin and Connie Selleca. Yes, in one fell swoop, ABC axed Gold Monkey and gave the world a landlocked Love Boat. No wonder ABC spent much of the eighties in the ratings sewer.
Remember when I said that I would post everything I received. Well, here's my first bit of criticism.
This message has been deleted by request of Jamie Auckerman, who was erroneously listed as the author of the threatening message. All future references to "Mr. Auckerman" on this page refer to the coward who anonomously sent me the note and not to Jamie Auckerman.
Lesley Pohl pohl@wpo.sosc.osshe.edu I did think of something not yet covered on the Bulletin Board! As a long-term X-Men comics fan, I remember fondly the issue where Scott Summers (Cyclops) and Jean Summers (Marvel Girl) get married and set off for their honeymoon in a Grumman Goose. Their honeymoon destination? Why Bora Gora of course. Now to figure out which Marvel employee was the TOTGM fan!
I don't read comic books much anymore. I have nothing against the genre; it's those damn high prices that get me! Really, $2.50 for a comic book that would have only cost me a quarter when I was a kid. O.K., so that was 20 years ago, but I don't think the rate of inflation is such that an item would cost 10 times as much now as it did in 1976. I feel *really* old right now. Bet that as it may, if anybody knows anybody at Marvel who can enlighten us about this incident, let me know. And if anybody has this issue, I'd love a copy. A Xerox copy is fine. Just don't try to charge me $2.50 for it.
Good news, folks. Lesley just sent me another picture to post to the pics page. Actually, I sent her the picture for her to scan for me. Who needs to invest in expensive equipment when I've got friends. Thanks, Lesley. BTW, here's a preview of the new picture.
Bill Cosson SRLB35A@prodigy.com Patty (may I call you Patty?) -
Well, if you insist, Bill, but nobody's called me that since high school. Most people call me Pat, but family members call me Tricia. I will answer to about any variant of Patricia EXCEPT for Patsy. Anybody who dares call me that will feel my wrath. You have been warned.
Don't feel that you have to keep stuff like the Auckerman files around just for our edification. Feel free to censor (if you'll pardon the term) stuff like that. My goodness! Just when I thought that your web site visitors were the most sophisticated, most articulate, most culturally informed people online today - this
happens! Boy oh boy.
It just goes to prove how democratic the Web is. They'll let anybody in. But, I promised that I'd post everything I got. Besides, now the whole world knows that Mr. Auckerman is an idiot.
Josh Ellis gabriel@poboxes.com Being ten years younger than you, I only vaguely remembered TOTGM, but the ambiance of the show has influenced a lot of my own work ever since!
I remember that I loved the show and watched it every week, but I can't remember much else other than the basic look of the show, which was phenom.
If you get it back on the air, let me know!
Now...if somebody would only get a Kidd Video homepage going, my 80s nostalgia would be complete.
Thanks,
Josh Ellis
gabriel@poboxes.com
http://www.loop.com/~pat1/
Believe me, when (notice I said when, not if) we get the show back on the air, you'll hear about it. Everyone will hear about it. I have a *very* big mouth.
Here's the final installment of
NIT-PICK OF THE DAY (July 5)
(I'm reducing it to NIT-PICK OF THE WEEK from now on)
In 'Once a Tiger...', Jake is reading the identity card of the downed Flying Tiger, Kramer, and says that he is from Sioux Falls. When the card is seen close-up, it says that he's from Sioux Falls, Iowa. Those of us who aren't geograpically challenged know that Sioux Falls is in South Dakota. The writers were obviously confusing it with Sioux City, Iowa. What has the level of U.S.education come to?
Lesley Pohl pohl@wpo.sosc.osshe.edu Just checked out Bulletin Board #2. There is a Sioux Falls, Iowa in addition to Sioux City, Iowa and Sioux Falls, SD. So, you might want to remove that bit from the Board.
Regarding Sioux Falls, remember in that scene Jake says "I used to pitch against Sioux Falls.". I would assume that he meant Sioux Falls, SD since that would be a big enough city to have a minor league baseball team. Just how big is Sioux Falls, IA? I still think the writers got confused. Also in this episode, they keep mentioning "blue-faced boobies", a bird you would see just off of land. The birds they were trying to refer to are blue-footed boobies, so the writers' research, or lack thereof, didn't impress me very much.
JD Darling29@aol.com Well I've finally meet(kinda) another Gold Monkey fan. For the past year i've asked the question at appropriate occasions (ie bars) and have found only a handfull of fellow believers. What spawned my interest was the station FX. Their running the Fall Guy and I always loosely associated the two. I know they're not the same (Howie is no where near as hip a dog as Jack). I know much less than you in regards to who owns what and what station could buy and run what, but FX might also be an avenue. I've E-mailed and faxed them my thoughts on Gold Monkey and as of yet have not heard a reply. And as I pour thru my cluttered desk, I can't find those #'s. But I'm glad to have found your creation, it looks great. You've put a lot of time into it and I apprechiate(sp?) it immensly(sp?) (you know -- a bunch).
I've thought of FX as a possibility, but there are a few drawbacks. The biggest one being that many people don't get the FX channel, including me! If I'm gonna go to all this trouble to get it back on the air, then I want to be able to watch it. O.K., so I'm being selfish. Right now, I think the best route is lobbying MCA/Universal Home Video to release the show on tape. Not only could we be able to watch the show whenever we wanted, but I wouldn't have to spend hours making bootleg copies from bootleg copies and sending them to just about everyone in the US and Canada. Yes, I'm being selfish again. But write to MCA/Universal Home Video and demand your Gold Monkey. The address is on the main web page.
Kurt Giessel kgiessel@u.washington.edu Wow! someone else remembers this show besides me. I was only 10 or so when it was on so I dont remember it too well but my father and I would watch it every week.
Hey, if I had my druthers, we'd still be able to watch it every week in reruns. So write to every cable channel you can think of, pleading with them to air the show. BTW, has anybody seen my druthers? If I had them, maybe we'd get somewhere.
Darin Luse darin_luse@om.cv.hp.com Hi there- I was excited to see a page about the long lost show that I can hardly remember in detail, but that I loved. I am 24 now, so I was a little younger when I saw the show than you were. I ask people if they remember it and most everybody says no. Then you remind them about the dog with the eye patch and some of them say, "Oh yea, I sort of remember something like that". I have been waiting for it to come on the air again like on FX or any one of those upper channels, but has of yet been dissapointed. I fell in love with the Grumman Goose when I was ten because of that show. I will have to write to that address you mentioned to encourage them to put it on again. The one episode I remember pretty well is the one I think was called 'A Trunk from the Past' where that guy gets stuck in that ancient chamber at the end, and he can never get out! That scared the hell out of me. Thats some damn scary stuff to a ten year old, but I loved the show.
If you want to bring back some more memories, read through my episode guide.
I visited Universal Studios in the summer of '83, and I got two snap shots of 'Cutter's Goose' sitting at the dock of what must have been Boragora while on the tram tour. I still have the pictures at my parents house, and would be more than happy to scan them in for you. Just give me how big you want them (Kbytes) and in what format and I can get them to you.
Free stuff? I'm always interested in free stuff, especially if it's Gold Monkey free stuff. A .bmp file would be fine. I have software that will convert it to a .gif and resize it if necessary. Just don't make it too big. I get charged for download time. Thanks a bunch. BTW, Craig Nystrom sent me pictures from his Universal tour in the late '80s (I wonder if the tour still goes through Boragora?). Unfortunately, I put them in a safe place so I wouldn't lose them, but I just can't remember where. I hate that when that happens.
Also, I saw that you referred the dog 'Jack' as a terrier (which he is). Now I don't know a whole lot about dogs but I think the full name of that type of dog is a Jack Russel Terrier. You always refered to him as just a terrier, and I admit I'm no expert, but I am assuming a Jack Russel Terrier is a specific type of terrier. I think they were doing a little play on his breed by calling him 'Jack' My friend has a Jack Russel Terrier and it is the exact same type of dog as 'Jack'. If I am stupid and there is only one type of terrier (the Jack Russel type) and you already knew this, then nevermind.
There are many types of terriers, but we can't figure out which type Jack was. Some sources agree with you that he was a Jack Russell, but other sources say Fox terrier. Hey, he could be a mixed breed. So faced with this dilemma, I wimped out and went with the safe, generic term, terrier. Nobody can contradict me there.
Thanks for the page, and if you want me to send those pictures of Cutter's Goose (they were shot on 110 film, so they are a little grainy, but they are no worse than some that came from the T.V.), just e-mail me back at the address below.
Darin Luse
e-mail: darin_luse@hp-corvallis.om.hp.com
Corvallis, OR
Yeah, the TV pictures didn't come out so well. But when you consider that they were taken from a grainy, 3rd generation tape of the original ABC broadcasts, they look fantastic. Sure I'd love the pictures. Thanks again.
Eliazar Cavazos goldmonkey@aol.com You rule! Just kidding. Thanks for proving a bet! Nobody here even remembered the show.
You know, I'm getting pretty sick of hearing that. What's wrong with people today? Our early '80s pop culture is sadly being erased. Somebody's got to put a stop to this!!
My name is Eliazar Cavazos, by the way
(http://users.aol.com/goldmonkey/)
I was wondering who took the "goldmonkey" name in AOL! I almost sent you an e-mail to beg for the name, but that wouldn't be fair to you. But I can still pout a bit.
If you don't mind, I'd like to add you as a link. I'll be adding a tv section soon and thought I'd like to include Tales of the Gold Monkey. What a cool show... one of my two favorite scenes out of all those episodes is when the main character is playing poker and he gambles the dog's eye.
I never mind people putting in links to my site. Thanks for asking. I've discovered plenty of web pages with links to my site, most of whom never asked me. Just for asking, I'll put in a link to your page on my main web page. You see what a little common courtesy will get you.
And now the first installment of
NIT-PICK OF THE WEEK (July 11)
In 'A Distant Shout of Thunder', Jake informs Corky that he won't be evacuating Boragora with the rest of them because they're low on fuel, "You can make it to Tagataya, but only if the Goose is at least one passenger light." Yet, after Jake rescues Sarah from the angry natives (by reciting a silly little poem, no less) everybody, including Jake, takes off in the Goose. Don't tell me Jake solved the fuel problem by reciting the same silly little poem?!
Joseph Sullivan "Sully" Ensignro99@aol.com I miss the show. It was GREAT!!!!! I also liked Bring 'em Back alive which aired around the same time, era wise.
Shows like these don't happen often. Glad you have a web page on the series.
And now I'm gonna do something I swore I'd never do. I've edited Sully's note. He decided to include his home address, and I don't think it's a good idea for me to tell the whole world where he lives. However, I have no qualms about e-mail addresses.
My eMail address is: Ensignro99@aol.com
Ya I like Star Trek to.
I've noticed that most of the people who congregate to the my site are also Trekkers. Both shows do share a bit of the same style; plenty of action, but an emphasis on characters.
Jayme Blaschke tdt@vvm.com Patricia, I sincerely hope you turned that Auckerman nut case in to the cops. Transmitting threats is a serious offense, and even if he is some punk 10 year old that thinks it's funny to shout dirty words in church, he still needs to be squashed like the bug he is.
I don't think they could do anything about it. According to his e-mail address, Auckerman is in Japan, out of the reach of authorities. Yes, Jamie was a *very* bad boy, but he strikes me as the type who can't get any attention any other way except by being bossy and obnoxious. If we all ignore him, he'll crawl back under his rock.
Concerning the newspaper articles you've commandeered... I seriously doubt you have anything to worry about. Papers are much more interested in the here-and-now than what they ran 15 years ago, and since very few papers (or writers) reprint such articles (since they are invariably dated) no one's likely to sue you for financial losses. Now, if you happen to post the script to the new Star Trek movie--heh heh heh. I've
been getting a kick watching how fast Paramount's lawyers have been swooping down on these Trekkie web sites!
I know that nobody's going to bother me, but the writer in me (I'm a frustrated writer, if you couldn't tell from my site.) just doesn't like appropriating other's work without their permission. But I always give them their proper credit. It's the least I can do.
Bill Cosson SRLB35A@prodigy.com Hiya Patty! We watched the episode "Lady and the Tiger" last night and my wife jumped about a foot when that tiger hopped onto the nose of the Goose and almost snared Jake. I'd forgotten about it too. That episode had all the good elements of TOTGM. Life on Boragora, adventure elsewhere, some good shots of the Goose, everybody had lines (even Gushie, who looked great in his Foreign Legion Uniform) and Jack displayed some of his trilingual talents and spoke Japanese.
That's my favorite part of that episode. When Jack growls to distract the Japanese soldier, the soldier asks him if "What is it? A rat?". The soldier speaks in Japanese and is subtitled in English. Then Jack barks twice and is subtitled in Japanese!! I thought that was pretty cute.
While I kinda agree with Lesley that Corky made the show, in the larger sense it was a combination of all the elements that made it work. And Jake - what a hero! In the pilot he spends 42 seconds underwater grappling with that Monocle bad guy, comes out of the water and gives Sarah a long kiss without taking any time to catch his breath. What a cardiovascular system! And an Amish lady falls for him - how often does that happen? He's the linchpin that the series revolves around. And Stephen Collins was just perfect in the role.
I dialed up Donald Bellisario's interview on the JAG page, and that guy is something. He's got a good outlook on how to do a show. Maybe he'll do a TOTGM feature length movie sometime. Wouldn't that
be something.
That would be something, but don't bet on it. I can't even get Mr. Bellisario to answer my e-mail reply from a month ago, so don't hold your breath over a Gold Monkey movie, no matter how good your cardiovasular system is.
Again, I gotta say how much I enjoy your page. I can't believe how many visitors you have on your lap counter.
Bye for now. How many times have I told you to file a flight plan?
What? And lose my element of surprise?!
Meg gzivich@infinet.com I started a search on my favorite childhood show as a joke, never expecting to find an entire homepage on Tales of the Gold Monkey!!! I'm shocked - and also pretty amused. Thanks for making my evening.
By the way, when I was ten years old, I was absolutely "in love" with Jake Cutter. I still have my scrapbook full of all the original ads from the TV Guide!
As I say in my Usenet Sig, I created the site "BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAD TO, THAT'S WHY!" So now you can go to the pics page and add to your scrapbook collection. And admit it, Meg. I bet once in a while you'll turn on one of those trashy TV movies just to see if Stephen Collins is still as cute as you remember. He still looks pretty darn good IMHO. ;-)
Yes, folks, it seems that it's time once again to start a new board. This file is now around 100K and not everybody has high speed modems. So, kind person that I am, I've started bulletin board #3 as of July 15.
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