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Television loves to play it safe — or at least, that’s what the ratings suggest.

Audiences know what they like, and networks quickly replicate proven formulas.

But every so often, a show comes along that says, “Forget the rules.” These are the bold experiments, the oddball gems that refuse to color inside the lines.

Pushing Daisies (NBC/Screenshot)

From space trash collectors to singing cops, these shows dared to push boundaries, defy expectations, and embrace the absurd.

While most of them didn’t last long, their ambition helped shape the TV landscape, paving the way for today’s quirkiest hits.

Let’s celebrate the weird, the wild, and the downright baffling shows that were too ahead of their time to survive — but left a lasting mark on television history.

The Pioneers of Weird

TV in the 1960s and ‘70s wasn’t exactly known for taking risks, but there were glimmers of experimentation.

Have you ever arrived at a New Year’s Eve party about 20 minutes or so after the ball has dropped? No matter if things are still raging or starting to break up, there’s a distinct sense that you missed something vital about the event, and that despite how much you or others may try, the air’s already been let out of the room. That’s the sad state currently faced by “Kraven the Hunter,” a movie that releases in theaters mere days after the announcement that the film marks the official end of Sony’s Marvel Universe.

This isn’t an instance of a movie being caught with its cinematic universe pants down, however; the end credits don’t feature a slew of teases for movies that will now never happen. It’s more quietly tragic then that the movie cuts to credits with no mid-credits scene, no post-credits scene,...

For many years, Hollywood didn't really know what to do with Ryan Reynolds. He was tried as a romantic lead, but few of his romance films were enormous hits. He also stumbled as an intense horror icon; the remake of "The Amityville Horror" didn't do him any favors. Reynolds was celebrated as a comedic lead in films like "Waiting..." and "Van Wilder," but he could only play an immature buffoon for so long. Many know of his missteps as an action star, as films like "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "Green Lantern" have been wildly lambasted by fans and even Reynolds himself. It wouldn't be until performances in films like "The Voices," "Pokémon Detective Pikachu," and of course, "Deadpool" that the destined-for-stardom star would finally become a force to be reckoned with. His 2024 film "Deadpool & Wolverine" (which he also produced and co-wrote) made over $1.3 billion. 

In 2013, three years before "Deadpool,...

In the eyes of Trekkies, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" may be the greatest TV series of all time. No other show -- not "The Sopranos," not "M*A*S*H," not "Manimal" -- has come close to the high quality and rich premise of the adventures of the Enterprise-d in the 24th century. Famously, creator Gene Roddenberry took core concepts from his 1966 "Star Trek" series and enhanced them for "The Next Generation," creating an even more aggressively utopian world that was even more forthright about its anticapitalist, anticolonialist intentions. He even instigated a rule among the show's writers that no two characters were allowed to bicker, and no stories could stem from interpersonal conflicts. In Roddenberry's vision, everyone got along at all times.

Writers, naturally hated this idea, as they felt conflict is the best way to create drama. For the first two seasons, Roddenberry, writers, and lawyers all butted heads over the series.

As a child I was fascinated by “Manimal” an old TV series where a man could transform into various creatures. Also, by “Braveheart” a cartoon sheriff with the powers of hawk, wolf, puma, and bear (currently singing that as I write this). So, the concept of a guy revived with martial animal powers caught my attention. With one of the executive producers (Prachya Pinkaew) being the man who brought us Tony Jaa it looked like there could be some potential here. I mean what martial arts movie fan doesn’t mind a bit of Tiger or Monkey Style? Can’t be too bad right???

on Amazon by clicking on the image below

Told in flashback to Detective Russells (Layton Matthews), An Voaen (D.Y. Sao) takes a watchman job at a mental institute. Here Mephisto and the Four Horsemen are abducting children for a sacrificial ritual to bring about the end of times,...

Click here to read the full article.

Bo Brundin, the Swedish actor best known for his turn as a demoralized German World War I pilot opposite Robert Redford in the aerial adventure film The Great Waldo Pepper, has died. He was 85.

Brundin died Sunday in his hometown of Uppsala in Sweden, a spokesperson for Paar Productions told The Hollywood Reporter. The company worked with the actor on one of his last projects, the 2011 short film Starlight, in which he played God.

Brundin appeared in an early stage production of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal — his role would be taken by Max Von Sydow in the classic 1957 feature — and he had a small role as a political prisoner in The Day the Clown Cried (1972), the infamous never-released film from Jerry Lewis.

Brundin, who played lots of Germans and Russians during his career, also appeared on the big screen in the...

Author, dream weaver, visionary, plus actor Garth Marenghi (Matthew Holness) is back! This time in novel form with the upcoming release of Garth Marenghi’s TerrorTome.

TerrorTome will release in hardback, e-book, and audiobook from Hopper Studio on November 10, 2022.

Garth humorously describes his novel as:

“Less a book, more a petrifying mind-realm, or ‘psych-zone’, if you will (and you must), TerrorTome charts the paranormal adventures of fictional horror paperback author Nick Steen. Rejected by both Heaven and Hell for his blasphemous visions, Nick is a fallen angel now living in purgative limbo (his hometown of Stalkford), chained (literally) to a cursed typewriter, in a flat which also forms a part-cosmic portal to unexplored demonic realms. When Nick’s imagination escapes, leaking out of his own head, Stalkford is overrun with the fictional horrors of his own books, their incarnate denizens hellbent on destroying Stalkford, outer Stalkford and possibly sightly further.

This isn’t news. This is a public service announcement in the interest of popular morale, a snapshot of a world that once was and could be again, if only we dare to dream.

In 1979, the Canadian Television Network revived 1960s series The Littlest Hobo, a half-hour family show about a German Shepherd dog who drifts around rural Canada helping folk in need. Don’t worry about why the dog does it. We don’t need to know. The desire to have a psychological origin story for every paper boy or nail technician ever to appear on screen is a 21st century weakness. In the 1970s and 80s, TV audiences enjoyed Zen acceptance of outrageous premises from Manimal to Help!… It’s the Hair Bear Bunch! without any irritable reaching after fact and reason. The dog is a good dog. He wants to help. That’s all there is to it.

Nathan Jung, best known for his portrayal of Genghis Khan in the original Star Trek series, died April 24 at age 74. The location and cause of death has not been disclosed by his friend and attorney, Timothy Tau.

Jung began his acting career in 1969 with a role as Genghis Khan in “The Savage Curtain” episode of the original Star Trek.

From that launching pad, he went on to numerous guest shots on some of the biggest television shows of the 1970s and 1980s, including M*A*S*H*, Starsky & Hutch, CHiPs, General Hospital, Manimal, Riptide, Hunter, Sanford and Son, and Kung Fu.

In the 1990s, he had stints on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Martial Law and Burke’s Law.

Jung also can claim to be one of the few actors who worked with both Bruce Lee and his son, Brandon Lee. Opposite Bruce, Jung appeared on a 1969 episode of Here Comes the Brides.

Nathan Jung, the actor who appeared in “Star Trek: The Original Series,” “The A-Team” and “Kung Fu,” has died. He was 74.

Jung died on April 24, his close friend and attorney, Timothy Tau, confirmed to Variety. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Jung kicked off his acting career in 1969 with his role as Ghengis Khan in “The Savage Curtain” episode of “Star Trek: The Original Series.” From there, taking advantage of his tall stature, his television resume exploded with roles on the biggest shows from the 1970s and ’80s. Jung appeared on “M*A*S*H*,” “Starsky & Hutch,” “CHiPs,” “General Hospital,” “Manimal,” “Riptide” and “Hunter.” He also held roles in “Sanford and Son,” in which he played Helen Funai’s cousin, Saburyo, and “Kung Fu,” in which he plaed the Dark Rider. In the ’90s, he had stints on “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “Martial Law” and “Burke’s Law.

Reni Santoni, the American film and TV actor who played Clint Eastwood’s young partner in Dirty Harry and recurred as the pizza maker Poppie on Seinfeld, has died after a long illness. He was 81.

TV producer Tracy Newman, a close friend of Santoni, confirmed the news on Facebook.

“He had been sick for quite a while,” she wrote. “Those of you who knew him know how funny he was, what a terrific actor, improviser, performer, etc. So brilliant. I loved him very much and will miss him terribly. Another great one is gone. I have a lot of wonderful pictures of him, and will post them over the next week. My heart goes out to his son, Nick, who has been such a comfort to Reni over that past five years or more.”

Born in New York City in 1939, Santoni began his career in theater before securing his first...

Master of Horror Greg Nicotero takes us on a stroll through some of his favorite movies, as well as a trip through every home video format you’ve ever heard of… and some you haven’t.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Outbreak (1995)

Creepshow (1982)

The Howling (1981)

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Horror of Dracula (1958)

The Time Machine (1960)

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

From Russia With Love (1963)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Frankenstein (1931)

The Wolf Man (1941)

Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

The Towering Inferno (1974)

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954)

Thunderball (1965)

Broadcast News (1987)

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Citizen Kane (1941)

Star Wars (1977)

Jaws (1975)

Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989)

What’s Up Doc? (1972)

Logan’s Run (1976)

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

Dragonslayer (1981)

Aliens (1986)

1917 (2019)

Gravity (2013)

Alien (1979)

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein...

Sony Pictures Animation continues working on adapting the 1983, 8-episode TV series "Manimal", created by Glen A. Larson ("Knight Rider") as a CG/live-action feature:

"...'Dr Jonathan Chase'... wealthy, young, handsome. A man with the brightest of futures. A man with the darkest of pasts. From Africa's deepest recesses, to the rarefied peaks of Tibet, heir to his father's legacy and the world's darkest mysteries. Jonathan Chase, master of the secrets that divide man from animal, animal from man... a 'Manimal'..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Manimal"...

Sony Pictures Animation continues developing the 1983, 8-episode NBC TV series "Manimal", created by Glen A. Larson ("Knight Rider") and Donald R. Boyle, as a CG/live-action feature:

"...'Dr Jonathan Chase'... wealthy, young, handsome. A man with the brightest of futures. A man with the darkest of pasts. From Africa's deepest recesses, to the rarefied peaks of Tibet, heir to his father's legacy and the world's darkest mysteries. Jonathan Chase, master of the secrets that divide man from animal, animal from man... a 'Manimal'..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Manimal"...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday.

This week’s question: Which show that actually made it to air has the most preposterous premise you’d ever encountered?

Kaitlin Thomas (@thekaitling), TVGuide.com

I don’t really know if “Sleepy Hollow” truly had the most preposterous premise I’ve ever encountered, but it was the first show that came to mind this week, because it never should have worked. The show was built around the idea that Ichabod Crane was a hunky history professor-turned-soldier who woke up in present day when someone raised the Headless Horseman, who was revealed to be one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. That sounds like a lot on its own, but there was so much more: America had a magical history! There was a magic bible belonging to George Washington that explained all this stuff!

Nick Aldwinckle Sep 2, 2016

Our latest The Bottom Shelf DVD and Blu-ray round-up features Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, Jaws: The Revenge and Chuck Norris...

With Shark Week arguably America’s most beloved religious festival and the unprecedented worldwide cultural impact of Anthony C. Ferrante’s acclaimed Sharknado trilogy showing no sign of letting up, who could deny the necessity of the Jaws sequels finally getting a Blu-ray release?

The immediate answer is obvious (well, anyone), though this belated look at Jaws 2, Jaws 3-D, Jaws: The Revenge and Jaws 5: The Sharkening was, for this writer at least, a nostalgic journey through a world where morbidly obese fish bear grudges, Michael Caine fights a script far deadlier than any marine predator and where lines such as “Weld that sonuvabitch” are somehow deemed passable.

Generally considered the best of the sequels, perhaps Jaws 2 holds a special place in the heart of the reader who,...

Ryan Lambie Nov 4, 2016

Nearly 40 years ago, Doctor Strange got his first shot at screen glory. We take a look back at the Dr Strange TV pilot...

Even the biggest superheroes had to start somewhere. Batman made his screen debut in a 15-part serial for Columbia, where he spent the entire time tussling with a ‘Japanese’ criminal called Dr Daka (actually Irish-American character actor J Carrol Naish). Superman also made his first live-action appearance in a 40s serial, with Kirk Alyn wearing some very large underpants as the Man of Steel.

See related Looking back at Disney’s Beauty And The Beast Beauty And The Beast: see Angela Lansbury sing the title song Top 10 films of 2013: Frozen

Marvel’s roster of characters started to get their own shows in the 1970s, with Spider-Man leading the way and The Incredible Hulk following him with a successful, five-year run on CBS.

Stars: Chuck Norris, Louis Gossett Jr., Melody Anderson, Will Sampson, Sonny Landham, John Rhys-Davies, Ian Abercrombie, Richard Lee-Sung | Written by Robert Gosnell | Directed by J. Lee Thompson

Looking back now – three decades later – it’s hard to believe that the idea of an archaeologist as The go-to film hero was, oftentimes, a guarantee to bring in the punters and create a big-money blockbuster movie! Indiana Jones, Romancing the Stone, King Solomon’s Mines, etc. all graced the big screen to varying degrees of success during the mid-80s; and yes, it was Spielberg’s film that reignited the genre but it took Cannon Films – the purveyors of low-budget, high-concept big screen bonanzas – to really put the fun into this now-buried treasure of a genre.

After hitting it big with King Solomon’s Mines, they milked the classic character for another big-budget (at least for Cannon) movie before the flash-in-the-pan adventurer genre faded.

From George Melies through to Peter Jackson and Jj Abrams' Star Wars film, the rise, fall and rise of practical effects explored...

From the very earliest days of cinema, practical effects have been the big draw for audiences. The very first films may have wowed the crowds with images of trains pulling into a station, but it was the fantastical made real that fired the imaginations of millions, and led to film as we know it - narrative flights of fancy which have entertained and made us gasp for well over 100 years. But the last 25 years have seen practical effects fall by the wayside.

Digital effects created in a computer took over, and allowed filmmakers to dream even bigger. But practical effects are beginning to make a comeback. Some of this is due to audiences feeling the CG burnout; no longer quite believing what they’re seeing, resulting in...

Tributes have been flying back and forth this weekend in the wake of the death of legendary TV creator Glen A. Larson who passed away from esophageal cancer at the age of 77.

Larson was the man behind a dozen hit television series in the 1970s and 1980s including the original "Battlestar Galactica," "Knight Rider," "Magnum P.I.," "Manimal," "The Fall Guy," "Quincey M.E.," "Alias Smith And Jones" and "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century".

He also wrote the theme songs for both "Knight Rider" and "The Six Million Dollar Man," and won several Emmys for his writing work which included shows like "McCloud" and "The Fugitive".

Source: io9...

The iconic television writer, creator, and producer Glen A. Larson passed away Friday, November 14, at the age of 77.

Larson was perhaps best known for creating some of the most iconic TV shows of the 1970s and '80s including Alias Smith and Jones, McCloud, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century, B.J. And The Bear, Trauma Center, Quincy M.E., Manimal, The Fall Guy, and Magnum P.I..

However, two of Larson's most lasting creations are still cultural touchstones to this day. In 1982, Larson introduced Kitt, the artificially intelligent car, and David Hasselhoff's Michael Knight to American audiences with Knight Rider, and it quickly became one of the biggest TV hits of its day.

Photos: Stars We've Lost In Recent Years

Four years prior, Larson created a show that would, much later, become a hugely celebrated franchise. In 1978, Larson brought the cult classic sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica to TVs across the country.

While not a huge...

Children of the ’70s and ’80s have lost one of their seminal storytellers.

Emmy nominee Glen A. Larson, who created dozens of hit series including Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Quincy M.E., Cover Up, Magnum, P.I., Manimal, The Fall Guy and Knight Rider, died Friday night at age 77 at a California hospital. The cause of death was esophageal cancer.

Larson, who began his show-biz career in the 1950s as a member of The Four Preps singing group, transitioned to TV writing a decade later with an episode of The Fugitive.

His trio of Emmy nominations came...

Glen A. Larson, the television writer-producer who created Battlestar Galactica, among many other hits series, died on Friday at the age of 77. Larson's son told The Hollywood Reporter that he died of esophageal cancer at UCLA Medical Center.

Larson's incredibly fruitful television career came after a stint in the 1950s pop group the Four Preps. After working as a story editor and producer on It Takes a Thief, he created his first show with the western Alias Smith and Jones, followed by The Six Million Dollar Man. In 1976, Larson introduced Quincy,...

You know who would love a new World Premiere teaser webisode for Broad City’s upcoming second season this morning? People with a sense of humor. Do you know who else would enjoy this World Premiere teaser webisode, the first installment in a web series called Hack Into Broad City, alerting us to the Comedy Central show’s January 2015 return? Dr. Jonathan Chase, the character played by Simon MacCorkindale in the glorious eight-episode run of Manimal in 1983. And do you know who else would enjoy this World Premiere teaser webisode, in which Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer wake and bake, and then proceed to chat over video about who would love an Epcot Center for cereal? Jerry Seinfeld. Ilana will explain why.

Fresh off the heels of his role as President Business in The Lego Movie, Will Ferrell is starting to get more involved in the business side of making movies. Gary Sanchez Productions, which Ferrell runs alongside Anchorman director Adam McKay, has signed on to produce a big-screen adaptation of 80s cult TV series Manimal. Jimmy Miller and series co-creator Glen A. Larson are also tapped to produce, while Key & Peele scribes Jay Martel and Ian Roberts are working on the script.

Manimal, which had a brief, eight-episode run on television in 1983, follows Dr. Jonathan Chase, a shape-shifter who fought crime by morphing into animals. While it is not surprising that a show with that premise was cancelled so abruptly, Ferrell and McKay are promising additions to a film that could be very funny. With Manimal, Sony Pictures Animation hopes to have a hybrid of live-action and animation, similar to their Smurfs franchise,...

If you needed more proof that Hollywood is out of ideas and will reboot absolutely anything at this point, allow us to present exhibit number 463,321: Manimal. If you had a life during an eight-week period in 1983, you may well have missed out on NBC’s Manimal, a show widely regarded as one of the worst in history. Simon MacCorkindale starred as a rich playboy who solved crimes with his ability to morph into any animal he wanted – a skill bestowed upon him by some African tribe. It was every bit as (wonderfully) terrible as it sounds – which means Hollywood is totally up for rebooting it. News broke last night that Sony Pictures Animation has teamed up with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions and Jimmy Miller’s Mosaic to create a...

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If you were alive and watching TV during an eight-week period in 1983, you may remember the short-lived show Manimal. Simon MacCorkindale starred as a rich playboy who solved crimes with his ability to morph into any animal he wanted – a skill bestowed upon him by some African tribe. It was every bit as wonderfully bizarre as it sounds – and naturally Will Ferrell is totally up for rebooting it as a movie. Sony Pictures Animation has teamed up with Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (Anchorman, Step Brothers) to create a hybridized live-action-and-animation update of Manimal. Reports claim the new version will reenvision the show as an action comedy with lots of visual effects and animated elements. Here's an image from the original television show. McKay...

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London, July 23: Jimmy Miller from Mosaic and Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions is set to produce 'Manimal' for Sony Pictures Animation.

The feature, which is based on the 1983 TV series about a man who is able to convert into any animal, will also be produced by the show's original co-creator Glen A. Larson along with Jay Martel, and will be penned by Ian Roberts, Deadline.com reported.

McKay said that he believes that the project, which is a live-action/animation hybrid and yet to have a director, would be "funny and entertaining," and he hopes it is good enough to be the first film to win a Pulitzer. (Ani)...

Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will reunite on Manimal.

The Anchorman pair have been announced as producers on the big screen adaptation of the short-lived '80s television show.

The series originally ran for eight episodes in 1983.

Simon MacCorkindale played Dr Jonathan Chase, a man who could shapeshift into different animals, an ability he used to solve crimes.

Ferrell is yet to be confirmed as the film's star, with ComingSoon reporting that it was hinted McKay will not direct.

The actor and writer-director collaborated on Anchorman and its 2013 sequel, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and The Other Guys.

"Like The Catcher in the Rye or The Sound and the Fury, Manimal has always been one of those elusive projects every producer dreams of taking to the silver screen," said McKay.

"I know the movie will be funny and entertaining but will it be the first film to win a Pulitzer?...

Sony Pictures Animation has announced that Jimmy Miller’s Mosaic, and Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions will produce Manimal, a live-action/animated feature film that takes the concept of the cult television drama of the same title – a crime-fighter who can transform into animals – and reinvents it as an action-comedy.

Original series co-creator Glen A. Larson will also produce. The feature is being written by Jay Martel & Ian Roberts. The project, which will be a live-action hybrid heavy in visual effects and animation, is being overseen by Sony Pictures Animation President of Production Michelle Raimo Kouyate and Svp Michael Lachance.

Mosaic’s past feature films include The Other Guys, Step Brothers, Bad Teacher, and Talladega Nights. Glen A. Larson previously created several popular television series including Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider and Magnum, P.I. Gary Sanchez Productions’ credits include Step Brothers, The Other Guys, and Anchorman 2.

It only ran on NBC for 8 episodes back in 1983. Its legacy is that of one of the worst television shows of all time, a title spoken about only as a punchline. Now Anchorman creators Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will bring “Manimal” to the big screen. We truly live in strange times.

Original Synopsis:

Dr Jonathan Chase... wealthy, young, handsome. A man with the brightest of futures. A man with the darkest of pasts.

From Africa's deepest recesses to the rarefied peaks of Tibet, heir to his father's legacy and the world's darkest mysteries. Jonathan Chase, master of the secrets that divide man from animal, animal from man... Manimal!

“Manimal” is one of those TV show ideas that probably sounded good on paper. A dashing, aristocratic British adventurer raised in Africa (played by Simon MacCorkindale, "Falcon Crest") gains the power to transform into any animal of his choosing (though for...

Will Ferrell and his regular directing cohort Adam McKay ("Anchorman," "Step Brothers") are teaming yet again, this time to produce a film adaptation of the short-lived 1983 NBC series "Manimal" for Sony Pictures Animation.

Simon MacCorkindale ("Death on the Nile") starred in the original series as Dr. Jonathan Chase, a dashing and wealthy man raised in Africa who mastered the ability to morph into various different animals to fight crime.

The show ran for just eight episodes before being canceled. This new film adaptation will be a combination live-action and CG-animated effort and will re-envision the material as an action comedy.

Both Ferrell and McKay will produce alongside Jimmy Miller and series co-creator Glen A. Larson, but it's unclear if Ferrell will star. McKay won't direct though as they are currently seeking a helmer for the project. Jay Martel and Ian Roberts ("Key and Peele") will write the script.

Source: Deadline...

Adam McKay and Will Ferrell know how to make unusual situations funny . from reading the news (Anchorman) to Nascar (Talladega Nights). So when we hear that they are tackling the short-lived and completely bizarre NBC drama Manimal for a potential feature, we hardly bat an eye. You didn.t watch Manimal? I can.t say that I blame you. The television program only ran from September 30 to December 17, 1983 . amassing only eight episodes. Can that be right? The description on Wikipedia is so perfect, I just want to share it with you in its entirety. The show centers on the character Dr. Jonathan Chase (Simon MacCorkindale), a shape-shifting man who possessed the ability to turn himself into any animal he chose. He used this ability to help the police solve crimes." Which brings us back to Adam McKay and Will Ferrell. Don.t worry. I.ll hurry back to Manimal. It...

Whenever a film project is announced that draws on the nostalgia for ‘70s and ‘80s TV series, we joke about what might be next on the list. But that list is growing ever shorter as even more obscure titles are plucked for the development machine. Sony Pictures Animation grabbed Manimal in 2012, proving that everything is up for grabs and the company now has Anchor-men Will Ferrell and Adam McKay developing its CG/live-action movie take on the series. Manimal, for those young enough to be furrowing brows and contemplating a trip to Wikipedia, began life in 1983 and starred Simon MacCorkindale as wealthy, mysterious British college professor Dr. Jonathan Chase, who helps solve crimes with a most unusual power – he can transform into different types of animals. Despite this power to become whatever he wants, he usually chose a hawk or a black panther, mostly because that’s what the show had budgeted for.

Jimmy Miller's Mosaic and Will Ferrell and Adam McKay‘s Gary Sanchez Productions have partnered to produce a remake of 1980s short-lived crime series “Manimal,” McKay revealed on Tuesday. The original series starred Simon MacCorkindale as Dr. Jonathan Chase, a man who had the ability to transform into any animal, and used his ability to help police solve crimes. The new film, from Sony Pictures Animation, will unsurprisingly have comedic elements in addition to action, and will feature heavy special effects as well as animated elements. Also read: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis to Star in ‘Larry's Kidney’ for Richard Linklater Miller,...

On a desperate network that aired shows about a talking car and a sarcastic, cat-craving alien, Manimal still holds a special place in the annals of programming infamy. Simon MacCorkindale starred as Dr. Jonathan Chase, a wealthy crime-fighter who could morph into all sorts of fierce animal creatures. Since it was still 1983, you can imagine how cheesy the special effects were, and the series was cancelled by NBC after only eight episodes, forever making Manimal a punchline.

Adam McKay and Will Ferrell are now hoping to get some more fresh laughs out if it. Their Gary Sanchez Productions is partnering with Sony Pictures Animation,...

"Manimal" fans, rejoice: a big-screen treatment of the cult '80s TV series is coming to the big screen. Gary Sanchez partners Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are producing a live-action/animated hybrid of the show for Sony Pictures Animation, according to Deadline. Though the original series (which centered on a wealthy crimefighter capable of shapeshifting into a variety of different animals) played the concept straight, the film version is being billed as an action-comedy "with heavy visual effects and animated elements." The film will be written by "Key & Peele" scribes Jay Martel and Ian Roberts. “Like 'The Catcher in the Rye' or 'The Sound and the Fury,' 'Manimal' has always been one of those elusive projects every producer dreams of taking to the silver screen,” said McKay in a statement. “I know the movie will be funny and entertaining but will it be the first film to win a Pulitzer?...

Will Ferrell and Adam McKay have come aboard to produce Manimal, Sony Pictures Animation’s live-action/animation hybrid adaptation of the cult favorite 1980s TV show. Key & Peele exec producers Jay Martel and Ian Roberts are writing the script while Jimmy Miller of Mosaic is also coming on board to produce. Manimal followed Dr. Jonathan Chase, a wealthy doctor with a mysterious past who morphed into animals in order to help the police fight crime. Simon MacCorkindale and Melody Anderson were the stars. Photos Second Time's the Charm: 15 of Hollywood's Most Notable Remakes The show was lambasted by critics

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Exclusive: Sony Pictures Animation has set Jimmy Miller’s Mosaic and Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions on Manimal, the feature based on the cult 1980s TV show about a man who fights crime using his ability to morph into animals. Miller, Ferrell, and McKay will produce along with original series co-creator Glen A. Larson, and Key & Peele EPs Jay Martel and Ian Roberts already have been tapped to write. The original 1983 series starred Simon MacCorkindale as Dr. Jonathan Chase, a dashing and wealthy man raised in Africa who was also “master of the secrets that divide […]...

Fans of the short-lived '80s TV series "Manimal" have something to roar about today: "Anchorman" vets Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are teaming up to produce a big screen adaptation of the cult show.

Deadline reports that Ferrell and McKay will co-produce the flick with Glen A. Larson, who co-produced the original NBC series. Per Deadline, "The original 1983 series starred Simon MacCorkindale as Dr. Jonathan Chase, a dashing and wealthy man raised in Africa who was also 'master of the secrets that divide man from animal.' It was cancelled after eight episodes, only to live on in the hearts of a devoted cult fandom."

The site also reports that the big screen adaptation will be a hybrid of live action and animation, and is being envisioned as "an action-comedy with heavy visual effects and animated elements."

"I think it's right down our alley, it's what we do," McKay...

Almost two years ago we learned that Sony Pictures Animation was developing a feature film based on the short-lived cult TV series Manimal. Now, producers and writers have been found for the project in the form of Gary Sanchez Productions. That's right, Anchorman director Adam McKay and Will Ferrell will be producing Manimal alongside producer Jimmy Miller and series creator Glen A. Larson. McKay and Ferrell have enlisted Key & Peele producers Jay Martel and Ian Roberts to...

Where do we even begin with the film Jaws 3D? The 1983 movie, starring Dennis Quaid as the son of Chief Brody from ye olde Amity Island and Lou Gossett Jr., is one of the worst chapters in the Jaws franchise. Oh, did we mention that Manimal (is awesome) star Simon MacCorkindale also got suckered into a role for this mess? Jaws 3D used technology as its biggest selling point and was one of several films that popped up during the 3D renaissance. The results were less than stellar, but thankfully the movie has survived as an object of fascination — which is why website Bloody Disgusting recently examined a scene from Jaws 3D. "Does This Jaws 3D Scene Have the Worst Special Effects of All Time?" the site asked. "This isn't some home video...

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by Ryan Rigley

"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." may be the latest comic book series to hit the small screen, but it's certainly not the first. Almost as old as comic books themselves, comic book TV series have become a mainstay of current popular culture. With a number of television shows based on both Marvel and DC comics, it's hard to imagine a TV series based on any other comic book publishing company.

One might think that Malibu Comics' "Night Man" didn't fit the Marvel/DC bill when his TV series debuted in the late '90s, but that was not the case! Marvel Comics acquired Malibu in 1994, and began crossing Night Man over with popular Marvel superheroes like Thor, Wolverine, and even Gambit. Surprisingly enough, Night Man even got his own TV series a year after his comic book was canceled!

Series Statistics

Network: Broadcast Syndication

Broadcast Date: 1997 - 1999

Seasons:...

Sony Pictures Animation has secured rights to the 1983, 8-episode NBC TV series "Manimal", created by Glen A. Larson ("Knight Rider") and Donald R. Boyle, to develop as a CG/live-action hybrid feature film.

"...'Dr Jonathan Chase'... wealthy, young, handsome. A man with the brightest of futures. A man with the darkest of pasts. From Africa's deepest recesses, to the rarefied peaks of Tibet, heir to his father's legacy and the world's darkest mysteries. Jonathan Chase, master of the secrets that divide man from animal, animal from man... 'Manimal'..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Manimal"...

Just a day after it was announced that Sony acquired the rights to Manimal, we have an update from the producer, Glen A. Larson, who brought the project to fruition in the 80′s and plans to do so again, this time in feature length film form… and probably not quite as cheesy.

Re: Sony: “It was a very deliberate acquisition (by Sony), because they want family entertainment. So it will probably have more of the spirit of Spider-Man in terms of it having its tongue in its cheek and not being too dark and desperate. We’ll try to have some fun with it.”

Sony will be using CGI instead of practical effects for the animal transformations: “Oh yes, and that’s exactly why Sony came to us. It’s the animation arm of Sony that is doing it – not as an animated feature, but because they can do those transitions.

Following the 2011 summer hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a sequel was rapidly greenlit and we heard in May this year that it was booked for release on May 23, 2014.

But apparently - and somewhat bizarrely - director Rupert Wyatt doesn't think he can make Dawn of the Planet of the Apes within the three years allocated.

Let's be honest here, that sounds to most of us like like plenty of time to deliver the goods, and it's a loss less tight than many of Twentieth Century Fox's schedules on other films.

Deadline is reporting that he is leaving the project because he wasn't comfortable with trying to get the film done by the allotted release date.

For comparison, Fox's mutant follow-up The Wolverine is in production now for release in a year (July 2013) and X-Men: Days of Future Past will begin filming in spring 2013 for release in summer 2014. But,...

If we don’t get to see Black Panther in the Marvel Universe any time, at least we’ll have Manimal. Small solace, that.

The rights to the cult 80s TV show that lasted only 8 episodes has been picked up by Sony Pictures Animation in hopes of bringing Manimal to the big screen as a live action and CG hybrid film. In the show, Simon MacCorkindale (one of the most British names ever), played Dr. Jonathan Chase, a man with a mysterious past who could change into a black panther and other animals to fight crime. It sounds bloody brilliant. Here’s to hoping it’s on Netflix Instant (it’s not).

Glen A. Larson, the man who brought Magnum P.I., the original Battlestar Galactica, and Knight Rider to TV in the 80s, is attached to produce, so don’t worry about it being a drastic new take on the classic.

Sony Pictures Animation has secured the movie rights to Manimal, a short-lived 1983 NBC series, and is developing it as a live action/CG hybrid film.

The series was created by Glen A. Larson and Donald R. Boyle and it starred the late British actor Simon MacCorkindale as Dr Jonathan Chase, who could change into any animal he chose in order to help the police solve crimes. It was canceled after eight episodes.

Larson will serve as an executive producer on the feature. Sony is currently looking for writers to pitch their ideas. Sony’s clearly trying to corner the market on yet another ‘80s nostalgia item as the same studio recently picked up the rights to an Alf movie.

The studio, which created a live-action/CG franchise The Smurfs last summer has announced a release date of sequel for next summer. It was also reported that Spa is developing a...

Hollywood must be really scraping the bottom of the barrel now. The Hollywood Reporter has word that Sony Pictures Animation has snared the rights to the failed ’80s television series Manimal. The short lived series ran for a little under three months back in 1983.

Apparently, original series producer Glen A. Larson is on board for the project. Larson is best known for his run of successful shows back in the day, which included Night Rider and the original Battlestar Galactica. Manimal was not a high point in Larson’s career.

With a few very notable exceptions, when a TV show runs for eight episodes, it's usually because it A) wasn't very good and B) wasn't very popular. But that won't stop Sony from attempting to resurrect Manimal, the short lived Us TV show about a crime-fighter who could change into any animal he wished at the drop of a hat. The show ran for eight episodes in 1983 and starred Simon MacCorkindale (obviously) as the suave, James Bond-esque vigilante with a penchant for turning into a leopard.