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6.5/10
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A suave and elegant university professor, who can shape-shift into any animal, fights crime along with a female New York detective and his right-hand man.A suave and elegant university professor, who can shape-shift into any animal, fights crime along with a female New York detective and his right-hand man.A suave and elegant university professor, who can shape-shift into any animal, fights crime along with a female New York detective and his right-hand man.
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- TriviaWhenever the script called for an animal transition, the production designer, director, set decorator, stunt supervisor, animal wrangler and actor had to carefully coordinate every move. Shooting on a sound stage allowed more animal control; location shoots were very difficult. When one script required a cobra, the entire set's perimeter floor and walls had to be sealed to prevent the animal from escaping. A low wall was placed at the open end of the set to seal the stage. To set up filming action scenes with the snake, the camera crew had to lift their equipment into walled-off stage area. The snake wrangler supervised the animal's movements.
- GoofsA bit strange for a cop, Brooke had a purse seemingly "permanently fused" to her shoulder. Whenever she was running around after bad guys, her purse was inconveniently dangling at her shoulder. She kept her gun in her purse, contrary to other lady cops, who carried it in a holster.
- ConnectionsFeatured in NBC 75th Anniversary Special (2002)
Featured review
Is there, in the whole English language, a better word than "Manimal"? I think not. And should you be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this show, you'll never be the same again.
Putting the "high" in "high concept," Glen Larson's crime-fighting shape-shifter was a man who could turn into ANY ANIMAL. Any animal at all. As long as that animal is a panther. OK, in a pinch, he can do a hawk, but can we stick with the panther please? It's not so much that special effects technology didn't exist in 1983, it's just that network TV could not afford them. Production costs were high for all that Manimalization, and when low ratings did not quickly morph into Neilsen success, Manimal was hastily euthanized.
Simon MacCorkindale does fine work as the Manimal, but to modern eyes this show plays more like an extended Saturday Night Live skit, when the promise of a man who can be any animal turns into the reality of a guy being swapped out for the same piece of stock panther transformation footage week after week. Still, I sincerely hope Manimal is reissued, because for all its faults, it's a priceless slice of ridiculous 80s fun.
Putting the "high" in "high concept," Glen Larson's crime-fighting shape-shifter was a man who could turn into ANY ANIMAL. Any animal at all. As long as that animal is a panther. OK, in a pinch, he can do a hawk, but can we stick with the panther please? It's not so much that special effects technology didn't exist in 1983, it's just that network TV could not afford them. Production costs were high for all that Manimalization, and when low ratings did not quickly morph into Neilsen success, Manimal was hastily euthanized.
Simon MacCorkindale does fine work as the Manimal, but to modern eyes this show plays more like an extended Saturday Night Live skit, when the promise of a man who can be any animal turns into the reality of a guy being swapped out for the same piece of stock panther transformation footage week after week. Still, I sincerely hope Manimal is reissued, because for all its faults, it's a priceless slice of ridiculous 80s fun.
- penelopedanger
- Dec 27, 2004
- Permalink
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