Me and the Chimp

Me and the Chimp is an American sitcom which aired for one season during 1972 on CBS. It was created by Garry Marshall and Thomas L. Miller and produced by Alan Rafkin for Paramount Television.[1]

Me and the Chimp
Ted Bessell and Buttons
Created byGarry Marshall
Thomas L. Miller
StarringTed Bessell
Anita Gillette
Scott Kolden
Kami Cotler
ComposerCharles Fox
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producerGarry Marshall
ProducerAlan Rafkin
Running time30 minutes per episode
Production companyParamount Television
DistributorCBS Television Distribution
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseJanuary 13 –
April 27, 1972 (1972-04-27)

Premise

Mike Reynolds (Ted Bessell) is a dentist who lives with his wife (Anita Gillette), two children (Scott Kolden and Kami Cotler), and a chimp named Buttons, a washout from the space program (though unknown to Mike and his family until an old army sergeant visits).

Episodes revolve around Buttons' doings or undoings, such as extending the line Mike drew on a map (to mark their driving route) onward to a ghost town, and stealing an alarm clock which gets Mike arrested for public indecency (in his pajamas).

Cast

Production

The series was created by Garry Marshall and Thomas L. Miller, both of whom are better known for their later work on Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. Bessell originally refused to participate when the title was first given as the grammatically correct "The Chimp and I".[3]

The chimpanzee who portrayed Buttons was owned by veteran animal expert Lou Schumacher and was trained by Bob Rydell who was responsible for teaching the chimp to perform its "acting" tasks on cue by responding to various hand and voice signals.[4]

Episode list
No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Mike's Day With Buttons"Alan RafkinGarry MarshallJanuary 13, 1972 (1972-01-13)
Mike's life as a dentist becomes more complicated when his daughter brings home a chimp named Buttons.
2"My Pet, The Thief"TBAGarry Marshall & Thomas L. MillerJanuary 20, 1972 (1972-01-20)
Mike fights a losing battle trying to convince his wife and children that they can't keep Buttons.
3"Mike's Burglar Alarm"TBAGarry Marshall & Thomas L. MillerJanuary 27, 1972 (1972-01-27)
The effort of Mike to train Buttons to ring a bell when a stranger enters the house backfires when a burglar offers the chimp candy.
4"Mike the Matchmaker"TBAGarry Marshall & Thomas MillerFebruary 3, 1972 (1972-02-03)
Buttons meets a female chimp named Mildred that he's attracted to, but when Mike attempts to discuss the situation with the other chimp's owner, he's distracted by the chimp's baby sitter, a beautiful Swedish blonde.
5"Mike's Big Act"TBAMickey RoseFebruary 17, 1972 (1972-02-17)
Mike reluctantly agrees to use Buttons during his magic act before the PTA, which results in him trying to teach Buttons some entertaining tricks.
6"The Lost Flashlight"TBAGarry Marshall & Thomas L. MillerFebruary 24, 1972 (1972-02-24)
After Buttons loses his flashlight at a drive-in movie theater, the chimp keeps the neighborhood in turmoil while the item is missing.
7"One Romantic Evening"TBAGarry Marshall & Thomas L. MillerMarch 2, 1972 (1972-03-02)
Mike and Liz are all set to celebrate their wedding anniversary along, but Buttons ends up causing havoc while Liz's mother watches the children.
8"Tennis Anyone?"TBAGarry Marshall & Thomas L. MillerMarch 16, 1972 (1972-03-16)
Buttons helps Mike cure a small case of bigotry at the local country club.
9"The Paint Job"TBAGarry Marshall & Thomas L. MillerMarch 23, 1972 (1972-03-23)
The Reynolds are chosen by a paint manufacturer as the ideal family to demonstrate their product on television, but Buttons ends up causing chaos.
10"The Ghost Town"TBAGarry Marshall & Thomas L. MillerMarch 30, 1972 (1972-03-30)
A planned weekend trip to the snow country ends up in a deserted ghost town.
11"Mike's Night-In"TBAGarry Marshall & Thomas MillerApril 6, 1972 (1972-04-06)
The Reynolds family learn that Buttons was once part of the US space program ad the government retains ownership. Mike is determined to fight to keep their beloved chimpanzee.
12"Hoop-Lah"Gary NelsonRon FriedmanApril 13, 1972 (1972-04-13)
After Mike squabbles with his son's basketball coach, he takes over the coaching of the team, which eventually involves Buttons.
13"Liz's Allergy"TBAGarry Marshall & Thomas L. MillerApril 27, 1972 (1972-04-27)
While Mike is out of town at a dentists' convention, Liz develops an allergy that appears to be connected to the presence of Buttons.

References
  1. "Me and the Chimp". The Montreal Gazette. January 15, 1972.
  2. "Chimp Tells Of Stardom". Schenectady Gazette. June 10, 1972.
  3. TV Guide. July 20 - 26, 2002. pg. 26.
  4. "Adjusting to life with chimpanzee". The Calgary Herald. January 28, 1972.


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