Tales of the Gold Monkey: Part 1

I have watched the episodes many times and considered them excellent, shame they are getting old now and need replacing. Hopefully the series will be available on tape or preferably on DVD. Then people to young to see them at the original airing can see the show!!

I never forgot this TV show, I actually looked forward to it every week. So I recently ordered the 6 DVD set off eBay (with supposedly all the episodes 22 in it). Considering I was in my 30's when it came out, I'll see if it measures up to my memories? And maybe post another review after I watch it again 40 some years later. Currently 74 but I guess there's still some kid in me.

I have fond memories of watching this show in Hong Kong as a kid and loving it. This show decided my young mind's career prospects, all I wanted to be was a bush pilot in the South Pacific.

Many years later in the early '90's when was I on an Universal Studio tour the bit that I really remember being the highlight was seeing "Cutters Goose" sitting on the lot.

You can now download "Cutters Goose" to fly on Flight Simulator 2004, 2 versions, 1 comes with Corky, 1 with Sarah as your co-pilots, both come of course with Jack, also a neat switch which plays the theme tune.

Definitely will buy the DVD if it ever comes out,if anything just to show the kids that there was a time when T.V shows could be watched and enjoyed by the whole family without worries about too much adult themes, bloodshed or swearing.

I remember my buddy Mike in particular hooked me and my buddies onto this series. And of course we were all instantly hooked. What's not to love about an adventure series with a flying plan, a dog with an eye-patch, and a bunch of evil Nazis. Did I mention the beautiful women and the sly Frenchman? Mike already had a fixation with planes and this set him off as a fan of those old flying boats (or was it floating plane?) This was a great movie at a great time. Computer games were a wonderous and exciting things (Defender and and Battlezone were at the local pub we had the occasional Saturday night dinner at.) Indiana Jones was thrilling us. Our local town cinema was even running the 20's (30s?) version of Buck Rogers on Saturday afternoons as a preview to the feature movie.

This TV series was a classic example of the innocence of those times and the adventures we dreamed about.

Raids 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' in nearly every way imaginable, from the time period and search for a mysterious artifact (the titular Gold Monkey) to the two-fisted, leather jacket wearing hero battling Nazi bad guys. It's not like Indy is exactly %100 original, but coming right on the heels of 'ROTLA', 'Tales' does seem like it's definitely raiding Raiders.

Stephen Collins (yeah, I know, me too) is reasonably effective as Wannabe Jones, and a few "Oh, yeah. Him/her!" types round out the cast. The script features the occasional bit of wit, and the production values are above average. The show only ran for one season, but it has developed a bit of a cult following over the years (current IMDb rating is a more than respectable 8.2). The components for a reasonably fun bit of weekly escapism are here in this pilot episode, though I don't quite see it as being a, well, lost treasure.