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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Ben on November 04, 2014, 01:40:21 PM

Title: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: Ben on November 04, 2014, 01:40:21 PM
I've been searching for the show, "Tales of the Gold Monkey" for probably the last 3-4 years. I vaguely remembered watching it when it originally aired in '82, and that I thought I liked it, but had completely forgotten the name and any of the actors/characters in it. I half-assed had been searching for it all that time, when, because I had just started re-watching "Magnum PI", made a connection between a "Magnum PI" character who was also in "Tales of the Gold Monkey". A quick IMDB search found me the show name, and that it was available on Netflix.

I just finished watching it. It only lasted one season because it was up against the very popular crappy nighttime soaps of that period. It was a really fun show though. It (and a number of others) came out right after "Indiana Jones" was released. TOFGM was probably the best of the bunch. Kind of a cross between spy show and treasure hunting adventure show, and it takes place in 1938. The three main characters fly around the South Pacific in a Grumman Goose. The pilot, who is a former Flying Tiger, his drunk mechanic sidekick, and Jack the one-eyed dog, who pretty much steals every scene he's in. There's also a hot Japanese/Irish princess, the "good girl" US Intelligence Agent, the bumbling German spy, and a host of other great characters.

Anyway, highly recommended as fun entertainment.
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: Brad Johnson on November 04, 2014, 01:44:23 PM
I remember the show. Wasn't Stephen Collins the star?

Brad
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: SADShooter on November 04, 2014, 01:49:08 PM
I remember the show. Wasn't Stephen Collins the star?

Brad

I believe you're correct.
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: Harold Tuttle on November 04, 2014, 01:51:06 PM
so its firefly with a dog instead of Jayne?
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: AJ Dual on November 04, 2014, 01:51:19 PM
I remember that show...

The "princess" also played a few bit parts in Star Trek TNG.  Most notably, she was a walk-on for the episode where she played a planet's Devil/Sorceress figure whom some peaceful planet's theology/legends said they owed her complete control in exchange for a thousand years of peace and prosperity. And they held some sort of a trial, where Picard exposed her as a con-woman with a small ship, a cloaking device, and was scaring them using transporter and holodeck effects.

Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: Ben on November 04, 2014, 01:54:43 PM
so its firefly with a dog instead of Jayne?

 :laugh:
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: onions! on November 04, 2014, 02:44:51 PM
Wasn't there one episode when they were running out of fuel and had to resort to pouring wine(?) into the fuel tank to stay airborne?
1982?Geez!
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: Firethorn on November 04, 2014, 03:02:49 PM
Wasn't there one episode when they were running out of fuel and had to resort to pouring wine(?) into the fuel tank to stay airborne?
1982?Geez!

One would hope they were pouring a hard liqueur like whiskey or vodka instead.
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: Ben on November 04, 2014, 03:27:09 PM
Wasn't there one episode when they were running out of fuel and had to resort to pouring wine(?) into the fuel tank to stay airborne?
1982?Geez!

180 proof rum. :)
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: TechMan on November 04, 2014, 03:40:49 PM
Ben, was it streaming or DVD.  I just looked form it on Netflix and it didn't return anything.
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: Ben on November 04, 2014, 05:28:56 PM
Ben, was it streaming or DVD.  I just looked form it on Netflix and it didn't return anything.

Oh, sorry, they only had it in DVD. One of the reasons I'm still paying for both on Netflix - they seem to have very little older streaming content. My DVD queue is bigger than my streaming list right now.
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: KD5NRH on November 04, 2014, 05:44:53 PM
so its firefly with a dog instead of Jayne?

If it is, then Jeff MacKay makes a crappy Kaylee.
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: RoadKingLarry on November 04, 2014, 06:44:15 PM
It was my favorite show at the time it was on.
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: TommyGunn on November 04, 2014, 08:02:10 PM
Loved that show.
Have it on DVD.   
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: freakazoid on November 04, 2014, 08:25:07 PM
Sounds interesting. Will have to check it out.
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: MillCreek on November 04, 2014, 09:23:30 PM
I always thought that the Rip Riley character in 'Heart of Archness' on Archer, was shamelessly stolen from TOTGM.
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: HankB on November 04, 2014, 09:29:07 PM
Not a bad show . . . the German spy wasn't liked by the #1 henchman of the Japanese princess . . .

I remember one scene in which the German spy was bathing in a BIG pot or kettle when the American walked in; not wanting to be seen by the American, he ducked down so he was *almost* submerged.

The #1 henchman kept adding logs to the fire underneath while talking to the American.  =D
Title: Re: Tales of the Gold Monkey
Post by: Dannyboy on November 04, 2014, 10:49:31 PM
I loved that show.  I was looking for it on Hulu and Netflix not too long ago. I guess DVD is the way to go, though.

It had Stephen Collins and French from Black Sheep Squadron.