Terry Lester |
Jonah |
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Jean Marie Hon |
Ruth |
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Jose Flores |
Samuel |
On CBS, from 9/11/76 - 9/3/77 (Saturdays)
9/11/77 - 11/13/77 (Sundays)
9/16/78 - 8/25/79 (Saturdays)
15
Set in the future, the crew of the Ark II's mission was to
seek out life and new civilizations..no wait... that was Star
Trek. Actually, the Ark II's mission was similar to the
Enterprise's mission. In a post apocalyptic world, the crew of
the Ark II travels across the country righting wrongs, promoting
peace and understanding, and helping the underdogs. The crew of
the Ark II consisted of Jonah (Gee, why didn't they just call him
Noah?), the leader; Ruth; Samuel; and Adam, a talking,
intelligent chimpanzee. The Ark II was basically a souped up r/v
with the latest in technology. The Ark II crew also had access to
the Ark Roamer, a jeep like vehicle, and jet packs to get to
areas the Ark II couldn't.
One of the better shows from this era, Ark II made the most of its cast, budgets, stories, and locations. While most of the stories had a moral, the morals weren't pounded repeatedly into the viewer's head (like Shazam! and Isis did). Ark II also had some familiar faces as guest stars, including Jim Backus (Gilligan's Island), Helen Hunt, Jonathan Harris (Lost in Space/Space Academy), Malachi Throne, and even Robby, the Robot (Forbidden Planet).
Order the Filmation Sci-Fi Box Set
:
Ark II Executive Producer/Filmation Founder Lou Scheimer will be appearing at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con, which runs from July 26 through 29, along with several other Filmation alumni. Go here for more information.
On November 7, 2006, Ark II was the first of the live action Filmation series to debut on DVD. Besides containing all 15 episodes (including the rare "Lottery" episode), the box set includes a 30 minute documentary on the series, episode commentary from cast and crew members on the first two episodes, "The Flies" and "The Slaves," a photo gallery (including art from animated version of the series that never got off the ground, and an episode guide.
Order the Ark
II DVD from Amazon.com.
The Flies - The Slaves - The Wild Boy - The Robot - Omega - The Tank - The Cryogenic Man - The Rule - Robin Hood - The Drought - The Lottery - The Mind Group - The Balloon - Don Quixote - Orkus
Epi-log magazine published a guide in issue 25, here is a scan of
it.
Opening Theme
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Closing Theme
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More audio and video clips can be found at Unofficial Ark II Appreciation Page
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Jonah |
Ruth |
Samuel |
Adam |
On October 28, 2008, the Ark II set was re-released and repackaged, along with the Space Academy and Jason of Star Command sets, as the Filmation Sci-Fi Box Set
On November 7, 2006, Ark II was the first of the live action Filmation series to debut on DVD. Besides containing all 15 episodes (including the rare "Lottery" episode), the box set includes a 30 minute documentary on the series, episode commentary from cast and crew members on the first two episodes, "The Flies" and "The Slaves," a photo gallery (including art from animated version of the series that never got off the ground, and an episode guide.
Order the Ark
II DVD from Amazon.com.
The Sci-Fi Channel UK aired the series, with the exception of "The Lottery" episode, on Sunday mornings in the 90s, but I don't know of any other showings at this time.
For more info on how to find this and other old Saturday morning shows, check out this page.
