Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys
Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys is an American science fiction comedy animated television series. The show premiered in August 16, 1996 in the United Kingdom and September 7, 1996, in the United States, and ended after 26 episodes on June 21, 1997. It was produced by Hallmark Entertainment, Monkeyshine Productions, Inc., and distributed by Bohbot Entertainment and aired as part of the company's Amazin' Adventures syndicated animation block, later known as the Bohbot Kids Network.
The series is currently available on Tubi in select countries as of October 2025.
Summary
During the monkey-manned spaceflights of the 1960s, one rocket veered off course, sending a chimp named Charles off into the outer reaches of space. After many years, Charles' craft was discovered by the most intelligent race in the universe; a running gag involves them being so advanced their name is unpronounceable, the characters mistake references to them as empty pauses.Charles was given enhanced intelligence, weapons, and futuristic technology, along with a charge to protect the universe from the evil Lord Nebula. One of the more unusual villains in cartoon history, Nebula was a half-human, half-black hole who hoped to become a complete black hole, swallow the universe in a "Big Crunch," then remake it in his own image. His one problem was that, being half human, he was still susceptible to human ailments, such as the common cold and stomach aches.
To aid Charles, The " " allowed him to recruit a team of fellow Earth monkeys and apes: Shao Lin, a Chinese golden monkey with swift fighting skills and serene wisdom; Spydor, a wisecracking little spider monkey with a long prehensile tail; Dr. Splitz/Splitzy, an orangutan with a scientist/madman split-personality; and Gor-illa/Gor, a big, strong gorilla.
The group cruises the stars in their ship, the Primate Avenger, battling Nebula and his cyborg monkey henchman, Rhesus 2, and searching for the ever-elusive bananas.
Characters
Heroes
- Captain Charles "Chuck" Simian : Originally a chimpanzee named Charles, sent into space in the 1960s by NASA. After drifting off course and being frozen for many years, he was discovered by The " ". They believed he was sent by Earth as the most advanced species of the planet. When they realized he was not, they used a machine to give Charles sentience. After being told about Nebula, Captain Simian recruited a team of primates to help him save the universe.
- Spydor : A wisecracking spider monkey, originally the property of an organ grinder from New York City. A pickpocket, grifter, and all-around thief, he often tries to take advantage of Gor by trying to get him to do his work and trying numerous get-rich-quick schemes which get him into trouble with the Captain. Despite these flaws, Spydor is loyal to the mission, and will never betray his friends or the universe for money. He is especially close to Gor, and will not let anyone else take advantage of him. Spydor is in charge of communications.
- Shao Lin : A golden snub-nosed monkey who originally lived at a Buddhist temple, where she was worshiped as a goddess. She continues to act as a goddess with the rest of the crew, even addressing herself in the Royal "we". This leads to considerable tension at first, though over time she warms to the others and vice versa. Skilled in martial arts and knowledgeable in Buddhist wisdom, she is Captain Simian's first officer.
- Gor : A gorilla originally from Rwanda as a dominant male and the crew's muscle. During the evolution process, he accidentally wrecked the intelligence-enhancing machine before its completion. This left Gor rather naive and childlike. Possessing extraordinary strength, Gor is naturally quite peaceful and does not wish to do anyone harm. But when his friends are in danger he can go into a berserk rage. Gor is later experimented on by Apax, turning him into a gigantic, mindless form called Gormongous. Dr. Splitz is unable to reverse the effect of Apax's isotope, meaning that Gor turns into Gormongous when sufficiently angered.
- Dr. Splitz/Splitzy : A former zoo orangutan with a dual personality that alternates between an effete academic and a rustic yokel. Splitz excels at scientific theory and is somewhat cowardly, while Splitzy is a mechanic and engineer eager to jump into a fight. The two personalities are aware of each other and bicker constantly, but often rely on each other to make up for their individual shortcomings.
- Orbitron : A spherical robot given to Charles by The " " to help him on his mission. Its role was to provide the monkeys with the additional knowledge they required for their journey. Orbitron was accidentally damaged by Gor, causing it to sputter nonsense that only occasionally makes sense.
Villains
- Lord Nebula : Nebula is a humanoid with the power of a black hole who intends to become a complete black hole, swallow the universe in a "Big Crunch", then remake it in his image.
- Rhesus 2 : An enforcer of Lord Nebula. Originally a rhesus monkey sent into space, Nebula made him intelligent and turned him into a cyborg. His brain is detachable and frequently changes from one to another in order to get different ideas.
- Apax : An alien with green skin and snakes in place of hair. Apax forces other alien creatures to fight in an arena.
- Kaz-Par : An owner of a club on Maltese 1, who simply planned to steal the Primate Avenger, but had to go under the identity of Gor when someone else replaced him to steal the Orbitron and sell it to Nebula.
Other
- Matrix : A computer who captures the Monkeys and learns from them to eventually evolve into a living being.
- Vog: Vog is a two-dimensional alien. When Rhesus 2 steals gravitons from a cosmic storm, Vog's world rips open, so he follows Charles to his universe and asks his help to put the gravitons back before the cosmic storm ends to seal the rip and save his universe.
- Holo Boons : Holographic baboons created by Dr. Splitz to test the conditions of unknown planets. They are a parody of the redshirts from the original Star Trek series, and almost always get destroyed.
- Grixilpix : The keeper of the Great Ear. This ear is that of the Sleeping Giant, whom Grxilpix tells the monkeys is dreaming about the whole universe. Anything that someone asks for to the ear appears.
- Largo Trix : A swashbuckling space adventurer who meets the crew in a bar. Initially appearing as a blue-skinned humanoid, Largo later replicates the abilities of the Space Monkeys, turning him into a monkey-like form.
- The " " : An advanced alien race that is so advanced, the name of their species cannot be spoken or written, only thought. They intercepted Captain Simian while he was still a wild chimpanzee. Believed to be a human broken free of his evolutionary bonds, they gave Simian advanced intelligence and the power of speech. They assigned Simian to stop Nebula before he gets the anti-force and completes his dark goal which is to destroy and recreate the universe.
- Mandrax : A mandrill who is able to levitate, become intangible, and mentally connect with others. He speaks in ominous and cryptical phrases and seems to know everyone in the crew better than they know themselves. At the end of the series, Mandrax is revealed to be a future version of Captain Simian.
Production and personnel
Epoch and Toon-Us-In provided all pre-production in L.A., including layout.Animation, ink and paint and camera was provided by Seoul-based studios Sunmin Image Pictures and Jireh Animation. Vitello Productions provided post-production services. The series was produced by Joe Pearson, with Rob Hudnut, Gordon Bressack, and Gary Hartle serving as executive producers.