Others say...

"This is a must for Apes fans!"
This is all i had hoped for and more!!!The picture quality is great!If you love the apes -you must get this!

"Classic television"
I remember watching this show on Friday nights on CBS. I loved it then and I love it now. I was so disappointed when it was canceled. Mark, Leonard and Roddy Mcdowell are fantastic in their roles as Urko and Galen. Some episodes are better than others, but every episode has an interesting story line. My only complaint is there is no real connection between the episodes. After the opening episode, you could really watch this in any order. Other than that I wish they would recreate this series, maybe pickup with finding our original astronauts as old men, standing over Galen's grave...

"A trip back into the future"
My feeling is that most people who buy this set will do so because they either () want to complete their 'Ape' collections, or (b) have fond memories of the show. I've read reviews that suggest that, relative to the remainder of the 'Ape' collection, this TV series is a poor cousin, rated just above the animated TV series. The most credible criticism is, having taken away any clear goal of the characters, we're left with a bit of pointless meandering.
The astronauts from the future suggest that they had 'west' or 'south' with no real clear purpose, save for their 'escape of the week' from the resident baddies, General Urko, and/or Dr. Zaius. Thankfully they have the wonderful Roddy McDowall as Galen accompanying them along the way and lifting the tone of the show.
Whilst those complaints are valid, the show stands tall as an example of a fair translation to the small screen from the large. I can remember huddling around the set hanging to watch each episode. We have to remember this pre-dated videos - the movies were only a big screen or repeated on TV experience - so these were a real thrill!
So for the purposes of nostalgia, this TV series is a rush. Admittedly, the DVD menus are a bit clunky and hesitant, but this trip into the distant future is an enjoyable trip back in time for a lot of us!

"Go Ape!"
A not so bad but extremely short-lived show. McDowell back as a friendly chimp starring with Ron Harper (previously know for GARRISON'S GUERILLAS) and James Naughton -- brother of AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON's David Naughton. One episode features a very young Marc Singer and William Smith as his dad. Sorry, but in real life Naughton's astronaut character could not have beaten Big Bill.

"stock plots"
There are a few decent episodes that deal with being trapped in the future and searching through the ruins of the past. In particular, The Legacy stands out for its glimpse into what might have happened to civilization and its sense of loss. I also liked the one where they're trapped in the old subway tunnel for the same reason. But even that one is slow.

However, most of the episodes are simply based on them traveling from one community to the next, always on the run and always finding new adventures. While we're in this town we'll cure a disease, while we're in this town we'll have a horse race. It's not unlike The Incredible Hulk TV series. The astronauts prove to be jacks of all trades with many convenient skills and in the end we all learn a lesson.

As I've watched this, I couldn't help but think what a J.J. Abrahms might do to add some depth to the plots. There needs to be more going on in each episode, plot wise, and there is certainly room for much more character development. It's not hard to notice that when one character is focused on for an episode, the other doesn't do much more than jog beside him, ask a couple questions and come in for a timely flying kick. This series is ripe for the kind of update given Battlestar Galactica and now, the Bionic Woman.

Finally, the humans need updating. They are an awfully well mannered, and white, bunch compared to the dark and brutish apes. Many have commented on the subtext of race that runs through the movies and this show, and maybe it is because the humans now speak (surprisingly recognizable english for a thousand years hence) but the show comes across as being racist itself because the simple hard working decent white people are being brutalized by the savage dark apes. It's not that far off of a typical racist vision of what happens when the "savages" are allowed to hold power. Note too, that the darker the apes are, the more brutish, ignorant and mean they act. By contrast, the light skinned chimps are kind to the humans and even, in the case of fellow traveler Roddy McDowell, come equipped with civilized English accents.

Like everyone else, I loved this show when I was a kid, but it deserved to be cancelled because for a show about astronauts trapped in a future world ruled by talking apes, it was mostly pretty boring.