Planet of the Apes (1968 film) and Linda Harrison, played Cornelius and Zira. This test footage is included on several DVD releases of the film, as well as the documentary "Behind the Planet of the Apes". Linda Harrison, at the time the girlfriend of studio chief Richard Zanuck, went on to play Nova in the 1968 film and its first sequel, and had a cameo in Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes" more than 30 years later, which was also produced by Zanuck. Although Harrison often opined that the producers had always had her in mind for the role of Nova, they had, in fact, considered
Planet of the Apes installment. Jacobs died on June 27, 1973, bringing an end to the APJAC Productions era of the "Planet of the Apes" franchise. Former Fox executive Stan Hough took over as producer for the television project, titled "Planet of the Apes". CBS picked up the series for its 1974 autumn lineup. Ron Harper and James Naughton played Alan Virdon and Peter Burke, two 20th-century American astronauts who pass through a time warp to a future where apes subjugate humans (unlike the original film, the humans can speak). Roddy McDowall returned to the franchise as Galen, a chimpanzee who joins the astronauts.