Monkey episode 2 on Channel 4 tonight (5 past midnight)!
I've heard from Channel 4 that 1/4 million viewers tuned in to watch the first Monkey episode at 12.35am last Thursday night!!!!
If this keeps up, then Channel 4 will almost certainly buy the next 39 episodes when the first 13 has finished... and you never know, it may get a better timeslot.
So keep watching Monkey every week, and spread the word... keep spreading the word...
This week's episode "Monkey Turns Nursemaid" is an absolute classic, it's the one where Monkey and Tripitaka meet for the very first time.
Here's my synopsis of this episode, that I wrote for the Monkey videos and DVDs...
Episode 2 (Thursday 30 January 2003): 12.05am - 12.55am
(i.e. after midnight on *Thursday night*)
Monkey Turns Nursemaid
Buddha sends a messenger, the Boddhisattva Kuan-yin the Compassionate, to find a holy man to make the journey from China to India to fetch the large vehicle scriptures. She chooses the boy priest Hsüan Tsang, and bestows upon him the name Tripitaka. Joined by the irrepressible Monkey - with his magic wishing staff and magic powers - and a talking horse, this could be a journey to remember...
Don't miss it!
To keep up with the latest Monkey news & info (currently, I'm plugging where in London you can go and sing Monkey Magic, Gandhara etc. on karaoke!?!), including any updates to the Monkey screening schedule on Channel 4, keep checking http://www.monkeyheaven.com/
Monkey episode 3 - "The Great Journey Begins" will be shown on Thursday night on Channel 4, 45 minutes after midnight, at 12.45am.
For viewers in Wales, episode 2 will be on S4C at 1.00am after midnight tonight!
Episode 3 will follow at the same time next Wednesday night, so they're 6 days behind Channel 4.
Following on from Monkey episode 1 getting 1/4 million viewers, this was DOUBLED for episode 2; 1/2 million viewers watched it on Channel 4 last Thursday night! So it's looking like word is getting around that Monkey is back on TV... Remember, the more viewers the show gets, the more likely Channel 4 is to screen all 52 episodes!
So keep watching it, and tell everyone you know that Monkey is back on TV!
Something to remember about Monkey is that, unlike a lot of its contemporary shows back in the 1980s, Monkey _does_ stand the test of time, and it's not just for kids - it's even better watching it again as an adult (it works on many levels).
A quote I saw in a magazine review of the show recently: "Monkey - great to watch as a kid, EVEN BETTER as an adult."
This week's episode "The Great Journey Begins" is the one where the whole gang get together and begin their journey proper. One of the highlights of this episode is when Monkey meets Pigsy for the first time on Earth (remember they met in Heaven in episode 1), and have an epic fight! This episode really illustrates just *how good* a fighter Pigsy is with his muckrake!
Here's my synopsis of this episode... (as featured on the videos & DVDs)
Episode 3 (Thursday 6 February 2003 night, after midnight): 12.45am - 01.35am
(i.e. after midnight on *Thursday night*)
The Great Journey Begins
Tripitaka and the ever-impatient Monkey begin their perilous journey. Arriving at a village terrorised by a greedy and lustful monster, Monkey thus faces the wrath of Pigsy and his deadly muckrake. To cross the Mighty River of Flowing Sands, they must first pass the cannibalistic water monster Sandy. A sandstorm, an army of tiger ghosts - will Tripitaka end up as cat food, or will Monkey save the day?
Don't miss it!
By the way, if you missed the first 2 episodes, check out the episode accounts on these pages so you can catch up with the story so far:
Episode 1: http://www.monkeyheaven.com/summaries_s1e1.html
Episode 2: http://www.monkeyzone.net/episodes/epis2.htm
For the latest news and info on Monkey, keep checking out http://www.monkeyheaven.com/
Currently, I'm featuring information on how you can get involved in a Monkey sticker campaign in the UK, to publicise the DVDs, by putting up stickers in your home town / city - visit the site to find out how you can get involved.
Also, I have an exclusive offer on http://www.monkeyheaven.com/ where you can buy some or all of the first 7 Monkey DVDs at a reduced price, and get free t-shirts, posters and postcards in the deal.
Note that I don't always get time to check out the messages in this forum, so if you have any burning questions about Monkey, please visit http://www.monkeyheaven.com/ and send me your questions directly from there.