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Planet of the Frohikes

From X-Files Wiki

Series: The Lone Gunmen
Original Airdate: 4-6-2001
Production Number: 1AEB05
Date(s): FICTIONAL YEAR OR DATE(S) OF EVENTS IN EPISODE
Written by: Vince Gilligan
Directed by: John Kretchmer

The Lone Gunmen receive a message from an ingenious chimp attempting to escape a government laboratory.

Contents

[edit] Summary

SUMMARY

[edit] Background Information

  • Writer Vince Gilligan came up with the idea for intelligent animals created by the CIA or the Department of Defense, a long time before this episode. He was originally thinking of having this concept be a straight thriller, however.
  • The production crew faced trouble in executing this episode, due to the difficulties inherent in working with chimps. At least one of the monkeys in this episode would often get his performance right on the first take but then be bored and, if the scene had to be filmed again, he would have trouble understanding why he had to repeat his performance, beginning instead to think of other things to do. As a result, the monkey's trainers repeatedly had to make a concerted effort to return the chimp to whatever he was actually meant to be doing.
  • When the monkeys were meant to be typing on computer, they would actually use their strong fingers to pick all the keys off the keyboard and eat them.
  • For one shot where the production crew wanted to film all the chimps drawing together, Jimmy Bond actor Stephen Sneddon asked to sit down with the chimps, realizing that his inclusion in the shot would reflect Jimmy's character, which was very similar to the chimps. While the actor was drawing with crayons, one of the chimps beside him would reach over and grab each color of crayon that the actor had been drawing with, similar to the behavior of a small child.
  • Due to the fact that chimpanzees naturally do not work well in cold weather, co-executive producer John Peter Kousakis once received a memorable call in which he was told that the chimps would not work and would not come out. For the scene in which the chimp is returned to his Air Force doctor, the climate, according to what Vince Gilligan had heard, was bitterly cold. Special accommodations were consequently made for the monkeys.

[edit] Cast

Edward Woodward as "Himself" (voice only)

[edit] References

SEMICOLON-SEPARATED LIST OF ITEMS/LOCATIONS REFERENCED IN EPISODE (BUT NOT LINKED TO IF ALREADY LINKED IN SUMMARY OR GUEST STARS SECTIONS)



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Madam, I'm Adam
The Lone Gunmen
Season 1
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Maximum Byers