Manimal

Dr Jonathan Chase is a brilliant and enigmatic man with a unique secret: he possesses the ancient power to transform into any animal at will. He uses this extraordinary ability to assist the New York Police Department in solving crimes that baffle conventional methods. The series explores Chase's efforts to maintain his secret while battling criminals and occasionally confronting the ethical implications of his powers.

The premise sees Chase, a former military doctor and university professor, working as a "manimal" – a human with the ability to morph into various creatures, most frequently a black panther or a hawk. He is aided by his former colleague, Detective Brooke Phillips, and a former CIA operative, Tyrone "Ty" Earl, who are among the few who know his secret. Their investigations often lead them into the darker corners of New York City, where Chase's unique skills prove invaluable.

Manimal is notable for its ambitious special effects for the time, which depicted Chase's transformations, though these were often cited as a reason for its high production costs and slow pacing. Despite its unique concept and a memorable theme tune, the series had a very short run, airing only eight episodes in late 1983, and has since gained a cult following. It starred Simon MacCorkindale as Dr Jonathan Chase.SUMMARY: Manimal is an American action-adventure television series from the 1980s about a wealthy doctor who can transform into any animal.

Dr Jonathan Chase (played by Simon MacCorkindale) is a brilliant and enigmatic man with a unique secret: he possesses the ancient power to transform into any animal at will. He uses this extraordinary ability to assist the New York Police Department in solving crimes that baffle conventional methods. The series explores Chase's efforts to maintain his secret while battling criminals and occasionally confronting the ethical implications of his powers.

The premise sees Chase, a wealthy British professor at New York University teaching animal behavioural sciences, working as a "manimal" – a human with the ability to morph into various creatures. He most frequently transforms into a black panther or a hawk, though he has also been shown transforming into other animals like a snake, horse, dolphin, bear, or bull. He is aided by his former colleague, Detective Brooke Phillips (also known as Brooke Mackenzie, played by Melody Anderson), and his friend Tyrone "Ty" Earl (played by Michael D. Roberts, with Glynn Turman in the pilot), who are among the few who know his secret. Their investigations often lead them into the darker corners of New York City, where Chase's unique skills prove invaluable.

Manimal is notable for its ambitious special effects for the time, which depicted Chase's transformations, designed by Academy Award-winning SFX artist Stan Winston. These effects, while memorable, were often cited as a reason for its high production costs. Despite its unique concept and a memorable theme tune, the series had a very short run, airing only eight episodes (a 90-minute pilot and seven regular episodes) on NBC from September to December 1983, and was cancelled due to low ratings. It has since gained a cult following and the character of Jonathan Chase, still played by MacCorkindale, made a return in an episode of the 1998 series Night Man.