I wish I had more panels to talk about this subject as there were more chimp related TV appearances and shows through the 1960’s and 70’s. In 1961 ( I never saw this one) there was a show called “The Hathaways” it was about a suburban couple who had a family of three chimps. It only lasted 26 episodes. Clothed chimps would guest appear on “The Lucy Show”, “McHale’s Navy”, “The Phil Silvers Show”, “Bewitched”, “The Jack Benny Show”, etc… In the late 1970’s the show about a truck driver and his chimp, “B.J. and the Bear” ran for 3 seasons and in 1983 there was a very short lived show called “Mr Smith” about a Orangutan who gets a job in Washington DC.

Like any other fad it had its run and eventually  just vanished. Maybe audiences have become more sophisticated. The sight of a clothed chimp just doesn’t surprise and amuse anymore.