The Legend of Tarzan is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, based on Tarzan from the novels written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the character's original creator who appears in one episode of the series. The series is also based on Disney's 1999 animated feature film Tarzan by Walt Disney Pictures and aired initially on the Disney's One Too block on UPN from September 3, 2001 to February 5, 2003. However, reruns were broadcast shortly after on Toon Disney.
The series picks up where Disney's 1999 animated feature film left off, with the title character adjusting to his new role as leader of the gorilla family following Kerchak's death, along with Jane, who he has since married, and her father, Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, adjusting to life in the jungle. The three now reside in the treehouse built by Tarzan's late parents.
Contents
Characters
Main
Tarzan (voiced by Michael T. Weiss) has assumed his role as leader of the gorillas. He has married Jane and they live in the jungle, residing in the treehouse that Tarzan's late parents had built before their deaths. Although Tarzan does not live with Kala and the other gorillas, Tarzan will still take action to protect them and often seeks Kala's advice in dealing with situations. While Tarzan helps Jane get over her romantic ideas about jungle life, she acts as his guide to the duplicity of human nature, and insists he eats his food from a plate. It is a never-ending growth process for both, with insights into what "being civilized" means. Weiss replaces Tony Goldwyn.
Jane (voiced by Olivia d'Abo) is married to Tarzan. She has settled into her new jungle life with Tarzan. When she begins to miss her old life in England, she tries to get Tarzan to act more "civilized", which sometimes poses problems to Tarzan's character. Her appearance and human actions often cause some members of Tarzan's gorilla tribe to have doubts about her and question Tarzan's leadership. D'Abo replaces Minnie Driver.
Terk (voiced by April Winchell) is a fun-loving gorilla, and Tarzan's closest friend and older adoptive cousin. She has a soft-spot for Tarzan and is convinced that he cannot survive without her, despite Tarzan having proven repeatedly to be quicker, stronger and more powerful at just about everything in the jungle than Terk. Winchell replaces Rosie O'Donnell.
Tantor (voiced by Jim Cummings) is an elephant, who is paranoid and nervous, but protective of Tarzan and his friends. He shares a close bond with Terk and Archimedes Porter. Cummings replaces Wayne Knight.
Kala (voiced by Susanne Blakeslee) acts as the voice of the apes, reminding Tarzan of his particular obligations to the family. She is also Jane's closest friend. The two share a warm, strong bond and Jane regards her mother-in-law as her only kindred spirit in the jungle. From Kala's point of view, Jane is the daughter that she never had. Her open mind is a well of great wisdom and she is almost always right. Blakeslee replaces Glenn Close.
Professor Archimedes Q. Porter (voiced by Jeff Bennett) is a noted scientist with years of expertise studying gorillas, although before arriving in Africa in the first film, he had never seen one in the wild. Sometimes the well-meaning professor gets absorbed in his thinking but often forgets what he is doing. Bennett replaces Nigel Hawthorne.
Allies
Flynt (voiced by Erik von Detten) and Mungo (voiced by Jason Marsden) are gorilla brothers, who grew up along, with Tarzan. While the brothers mean no harm, their dumb behavior may cause conflict for Tarzan. Since they spend all their time together, being separated for any length of time, makes them anxious.
Buto is the lead bull of a crash of western black rhinoceros.
Leopard Cub (voiced by Frank Welker) is a lost leopard cub friend, find a mother leopard are Tarzan and friends, before Tarzan fight Sabor the leopard in first film.
Manu (voiced by Frank Welker) is a mischievous baby baboon, who is fascinated, with humans. He often rummages through their belongings by trying on their clothes. Welker replaces Dee Bradley Baker.
Renard Dumont (voiced by René Auberjonois) is a slick, opportunistic French proprietor who operates a trading post. Although somewhat of a nemesis in his first appearance, he later becomes a reluctant ally of Tarzan.
Hugo (voiced by Dave Thomas) and Hooft (voiced by Joe Flaherty) are deserters of the French Foreign Legion, who work for Dumont. Although they are smooth-talking conmen, who try to cheat people out of money, they are good-natured and willing to do anything for their friends. They are based on the actors, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, whom Thomas and Flaherty are known to have previously impersonated on SCTV.
Jabari (voiced by Taylor Dempsey) is the son of Biruti and Jamila. He and Tantor had bonded over their shared phobias and paranoia.
Chief Keewazi (voiced by James Avery) is the leader of the Waziri, an African tribe who live deep in the jungle.
Basuli (voiced by Phil LaMarr) is Keewazi's headstrong son and the future leader of the Waziri tribe. He becomes a good friend of Tarzan. Tarzan had once aided Basuli in retrieving an eagle's feather, which he had needed as part of a rite of passage in order to marry. Although he and Tarzan are friends, they compete in many ways.
Villains
William Cecil Clayton was the antagonist from the film, responsible for Kerchak's death. He was killed fighting Tarzan, which caused his sister Lady Waltham to seek revenge on Tarzan.
Tublat (voiced by Keith David) is a rogue gorilla and a former member of Tarzan's family. He had challenged Kerchak for leadership, but was defeated and cast out for trying to cheat. He shares his name with Kala's mate in the original books, although his personality is much more equivalent to that of the books' incarnation of Kerchak.
Queen La (voiced by Diahann Carroll) - In the original novels, she was a high priestess of a blood cult who fell in love, with Tarzan. In her adaptation for the series, she is a former member of the Waziri tribe and a sorceress who rules the abandoned city of Opar. She falls in love with Tarzan after he comes to rescue Archimedes Porter from the Leopard Men.
Samuel T. Philander (voiced by Craig Ferguson) is Archimedes Porter's academic rival, who frequently attempts to steal his ideas or garner fame by turning Tarzan in as the "missing link". Philander is modeled after actor Terry-Thomas.
Count Nikolas Rokoff (voiced by Ron Perlman) is a greedy former Russian count stripped of his title, who hears about a treasure in the valley of the leopards and plans to find it to regain his title. Tarzan refuses to help him, until Rokoff threatens to kill Jane if he does not. His intellectual battle with Tarzan goes like a chess game until Tarzan finally releases the last few leopards from the boarded-up cave on him.
Lt. Colonel Staquait (voiced by Jim Cummings) is a vicious, scar-faced colonel in the French Foreign Legion. He sees himself on the right side of the law, but his draconian methods do not justify his actions, putting him at odds with Tarzan. He acts as judge and executioner, and has made it his goal to hunt down Hugo and Hooft because they had refused his order to burn down a village full of women and children. Tarzan had helped fake their deaths, but eventually Staquait learned the truth, captured and imprisoned them.
Thaddeus Hunt (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) is the leader of a band of kidnappers who try to abduct Tarzan and former US President Theodore Roosevelt for ransom.
Supporting
Dania (voiced by Kathy Najimy) is a female elephant, who wants to be, with Tantor for her love. Terk gets the two elephants together and they hit it off. Dania meets Tantor's friends except for Tarzan, who is tracking poachers. Dania strongly dislikes Terk, regarding her as obnoxious and loud.
Bob Markham (voiced by Mark Harmon) is a logger, widower and single father to his daughter, Abby. But the way he was logging tore up so much soil that, a long-dormant plague was released and threatened to kill his men and daughter.
Abigail "Abby" Markham (voiced by Nicolette Little) is the daughter of Bob Markham. She appears to be around 5–9 years old. Markham loves his daughter and will do anything for her. When she falls ill, with the same plague that, threatens his men, he asks for Tarzan's help to cure her.
Gobu (voiced by Tate Donovan) is a gorilla from another family. Tarzan and Terk had saved him from being attacked, by hyenas, only ending, with a broken leg. Terk felt she was not girly enough for him. He had managed to trick Tarzan, into coming, with him to his family so that, he could meet his leader. Tarzan then finds out that, Tublat is his leader. He had showed up a few months ago and had killed Gobu's original leader. Tublat and Tarzan prepare for battle, but Gobu stands up to him and reminds everyone that, there is strength in numbers, and the gorillas gang up on Tublat, driving him off. Gobu then steps in to take the place as the new leader. Terk tries her lady charms, but Gubo tells her that, he always liked Terk the way she is. They both end up leaving to throw mud at warthogs.
Edgar Rice Burroughs (voiced by Steven Weber) is a fictionalized version of Tarzan's creator, he is an American book author, who had needed inspiration for his next novel. He eventually finds it, when discovering about Tarzan. After meeting some of Tarzan's acquaintances, he finally meets Tarzan, when Tarzan saves him. After speaking with Tarzan and Jane, he creates a novel and his boss says everyone will remember him, by it.
Theodore Roosevelt (voiced by Stephen Root) is the former President of the United States. Roosevelt appeared in the show based on the Smithsonian–Roosevelt African Expedition, a real-life trip Roosevelt took to Africa after his presidency to collect wildlife for the American Museum of Natural History of New York City.
Episodes
Season 2 (2003)
Note: All episodes of Season 2 were used in the plot of the direct-to-video sequel to the first film, Tarzan & Jane which came out on July 23, 2002, though some parts have been cut to make them look more like flashbacks. These episodes are believed to have happened sometime during or before Season 1, since some characters first appearances occurred in these episodes, the overall true specific order is unknown.
Broadcast
In late 2001, UPN added The Legend of Tarzan to their Disney's One Too lineup. Reruns continued until September 2, 2003, when the series (along with Fillmore! and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command) was pre-empted in favor of three episodes of Recess. Reruns aired on Toon Disney until 2009 (and at some point, aired on the Jetix block) and when it converted to Disney XD, it ran from 2009 to 2012. As of now, it is not available on Disney+, except for Tarzan & Jane.
Critical reception
CommonSenseMedia gave the show a rating of 3 stars out of 5, writing "Despite the show's charms, it doesn't quite live up to the original film. But it does teach viewers about the responsibilities of growing up — the good, the bad, and, of course, the funny — and it's definitely something that families can watch together, especially as it spends a lot of time focusing on family dynamics." The Hour praised the show for having Disney-quality animation, for being faithful to the film's storyline, and for giving viewers a chance to discover what happens after the movie ends. However, it noted the voice actors are not the same and said the voice of Terk is "really annoying".
In 2002, the show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award and two Golden Reel Awards.