'The Liberator' (Story Code 'B507') by Howard Dimsdale

Virdon, Burke and Galen come to the aid of a man named Clim, who is fleeing a gang of gorillas that have arrived in his village. Unable to find their quarry, the apes return to Clim’s village and choose another human to come with them in his place. The village leader, Brun, orders that Clim be found and back to the village; several young hunters set off and soon find their fellow, taking Virdon and Burke prisoner in the process, despite Galen’s protests. After following the hunters and their captives back to the village, Galen then looks on as Clim is tied to a cart and left outside a nearby temple. Watched by a solemn gathering of villagers, a hooded, masked figure emerges from the temple and pushes the cart inside; the figure then prays over Clim’s form, and, although no one touches him, Clim inexplicably dies. Galen meets with Brun and learns that that the gorillas used to raid the village for slaves to work in their mines; however, the villagers managed to strike a deal with the apes, and that five humans are to be provided twice each summer month; therefore, hunters from the village capture humans from other areas to fill the quota, and any deficiency in the numbers is filled by villagers chosen randomly through a lot system. Galen is dismayed to learn that Brun has decided that Virdon and Burke will be used to fulfil their obligation. But while the young chimpanzee struggles to find a way to free his friends, he must also discover the secret behind the hooded figure in the temple…

Roddy McDowall (Galen), Ron Harper (Alan Virdon), James Naughton (Pete Burke), Booth Colman (Zaius), Mark Lenard (Urko), John Ireland (Brun), Ben Andrews (Miro), Peter G. Skinner (Clim), Jennifer Ashley (Talia), Ron Stein (First Gorilla Guard), Tom McDonnough (Second Gorilla Guard)

Directed by Arnold Lavin
Produced by Stanley Hough
Executive Producer Herbert Hirschman

TX (UK): 12th January, 1975

Notes:
*Featuring Alan Virdon, Pete Burke, Galen, Doctor Zaius and General Urko

*Working title: ‘The Conqueror’

*This episode was never aired in the initial US tranmission run; I have listed the first UK broadcast instead