The Legend of Tarzan (TV series)

Did You Know?

• All episodes of Season 2 were used in the plot of the direct-to-video sequel Tarzan & Jane, released July 23, 2002, though some parts were cut to resemble flashbacks.
• These episodes are believed to have occurred sometime during or before Season 1, but the overall true specific order is unknown.

Characters

Tarzan, voiced by Michael T. Weiss (replacing Tony Goldwyn), has taken on the role of leader of the gorillas after Kerchak's death. He is married to Jane and lives with her and her father in the treehouse built by his late parents. Though he does not live with Kala and the other gorillas, he protects them and often seeks Kala's advice. Tarzan helps Jane overcome her romanticized notions of jungle life, while she guides him in understanding human duplicity and insists he eat from a plate. Jane, voiced by Olivia d'Abo (replacing Minnie Driver), has settled into jungle life but sometimes misses England and tries to make Tarzan more civilized, which creates tension. Her human behavior causes some gorillas to doubt her and question Tarzan's leadership. Terk, voiced by April Winchell (replacing Rosie O'Donnell), is Tarzan's fun-loving older adoptive cousin and closest friend. She believes Tarzan cannot survive without her, though he repeatedly proves stronger and more capable. Tantor, voiced by Jim Cummings (replacing Wayne Knight), is a paranoid and nervous elephant who is protective of Tarzan and his friends, sharing a close bond with Terk and Archimedes Porter. Kala, voiced by Susanne Blakeslee (replacing Glenn Close), serves as the voice of the apes, reminding Tarzan of his obligations. She is Jane's closest friend, regarding her as the daughter she never had, and her wisdom is almost always correct. Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, voiced by Jeff Bennett (replacing Nigel Hawthorne), is a noted scientist who studied gorillas for years but had never seen one in the wild before arriving in Africa. He is well-meaning but often becomes absorbed in his thoughts and forgets what he is doing.

Critical reception

CommonSenseMedia rated the show 3 out of 5 stars, noting that while it does not live up to the original film, it teaches about the responsibilities of growing up and is suitable for family viewing due to its focus on family dynamics. The Hour praised the Disney-quality animation and faithfulness to the film's storyline, as well as the opportunity to see what happens after the movie ends, but criticized the replacement voice actors, particularly finding Terk's voice annoying. In 2002, the series was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award and two Golden Reel Awards.