The tales presented in the “Planet of the Apes” Television series seem so “right” in terms of dialogue, characterisation, and narrative that it is difficult to accept that they ever existed in a different form—and yet they did.   From their initial concept through to the moment they were captured on film, each adventure passed through several stages of evolution. Along the way, some changed only in terms of detail: a line here, a character name there. In others, the pattern of events they described was transformed significantly.   Sometimes, a tale might appear to have settled into its final form, only for it to begin the process of metamorphosis all over again.   We know this because each step in a tale’s development was recorded in the form of the abandoned, earlier drafts, telling us of the journey each narrative had taken.   Consequently, we have not just one script for every chapter in the “Planet of the Apes” TV saga—but sometimes three or four.   Even then, subsequent minor adjustments within each major reshaping of an episode increase the number of alternative tellings of the tale to the point where many exist, essentially, in over half-a-dozen versions…   Presented below are the covers of various drafts of “Planet of the Apes” episodes, giving some indication of the effort and care that went into shaping what we saw on screen.   Note that the scripts have been presented here in the order in which they were commissioned.   For further information, see the “Script Development Diary” in the “Appreciation” section of this website.   (And, no—I can’t work out if there is any logic to the colour-coding of the script covers…)   Mark. September 1st. 2012.