Monkey is the dubbed English language version of the Japanese television series SaiyÅ«ki ( 西éŠè¨˜ ^? ), based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en . It was originally produced by Nippon Television (NTV) and International Television Films in association with NHK .

The series ran for two seasons of 26 episodes each. The first season ran from October 1978 to April 1979. The second season ran from November 1979 to May 1980. Both seasons had footage shot on location in north-west China and Inner Mongolia .

The show is unusual in that it was performed by Japanese actors in China and then dubbed into English. The English language version was produced by the BBC and broadcast in the United Kingdom in November 1979, and in Australia in May 1981. The script for the dubbed dialogue was written by David Weir . It ran for only 39 episodes, because at the discretion of the BBC select episodes were not dubbed for the original run. These remaining episodes were dubbed by Fabulous Films Ltd in early 2004 by the original actors following a successful release of the English dubbed series on VHS and DVD . The missing 13 episodes were shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom on 8 September 2004.

Besides Australia and the UK, Monkey has also aired in New Zealand and is available on DVD. Monkey has not been screened in the United States.

Monkey , the title character, "born from an egg on a mountain top", was a brash king of a monkey tribe (indeed, the title song goes so far as to claim that he was the "funkiest monkey that ever popped"). He achieved a little "enlightenment" and proclaimed himself "Great Sage, Equal of Heaven". After demanding the "gift" of a magical staff from a powerful Dragon king , Monkey is approached by Heaven to join their host in the lowly position of "Keeper of the Peach Garden of Immortality". Monkey eats them all, becomes immortal and runs amok. Having earned the ire of Heaven and being bested in a challenge by an omniscient, mighty, but benevolent, cloud-dwelling deity Buddha , Monkey is imprisoned under a mountain in order to learn humility.

Eventually Monkey is released by the monk Tripitaka in 630, who has been tasked by the Boddhisatva Guanyin to undertake a pilgrimage to India to fetch holy scriptures. The pair soon recruits two former members of the heavenly host who were cast out as a result of Monkey's transgressions: Sandy , the water monster and ex-cannibal, expelled from heaven after his interference caused a precious jade cup to be broken, and Pigsy , a pig monster consumed with lust and gluttony, who was expelled from heaven after harassing star princess Vega for a kiss. A dragon, Yu Lung, who was set free by Guanyin after being sentenced to death, eats Tripitaka's horse but upon discovering the horse was carrying Tripitaka, assumes the shape of a horse to carry him on his journey; later in the story he occasionally assumes human form to assist his new master, although he is still always refered to as 'Horse'. Monkey can also change form, for instance into a Hornet . In 'The Great Journey Begins' Monkey transforms into a girl to trick Pigsy. Monkey's other magic included a cloud upon which he could fly, a magic wishing staff with which Monkey fights and could be any size, and the ability to conjure bare-fisted monkey warriors by blowing on hairs plucked from his chest.

The pilgrims face many perils and antagonists both human and supernatural. Monkey, Sandy, and Pigsy are often called upon to battle demons, monsters and bandits, despite Tripitaka's constant call for peace. Many episodes also feature some moral lesson, usually based upon Buddhist and/or Taoist philosophies, which are spoken by the narrator at the end of various scenes.

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