Manimal Theme Song

1983

Revisiting this series made me surprised with two things: first that it only lasted one season (and only 8 episodes were made), and second that I remember it so clearly. I guess canceled shows back then meant more without media distraction from the internet.

The reason I got to posting about this weird-choice-of-a-show’s theme song is composer Alan Silvestri—my last post was about the Forrest Gump theme song. However, the main title theme for Manimal was composed by Paul Chihara. Silvestri was only a contributing scorer for the series. The song is officially entitled “Manimal”.

Since the theme is an instrumental, let’s just relive the opening narrative—recited by actor William Conrad.

Dr Jonathan Chase… wealthy, young, handsome. A man with the brightest of futures. A man with the darkest of pasts. From Africa’s deepest recesses, to the rarefied peaks of Tibet, heir to his father’s legacy and the world’s darkest mysteries. Jonathan Chase, master of the secrets that divide man from animal, animal from man… Manimal!

See opening sequence below for theme song and narration.