Stop the presses! Word just reached me that Simon MacCorkindale, television's Manimal, died last week while I wasn't paying attention. Now I'll never get a Manimal action figure!

If you don't remember, Manimal was about the white son of a jedi who was taught by African witch-doctors to change himself into any animal he desired (so long as it was a panther or falcon). Here, I'll let William Conrad explain:

I know what you're thinking: with a premise like that, how could that show have only lasted 8 episodes? I'm sure it was jealousy on the part of network executives. In addition to the roguishly charming MacCorkindale (fresh off the super mega-hit Jaws 3D in which he played the roguishly charming shark bait), the show had a Glen Larson pedigree. That's a formula for television gold. And it was.

But alas. All great things must come to an end, and so does the career of Simon MacCorkindale. In this case quite literally: he died of bowel cancer. Ouch.

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