'The Gladiators' (Story Code 'B502') by Art Wallace

Galen has joined Virdon and Burke in their quest to find some technology capable of reading the computer disk from their ship – their only hope for returning to Earth in their own time. Meanwhile, General Urko receives a report concerning a sighting of the three fugitives, and sends his lieutenant, Jason, to instruct all settlements in the area to capture them. Making their way through a forest, Galen, Virdon, and Burke encounter two humans fighting, but when they try to break them up, the two men turn on them. An ape appears, forcing the three fugitives to flee for safety; but then Virdon is dismayed to discover that he has lost the disc in the scuffle, and that the ape, Prefect Barlow, has found it and taken it back to his village. Galen attempts to retrieve the disc by visiting Barlow posing as a scientist; meanwhile, Virdon and Burke are captured by apes and brought to the settlement. Barlow tells Galen that he believes that the humans’ natural instinct to wage war on each other needs to be controlled, and that his solution is to hold a brutal gladiatorial ‘game’ in which the humans of his village find a release for their violence. Another such game is to be held soon – and Virdon has been sentenced to take part in a fight to the death…

Roddy McDowall (Galen), Ron Harper (Alan Virdon), James Naughton (Pete Burke), Booth Colman (Zaius), Mark Lenard (Urko), John Hoyt (Barlow), Marc Singer (Dalton), William Smith (Tolar), Pat Renella (Jason), Eddie Fontaine (Gorilla Sergeant)

Directed by Don McDougall
Produced by Stanley Hough
Executive Producer Herbert Hirschman

TX (US): 20th September, 1974

Notes:
*Featuring Alan Virdon, Pete Burke, Galen, Doctor Zaius and General Urko