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Being a reasonably intelligent creature, Muggs noticed that, as long as the red light was lit on the camera, he couldn't be punished for acting up. He took to striking out at co-star Dave Garroway and his guests, then would run for cover when the camera's light went out.

As J. Fred got older, he got even meaner. The anthropoid was finally dropped from the cast in 1957 after he went berserk one too many times and viciously bit comedienne Martha Raye on the arm.

Muggs was replaced briefly by younger, more agreeable chimp named 'Kokomo, Jr' but by 1958 the chimps were gone completely and Today began evolving into a more serious program.

That same year, NBC began videotaping and time delaying their broadcasts for different time zones. The show no longer featured a window on the street, and for a few months, they even taped the program on the afternoon before the air date.

Dave Garroway left in 1961, replaced briefly by John Chancellor and then by Hugh Downs, who remained at the helm from 1962 until 1971.

After Garroway left Today, he suffered the ultimate insult - he was sued by J. Fred Muggs (or more accurately by his handlers) who complained that Garroway had ruined Muggs' career by claiming he was bitten by the big ape. Garroway countered that, in fact, Muggs had lashed out at a number of people at NBC and he had been bitten himself on the face, while they were live on the air.

During this time, women (who were mostly used for window dressing) began to be taken more seriously and given a larger role on the program.

TVparty-er Josh tells us more, "After Hugh Downs quit in 1971, he was replaced by Frank McGee, who took Today even more seriously into news and less humor.

"Oklahoma native McGee covered the JFK assassination for NBC for 40 hours with everything ad libbed. Though McGee was popular with viewers, he was difficult to work with. He and Barbara Walters didn't get along. According to the book Total Television, McGee insisted opening and closing the show by himself and any time Walters did an interview on the show, McGee had the option of asking the first question.

"By 1974, it was really bad behind the scenes, however McGee took time off in April of 1974 and died less than two weeks later of bone cancer which he wasn't even aware that he had. He was 53. McGee's replacement was 33 year old Jim Hartz, also from Oklahoma, who became the new host with Walters' blessing.

"At this point, Walters officially became co-host, instead of just being a Today girl. Though Walters and Hartz got along, the ratings went down, due it part to ABC debuting Good Morning America, which was less formal and had more of a homelike feel.

"Hartz left in 1976 as did Walters, who went to ABC. Today had substitute hosts for a couple of months and then Jane Pauley came aboard, later joined by Tom Brokaw; Today got more of a down home set to compete with Good Morning America and that brought the program , though still in 2nd place, up in the ratings."

In 1977, original hosts Jack Lescoulie, Frank Blair and Dave Garroway joined Jane Pauley and Tom Brokaw to celebrate Today's 25th anniversary. Notably absent - J. Fred Muggs who was doing a nightclub act in Florida at the time. When asked about his missing co-host, Garroway replied, "I didn't want that damn monkey on the program."

Largely forgotten by the public and out of work for more than a decade, Dave Garroway committed suicide in 1982. By then, the show he helped create was running a poor second to ABC's Good Morning America.

Jane Pauley was replaced by Deborah Norville in 1989, but wasn't until NBC hired Katie Couric in 1991 that Today regained dominance over the competition - ratings rose almost immediately after her debut.

In 2001, faced with losing the most important female talent in network daytime television, NBC capitulated to Couric's salary demands (to the tune of $60 million-plus for five years).

Couric announced she was jumping ship to CBS in April of 2006, a few months before her contract with the Today show was up - giving NBC a few precious months to prepare America for waking up to Matt Lauer and Curious George.

FREE ADVICE FOR NBC:
If NBC should decide again on a simian sidekick for Today, what would be their modern-day options? They'll be looking for chimps with a strong Q rating and lots of TV experience.

Surprisingly, J. Fred Muggs is still a possibility. TVparty-er Mark tells us, "J. Fred Muggs is alive and well and living in retirement with a chimpanzee ladyfriend in Florida.

"J. Fred was born in French Cameroon in 1952, so he is old enough for AARP membership, but because of his foreign birth, J. Fred Muggs is not eligible to become President. Which might be a shame, because he must be quite bright and articulate compared with a few pols from both parties here in the United States."

Think about it NBC - J. Fred may miss the perks of being the star of one of NBC's top shows and be willing to make a comeback.

Other chimps with high Q ratings include:

Tonga - this chimp had two hit series - as the 'Bloop' on Lost in Space and as the title character in the 1970 action series, Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp. Tonga would now be in his forties. This makes him the elder stateschimp of the bunch, but much too old for TV.

Clyde - from Clint Eastwood's hit movies in the seventies. Clyde probably won't stoop to doing television, most movie actors won't, if they can help it.

Mr. Smith - the star of NBC's 1983 self-titled series. Smith has an edge, he's a talking Orangutan with Washington insider experience - or at least he played one on TV, what's the difference? Still, NBC is unlikely to rehire the big ape after he almost single-handedly wrecked their Friday night schedule in 1983. Mr. Smith was back in the jungle before Christmas of that year!

Bubbles - Michael Jackson's chimp has the highest Q rating of all. Perhaps as a test for possible weekday duty, Bubbles was given his own Saturday morning cartoon series in 1985. He's an unlikely choice as his owner has gone on the record as saying, "I'm the star! Not that chimp! Bubbles just isn't that cute anymore!" According to insiders, Bubbles sucker-punched the fragile superstar one day and was promptly shipped off to Sylmar, CA to share a cage with 22 other primates.

THE TODAY SHOW : PART ONE HERE

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