Planet of the Apes is a TV show.
Arthur P. Jacobs ( March 7 , 1922 -- June 27 , 1973 ) was a press agent turned film producer responsible for such films in the 1960s and 1970s as the Planet of the Apes series , Doctor Dolittle , Goodbye , Mr. Chips , Play It Again , Sam and Tom Sawyer through his company APJAC Productions . Planet of the Apes (1968 film) . Directors J. Lee Thompson and Blake Edwards were approached , but the film 's producer Arthur P. Jacobs , upon the recommendation of Charlton Heston , chose Franklin J. Schaffner to direct the film .