For anyone of a certain vintage, the 1970s Japanese TV show "Monkey" — which aired in the U.K. in 1979 and acquired a long-standing cult following — is likely to instantly transport you back to the age of "Happy Days," "Blake's Seven" and "Charlie's Angels."

The show was an even bigger hit in Australia and was widely broadcast across Latin America from Mexico to Argentina. (Notably, though, it was never shown on national networks in the U.S.)

It was truly a unique event in TV history — a Japanese drama series that conquered much of the world.