Time Tunnel S1 &2 - Good buy? (1 Viewer)

[MattPeriolat]

Well, the initial verdict is (finally) in on TT.

Fiance and I just got done watching the first four episodes (Titanic, Flight to Mars, Halley's Comet, and Pearl Harbor for those of you playing at home) and we're actually very impressed with the show. The acting is very good and the script writers have done their home work enough to not stray too far off the facts while giving us some entertainment. Just a pity we are not able to see "consequences" of the interactions of Tony and Gary on the world as they go through time.

So far, two thoughts stand out most strongly in my mind:

1.) The only reason this show didn't make it past Season One was the budget. They must have spent a fortune on the early episodes and ABC's bean counters finally saw the bill at some point and cried "uncle!"

2.) If... if... the screenwriting and acting is as strong for VTTBOTS and LIS, they're on my short list for next buys.

Keep you all posted as I continue on my adventure through the infinite corridors of time...

 

[DeWilson]

...So far, two thoughts stand out most strongly in my mind:
1.) The only reason this show didn't make it past Season One was the budget. They must have spent a fortune on the early episodes and ABC's bean counters finally saw the bill at some point and cried "uncle!"...

Quite the opposite,actually. The show was cost effective due to the large amounts of stock footage that was and could be used. Plus the scifi episodes gave them an excuse to use Voyage/Lost in Space costumes,sets and props.
ABC's original order was for 26 episodes, then they tacked on 4 episodes to episodes - 3 of which were science fiction based than pure history - to round it out to a full 30.
The show was winning it's timeslot (Friday 8-9pm) and WAS RENEWED for a second season... THEN new managment came in at ABC and decided NOT to pick it up.
Irwin Allen felt so bad that he made a point to use the TIME TUNNEL cast as guest starts in future projects such as "Land of The Giants","City Beneath The Sea","Time Travelers" and "Swiss Family Robinson"
Scripts/Concepts for 2nd Season TIME TUNNEL episodes were later used in VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA - "Time Lock" (Right down to the outfits the Aliens wore!) and "A Time to Die"/"No Way Back" (with Henry Jones as the Mysterious Time-Traveling "Mr. Pem")

 

[Joe Tor1]

Scripts/Concepts for 2nd Season TIME TUNNEL episodes were later used in VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA - "Time Lock" (Right down to the outfits the Aliens wore!) and "A Time to Die"/"No Way Back" (with Henry Jones as the Mysterious Time-Traveling "Mr. Pem")

To add to DeWilson's thought, "Time Lock" was just about a direct rewrite of TT's "The Kidnappers". And let's not forget LOST IN SPACE'S "Time Merchant" -- maybe the best of the very late episodes -- with frequent Allen guest star actor John Crawford playing a much more spirited role than he did in "Time Lock".

 

[MattPeriolat]

Quite the opposite,actually. The show was cost effective due to the large amounts of stock footage that was and could be used. Plus the scifi episodes gave them an excuse to use Voyage/Lost in Space costumes,sets and props.
ABC's original order was for 26 episodes, then they tacked on 4 episodes to episodes - 3 of which were science fiction based than pure history - to round it out to a full 30.
The show was winning it's timeslot (Friday 8-9pm) and WAS RENEWED for a second season... THEN new managment came in at ABC and decided NOT to pick it up.
Irwin Allen felt so bad that he made a point to use the TIME TUNNEL cast as guest starts in future projects such as "Land of The Giants","City Beneath The Sea","Time Travelers" and "Swiss Family Robinson"
Scripts/Concepts for 2nd Season TIME TUNNEL episodes were later used in VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA - "Time Lock" (Right down to the outfits the Aliens wore!) and "A Time to Die"/"No Way Back" (with Henry Jones as the Mysterious Time-Traveling "Mr. Pem")

Interesting stuff. I thought I recalled some of the footage from the pilot from the 1950s Titanic movie with Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwick, so that explains that.
Also good of Allen to bring people back and reuse the scripts. Makes me want to see VTTBOS and LIS more. We'll see about the rest as I recall only Land of the Giants is also on DVD, not so?
A few more expansion thoughts from last night from the fiance and I:
- The only groan worthy moment from me for the pilot was them using the prefix S.S. for Titanic in the papers. ARGH! Royal Mail Steamer, R.M.S., people! It's a common mistake though and Allen actually fixed it a scene later with the shot of the plaque down in the boiler room.
- For the Race to Mars episode, I was impressed they were able to pass off footage of a Mercury/Atlas launch for a flight to Mars! I actually turned to my fiance at one point in the episode and commented how so far, I was glad she hadn't laughed at anything yet. Then we got a pretty groan inducing shot of the guys on the hull of the ship patching the hull. We also debated why they would have GUNS on a spaceship and how exactly they were supposed to work with no atmosphere. Actually liked the episode although the fiance got a bit confused with who was the spy and how could he die in the past and still be alive in the future. Had to explain two different characters working for the same team. Oh and credit to my fiance's brain, when they were actually talking about the other team, she just said "Russia." Interesting how that thought could come across without actually being stated.
I'm going on for a bit here, so I'll say more later.

 

[Harry-N]

Being fair and honest about it, Matt, you've probably watched about the best the series has to offer. There are still some fine and exciting episodes to go, but overall, those first four are among the best.
As a huge fan of the series, I enjoy it all, but can understand why others find a general down-trend in the stories that follow. The very next episode "The Last Patrol", is a tour de force acting performance from Carroll O'Connor, and two of my favorite episodes are "Secret Weapon", a sci-fi-spy thriller, and the wild "Chase Through Time" with Robert Duvall.
Harry

 

[Harry-N]

As for the "patching the hole in the spacecraft scene", it's lifted straight from the motion picture, DESTINATION: MOON. By having everyone wear spacesuits that matched the ones in the movie, all they did was show some close-ups of our heroes in the helmets, and dub in new dialog to fit the scenario.
Scenes of the ship on the lunar surface are also lifted from the same movie.
Harry

 

[phil*]

Harry,like you,I am a huge "Time Tunnel" fan. Considering that so many 60's era sci-fi tv shows have been made into movies (Lost in Space,The Twilight Zone,My Favorite Martian),I wonder if you feel that "Time Tunnel" has a chance of being done in this way as well.If this ever was to unfold,perhaps the writers could make the movie very interesting (and controversial) by transporting Doug and Tony to the grassy knoll in Dealey Plaza to see if there was indeed a 2nd shooter;another destination could perhaps be the Middle East in Biblical times to see if the Red Sea did indeed part; or to verify whether or not Jesus of Nazareth was who he said he was.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Harry,like you,I am a huge "Time Tunnel" fan. Considering that so many 60's era sci-fi tv shows have been made into movies (Lost in Space,The Twilight Zone,My Favorite Martian),I wonder if you feel that "Time Tunnel" has a chance of being done in this way as well.If this ever was to unfold,perhaps the writers could make the movie very interesting (and controversial) by transporting Doug and Tony to the grassy knoll in Dealey Plaza to see if there was indeed a 2nd shooter;another destination could perhaps be the Middle East in Biblical times to see if the Red Sea did indeed part; or to verify whether or not Jesus of Nazareth was who he said he was.

Phil, that's a great idea! As a native Dallas resident, I'd love to see that unfold in a "Time Tunnel" script. I wasn't on the knoll at the time but I remember school getting released that day and our teacher crying at the desk in class.
Like Harry, TT's one of my all-time favorites. It's one that's held up from the 60's but that's expected for TT fanatics
Same as Harry, "Chase Through Time" is one of my favorite eps from the show. As a rule, I wasn't as excited about the "future" shows except for "One Way to the "Moon" as Harry mentioned, is arguably in the top 2-3 of the show. I did like the "Raiders" episode where that alien ship landed back in the old west time period.
One of my other favorite ones was the one with the Trojan Horse (Revenge of the Gods?).

 

[phil*]

Thanks for your nice words,Jeff Willis. Coincidentally, there was a Phil Willis who was present that day in Dallas who took an interesting photo of the events that transpired. Any relation to you?

 

[MattPeriolat]

Well, gotten through a bit more, so filing an additional report here.
The Halley's Comet episode felt almost like a Twilight Zone episode as you'd think it was just a mine collapse, then Doug comes out and sees the "Comet" (looked more like the Sun, but that's besides the point) up in the sky. Great twist and a pretty good episode.
The SECOND we saw the teaser for Day the Sky Fell In and we saw the Japanese burning papers, my fiance and I just went "Uh-oh." That was really a classic episode and is part of the reason I'd defend the acting on the show, although the truth serum bit was a bit much. Interesting to see how stereotypical the character of the Japanese was even as late as '66.
The Last Patrol is another absolute classic. Having never seen an episode of AITF or ITHOTN, I've never really seen Carol O'Connell acting and boy, he does a great job playing two compelling characters. Chalk up another favorite of mine for that one.
The Krakatoa episode was interesting, but aside from expanding the technology of the Tunnel, it was a bit of an off episode. Don't get me wrong, I still dug it, but not as good as the previous two.
And finally, Revenge of the Gods. I actually had seen this episode years ago, I think as part of the Time Travellers movie. Very fun little episode, although the stuff with Jiggs getting "stuck" in time just felt like padding.
I'm still very much enjoying the show as a whole and can't wait to see what's to come.

 

[Harry-N]

...perhaps the writers could make the movie very interesting (and controversial) by transporting Doug and Tony to the grassy knoll in Dealey Plaza to see if there was indeed a 2nd shooter;

That story's been well handled on both the newer TWILGHT ZONE ("Profile In Silver") where we get to see a possible future with Kennedy living through the Dallas ordeal, and on a QUANTUM LEAP where Sam leaps into not only Lee Harvey Oswald for a two parter, but into a Secret Service agent as well - and changes history.
Still, I'd love to see a creative writer do a modern-day version of THE TIME TUNNEL - assuming they'd do it right and not muck it up like so many remake attempts.
Harry

 

[DVD S.]

I remember those 'movies' that were spliced together
from(I believe) six different episodes(into 3 movies each).
that was my first modern exposure to TT, back in the 80's.
I enjoy the episodes much more away from that context.
the episodes that I enjoy/appreciate are:
*rendevouz with yesterday(love the secret/spy music & TT complex element)!
*one way to the moon
*the day the world ended(original pilot's ending put into this ones')
*the sky is falling
*crack of doom
*revenge of the gods
*massacre
*secret weapon(an enemy Time Tunnel, dialogue wise some campy fun)!
*visitors from beyond the stars
*ghost of nero
*chase thru time(really pretty cool episode for a sci-fi one, they inserted some original pilot footage into this one)
*pirates of deadman's island
*walls of jericho
*idol of death
*the kidnappers(like LIS, but I think they did a good job on this one)
*attack of the barbarians(tony falls in love, wants to stay in that time period!)
*merlin the magician
....quite a few!!
I think that perhaps some of the weakest episodes are in the middle section
(billy the kid, for example), as well as the very last couple of episodes.
I love the 'making of' footage of the first episode, you can see where they
were going to have a jungle in the TT, but for reasons unknown, decided to
scrap that particular sequence(it is still very cool to see it here, though)!
I agree, it looks as if they spent a great deal on that pilot!!
in regards to the cancelation, ABC canceled every show in that season
(including the infamous 'Green Hornet'.......and 'TT' was the highest rated of all their new shows that season).what about the pilot of TT that was made in the 90's? I thought it was very compelling, well acted and written , but the Tunnel and complex looked awful(and typical for alot of bland, modern shows).I think that others have commented on this movie/pilot elsewhere, I am glad that they included it on the TT series set(along with 'The Time Travellers' movie).
it is amazing that a 1 seson show like this is still so fondly remembered, it is
such a shame that they didn't make 2nd season.
I would recommend "Voyage" to you(especially the first 2 seasons, though,I think that there are still some very enjoyable episodes after that, too!)
:star:

 

[phil*]

Phil, that's a great idea! As a native Dallas resident, I'd love to see that unfold in a "Time Tunnel" script. I wasn't on the knoll at the time but I remember school getting released that day and our teacher crying at the desk in class.

"It is Summer,2009. On a hot,humid day, the arid stillness of the Arizona desert is broken by the sound of a vast armada of army jeeps speeding towards its destination. On board this flotila of grim faced Admirals and Generals were several heavily armed enlisted men...each pensively scanning the unending horizon for impending threats. Suddenly, the convoy slowed to an almost complete halt..and as if by magic..there appeared an opening in the desert floor...a sloped decline that would lead the array of military vehicles to a gargantuan,long ago deserted scientific project.
It had been over 40 years,late 1968, when a soon to be ex-president,Lyndon Baines Johnson,ordered the immediate mothballing of Project Tic Toc,explaining in his top secret memo,"National Security" as his reason for closing down the classified venue. However,those close to the 36th president felt there were other,highly personal reasons why LBJ wanted this unknown to the public national scientific treasure shut down permanently.
One of these men, the sole survivor of those extremely close to President Johnson was terminally ill with lung cancer. On his death bed, he had contacted the current administration and revealed his suspicions about the real reasons why the facility was closed,dooming two innocent explorers to a lifetime of being lost in time.
What was it in this dying man's confessions that caused the current president to waste no time and dispatch a small army of men to descend into the depths of the Arizona desert and attempt to reactivate as soon as possible...THE TIME TUNNEL...?"

 

[Jeff Willis]

Thanks for your nice words,Jeff Willis. Coincidentally, there was a Phil Willis who was present that day in Dallas who took an interesting photo of the events that transpired. Any relation to you?

You're welcome Phil.
Nope, no relation....unless that's a long-lost Uncle that has a second Zapruder film locked away (kidding, obviously) No attempt to minimize that tragic day in Dallas. Anyone that was around back then & still lives here understands the impact that day had on us in the area.
Matt,
Here's some of imo, best episodes that you all have yet to see:
Visitors from Beyond the Stars
This one's somewhat of a "future/alien" episode but it's my favorite one of that format in the show. It's got a good "twist" of the past/future interaction in the storyline.
The Walls of Jericho
This is one of my favorites in the series. Rhodes Reason (Joshua) is a perfect "Joshua".
Chase Through Time
Robert Duvall's one of my favorite actors and he delivers in this one. This one's in my top 5 of the show.
Merlin the Magician
Christopher Cary (Merlin) imo, was cast to perfection as Merlin. Watch for this line from Cary: "I [pause] am Merlin" classic
The Alamo
Rhodes Reason (Col. Travis) Again, RR plays a perfect "Travis". Look for Jim Davis ("Jock Ewing" of "Dallas") playing "Jim Bowie". As a native Texan, this one's in my top 5.

 

[DVD S.]

I meant to put "Visitors", not "Raiders From Outer Space" there,
so I changed it.
"The Alamo" puts me to sleep, I suppose if you are a Texan, though.....
I prefer "Massacre", although I did not watch this one until' recently and
I thought it was quite good.
:star:

 

[MartinP.]

"The Alamo" puts me to sleep, I suppose if you are a Texan, though.....

LOL, I guess I have to agree, even after visiting the Alamo for the first time a couple years ago and I watched this episode again...
Odds and ends:
Another episode no one has mentioned that I always liked was the very last one, "Town of Terror". Yes, it'a bit goofy and there's a couple strange plot things in it that I never quite understood, but I now like the fact that this episode took place 30 years ago, but when it aired it was ten years in the future! Also, I adore Mabel Albertson.
A few have mentioned what film some stock footage is from in certain episodes. I recently discovered that the scenes from the Pearl Harbor episode where the people are fleeing toward the hills is from the Jane Russell film "The Revolt of Mamie Stover".
Also, I agree with the poster who lamented the "look" of the Time Tunnel in the new pilot episode. If they ever made Time Tunnel into a movie, I would want it to look like it did in the series.
I was fortunate enough to meet the writer of two of the series episodes in the 1980's when he was a customer of mine at my employment. Ellis St. Joseph, who wrote the Pearl Harbor and the biblical episodes. He remarked how wonderful it was to see the set in person.
Lastly, a trivia question:
In what relatively successful film by a very successful director, do two of the characters spend their evening watching the Time Tunnel? (I think they watch The Green Hornet as well.)

 

[Harry-N]

Lastly, a trivia question:
In what relatively successful film by a very successful director, do two of the characters spend their evening watching the Time Tunnel? (I think they watch The Green Hornet as well.)

Not a clue - and I can't wait for the answer!
Harry

 

[DVD S.]

I was afraid if I mentioned liking "Town Of Terror", I would be shot down in
flames!!
by the way, has anybody thought about the improbability of the fire on the moon in "One Way To The Moon"? there is no oxygen on the moon, so how could there be a fiery explosion??
and Martin, I am one of the people that lamented the look of the Tunnel in
the more recent pilot(but someone else had mentioned it earlier, too).
I would love to know the name of that movie(where TT was watched)that you mentioned!!
:star:

 

[MattPeriolat]

Add another "notch" in the TT watching belt.
Funny story. Fiance and I were just wrapping up for the night after watching Heroes and I was expecting us to head for bed and I hear her call from the living room "Don't you want to watch a Time Tunnel before bed?"
Think I've hooked her. Then again, watching alternating seasons of Lucy and Twilight Zone have probably raised the profile of classic TV for her.
But I digress. Last night was Massacre and oh my heavens, what a big steaming pile of political un-correctness THAT was, at least by today's standards. Do think Custer was fairly close to the mark, but just couldn't really get around the horrible stereotyping of the Native Americans. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the show, it just wasn't a favorite.

 

[MartinP.]

Lastly, a trivia question:
In what relatively successful film by a very successful director, do two of the characters spend their evening watching the Time Tunnel? (I think they watch The Green Hornet as well.)

The film is Ang Lee's THE ICE STORM. I'm not an expert on the film, but when I saw it the very fact that Christina Ricci and Elijah Wood (or was it Tobey Maguire--I get them mixed up--and they are BOTH in the film!) are watching The Time Tunnel AND Green Hornet took me right out of the movie because the film is set in 1973 and even accounting for a syndicated re-run they wouldn't have aired together. But anyway, I also enjoyed that fact as well!