Post by neferetus on Jan 20, 2006 15:12:08 GMT -5
THE TIME TUNNEL tv Series (1966) An Irwin Allen Production
Directed by Irwin Allen himself, the pilot (which cost a whopping $500,000, tying with Batman as the most expensive of that time) told the story of Dr. Tony Newman (James Darren) and Dr. Doug Phillips (Robert Colbert), two research scientists who become entrapped in a top secret portal through time.
The first adventure had Tony and Doug captive aboard the Titanic hours before it struck an iceberg. That opening episode was one of the best science-fiction dramas produced in the '60s. The pacing was exciting throughout, the Emmy-winning special effects colorful and hypnotic, and guest-star Michael Rennie performed admirably as the doomed ship's laconic captain.
To demonstrate the wider possibilities the series held, Tony and Doug dive from the deck of the Titanic at the show's conclusion only to materialize inside a rocket capsule about to be jettisoned into the atmosphere. Every show ended with the two time-travellers in a cliffhanger situation to entice viewers to tune in next week. This was something Irwin Allen pioneered with Lost in Space the previous year and a trick the producers of Batman picked up on as well.
At the controls of the Tunnel were Whit Bissell as General Heywood Kirk, John Zaremba as Dr. Raymond Swaim, both veterans of many "B" horror movies, Lee Meriwether as Dr. Ann McGregor, and Wesley Lau as security officer Jiggs. The Time Tunnel was unique in the fact that the regular supporting cast almost never got to work with the two lead actors. Consequently, they had little to do but yell "Tony!" and "Doug!" at the tunnel while frantically mashing the buttons and twisting the dials on the surplus NASA computers that made up most of the set.
Several times the guys had to push poor Ann out of the way so that they could turn the dials and push the buttons while she had a panic attack on the sidelines. It's no wonder she was so stressed—just like all of Irwin Allen's inventions, the Time Tunnel exploded every time you used it.
"There was absolutely no pressure on us to depict history accurately." Time Tunnel series writer Robert Duncan told an interviewer, "Once we entered that combination of aliens from outer space woven into historical episodes, there was no need for accuracy."
Fortunately for the writers, The Time Tunnel was able to take full advantage of the large stock footage library at 20th Century Fox to provide blue screen and cut away shots where elaborate historical settings or large numbers of extras were needed. Too often it was obvious that the plodding scripts were written around some old film clip of marauding medieval hordes or a trojan horse, with an obligatory fist fight or two written in for good measure.
Writer Robert Duncan approached one of the leads with his desire to create more substantial material but was cut short. The actor was content with basic utterances like "Let's go!" or "We have to get out of here!" so that was the end of that.
The Time Tunnel was Irwin Allen's favorite of all of his series, but with three productions going simultaneously in 1966 - 67, his team at 20th Century Fox was stretched far too thin.The Time Tunnel slipped into history on September 1, 1967.
"Two American scientists are lost in the swirling maze of past and future ages during the first experiment of America's greatest and most secret project—The Time Tunnel. Tony Newman and Doug Phillips now tumble helplessly toward a new fantastic adventure somewhere along the infinite corridors of time."
- opening to The Time Tunnel-
Episode 13. The Alamo
First aired: 12/9/1966
Writer: Bob Duncan, Wanda Duncan
Director: Sobey Martin
Guest star: Jim Davis (Col. Jim Bowie), Rhodes Reason (Col. Travis), John Lupton (Capt. Reynerson), Edward Colmans (Dr. Armandez), Alberto Monte (Sgt. Garcia), Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr (Capt. Rodriguez), Elizabeth Rogers (Mrs. Reynerson)
Tony and Doug arrive outside the Alamo on March 6, 1836 and get into a scuffle with some Mexican skirmishers. The two make it into the fort under cover fire from the garrison on the walls and meet with a certain 'Captain Reynerson', who mentions the startling fact that 'the brave ones alway go first...Crockett was killed yesterday." Tony and Doug put two and two together and figure out that they are in the Alamo. But when Tony tries to convince the stubborn Col. Travis the fort is doomed, Travis has the two scientists put into a guard house. With the aid of Reynerson,Tony escapes to get a Mexican doctor from San Antonio for Doug, who has been injured in a fight with Alamo sentries, but is captured by the Mexicans. Doug meanwhile tries to convince Capt. Reynerson that he can see the future. When Col. Bowie is injured in a fall during Tony's escape as Doug predicted, Reynerson believes him. Tony manages to escape the Mexicans with the help of a sympathetic Dr. Armandez. Meanwhile, the project team in the Time Tunnel have been trying to stage a recovery, but grab Col. Travis by mistake. Travis is initially stunned, but Kirk eventually convinces him by showing him future-footage of the battle, and Travis' own death. Convinced that he must let Doug go before the massacre begins, Travis returns and frees him. The Alamo defenders fight from the walls til they are are overcome, and Tony and Doug reunite. With Armandez' aid the two scientists help get Reynerson's wife out of the fort safely by having her pose as Dr. Armendariz's nurse, before they are whisked away to another adventure in history.
What is interesting about this episode is that the Alamo battle scenes are all outtakes from LAST COMMAND. Good ones, too! If you watch closely, you can even see Arthur Hunnicutt's death from two different angles. Fans of the LAST COMMAND may also rejoice on seeing Jim Davis---one of Bowie's men in LAST COMMAND--- cast here as Jim Bowie, himself! He does a tolerable good job of it. For some reason the 'Dickinsons' have been renamed the 'Reyersons', but it is fairly easy for Alamo 'scholars' to pick up on this. As for the Alamo 'set' it has been discussed previously how the (now destroyed) old castle at Universal Studios backlot may've doubled for the mission fort, although to my mind, it more resembled the set from KHARTOUM!
Military Model of Khartoum
Directed by Irwin Allen himself, the pilot (which cost a whopping $500,000, tying with Batman as the most expensive of that time) told the story of Dr. Tony Newman (James Darren) and Dr. Doug Phillips (Robert Colbert), two research scientists who become entrapped in a top secret portal through time.
The first adventure had Tony and Doug captive aboard the Titanic hours before it struck an iceberg. That opening episode was one of the best science-fiction dramas produced in the '60s. The pacing was exciting throughout, the Emmy-winning special effects colorful and hypnotic, and guest-star Michael Rennie performed admirably as the doomed ship's laconic captain.
To demonstrate the wider possibilities the series held, Tony and Doug dive from the deck of the Titanic at the show's conclusion only to materialize inside a rocket capsule about to be jettisoned into the atmosphere. Every show ended with the two time-travellers in a cliffhanger situation to entice viewers to tune in next week. This was something Irwin Allen pioneered with Lost in Space the previous year and a trick the producers of Batman picked up on as well.
At the controls of the Tunnel were Whit Bissell as General Heywood Kirk, John Zaremba as Dr. Raymond Swaim, both veterans of many "B" horror movies, Lee Meriwether as Dr. Ann McGregor, and Wesley Lau as security officer Jiggs. The Time Tunnel was unique in the fact that the regular supporting cast almost never got to work with the two lead actors. Consequently, they had little to do but yell "Tony!" and "Doug!" at the tunnel while frantically mashing the buttons and twisting the dials on the surplus NASA computers that made up most of the set.
Several times the guys had to push poor Ann out of the way so that they could turn the dials and push the buttons while she had a panic attack on the sidelines. It's no wonder she was so stressed—just like all of Irwin Allen's inventions, the Time Tunnel exploded every time you used it.
"There was absolutely no pressure on us to depict history accurately." Time Tunnel series writer Robert Duncan told an interviewer, "Once we entered that combination of aliens from outer space woven into historical episodes, there was no need for accuracy."
Fortunately for the writers, The Time Tunnel was able to take full advantage of the large stock footage library at 20th Century Fox to provide blue screen and cut away shots where elaborate historical settings or large numbers of extras were needed. Too often it was obvious that the plodding scripts were written around some old film clip of marauding medieval hordes or a trojan horse, with an obligatory fist fight or two written in for good measure.
Writer Robert Duncan approached one of the leads with his desire to create more substantial material but was cut short. The actor was content with basic utterances like "Let's go!" or "We have to get out of here!" so that was the end of that.
The Time Tunnel was Irwin Allen's favorite of all of his series, but with three productions going simultaneously in 1966 - 67, his team at 20th Century Fox was stretched far too thin.The Time Tunnel slipped into history on September 1, 1967.
"Two American scientists are lost in the swirling maze of past and future ages during the first experiment of America's greatest and most secret project—The Time Tunnel. Tony Newman and Doug Phillips now tumble helplessly toward a new fantastic adventure somewhere along the infinite corridors of time."
- opening to The Time Tunnel-
Episode 13. The Alamo
First aired: 12/9/1966
Writer: Bob Duncan, Wanda Duncan
Director: Sobey Martin
Guest star: Jim Davis (Col. Jim Bowie), Rhodes Reason (Col. Travis), John Lupton (Capt. Reynerson), Edward Colmans (Dr. Armandez), Alberto Monte (Sgt. Garcia), Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr (Capt. Rodriguez), Elizabeth Rogers (Mrs. Reynerson)
Tony and Doug arrive outside the Alamo on March 6, 1836 and get into a scuffle with some Mexican skirmishers. The two make it into the fort under cover fire from the garrison on the walls and meet with a certain 'Captain Reynerson', who mentions the startling fact that 'the brave ones alway go first...Crockett was killed yesterday." Tony and Doug put two and two together and figure out that they are in the Alamo. But when Tony tries to convince the stubborn Col. Travis the fort is doomed, Travis has the two scientists put into a guard house. With the aid of Reynerson,Tony escapes to get a Mexican doctor from San Antonio for Doug, who has been injured in a fight with Alamo sentries, but is captured by the Mexicans. Doug meanwhile tries to convince Capt. Reynerson that he can see the future. When Col. Bowie is injured in a fall during Tony's escape as Doug predicted, Reynerson believes him. Tony manages to escape the Mexicans with the help of a sympathetic Dr. Armandez. Meanwhile, the project team in the Time Tunnel have been trying to stage a recovery, but grab Col. Travis by mistake. Travis is initially stunned, but Kirk eventually convinces him by showing him future-footage of the battle, and Travis' own death. Convinced that he must let Doug go before the massacre begins, Travis returns and frees him. The Alamo defenders fight from the walls til they are are overcome, and Tony and Doug reunite. With Armandez' aid the two scientists help get Reynerson's wife out of the fort safely by having her pose as Dr. Armendariz's nurse, before they are whisked away to another adventure in history.
What is interesting about this episode is that the Alamo battle scenes are all outtakes from LAST COMMAND. Good ones, too! If you watch closely, you can even see Arthur Hunnicutt's death from two different angles. Fans of the LAST COMMAND may also rejoice on seeing Jim Davis---one of Bowie's men in LAST COMMAND--- cast here as Jim Bowie, himself! He does a tolerable good job of it. For some reason the 'Dickinsons' have been renamed the 'Reyersons', but it is fairly easy for Alamo 'scholars' to pick up on this. As for the Alamo 'set' it has been discussed previously how the (now destroyed) old castle at Universal Studios backlot may've doubled for the mission fort, although to my mind, it more resembled the set from KHARTOUM!
Military Model of Khartoum
