US tv series (1966-1967). An Irwin Allen Production for Twentieth Century Fox Television/ABC TV. Created by Irwin Allen, also executive producer; very loosely based on Time Tunnel (1964) by Murray Leinster. Writers included William Welch, Wanda and Bob Duncan. Directors included Allen (pilot only), Sobey Martin, J Juran. 1 season. 30 50-minute episodes. Colour.
Dr Tony Newman (James Darren) and Dr Doug Phillips (Robert Colbert) are trapped in time after testing a defective Time Machine, which takes the form of a tubular gateway – striped in alternating black and white rings extending into apparent distance – and is controlled by military personnel. Their military and civilian colleagues can see what is happening to them but are unable to return them to the present; efforts in this direction conveniently switch the travellers to a new time-period every week, usually five minutes from the end of an episode, leaving them at a cliffhanger. Tony and Doug spend more time in the past than in the future, in such venues as the Alamo, the Little Big Horn, the Titanic, the walls of Jericho and Pearl Harbor, just as dangerous events are about to take place; thus a good deal of stock footage could be utilized. Rather more fantastic episodes featured Merlin and the vengeful ghost (> Supernatural Creatures) of Emperor Nero. Writing, performances and sets were dire. Two novelizations are The Time Tunnel * (1967) and Timeslip! * (1967) by Murray Leinster. [JB]
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