Time Tunnel on Action Channel

[Leovinus]

One of my favorite shows from my childhood was "Time Tunnel". This show is now being rerun in the mornings on the Action Channel which I get on Dish Network. It was made by Irwin Allen, the same guy who did another of my favorites "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea". It also has some of the same special effects -- namely sparks flying everywhere. I even saw Kowalski appearing in a guest role as a silver-faced alien robot in one episode.<br /><br />Anyway, the episode I watched yesterday was "One Way Trip to the Moon". Doug & Tony are transferred into the "Service Module" of the M.E.M. (Mars Excursion Module). Exteriour shots of the rocket are clearly an Atlas rocket. They claimed to have artificial gravity by spinning the rocket, but then they cut to an exterior stock shot of an Atlas rocket with all engines burning. <br /><br />A little while later, an alarm goes off -- a radar warning of an incoming asteroid. Doug & Tony have to go outside to repair the damage it caused. The captain warns them that while they have gravity inside the ship (due to the spinning, remember?) they will be in 0-gravity as they walk around the outside of the ship with their magnetic boots. Silly, isnt' it?<br /><br />Because of the added weight of Doug & Tony (only an extra 335 pounds) they determine that they don't have enough fuel to get to Mars. To accomplish the mission, they have to divert to the Moon and land near a fuel depot there. They do so and some guys go out in space suits to get all the fuel they need to continue going to Mars: About 4 bottles about the size of a typical gas cylinder. It must be very concentrated fuel, eh?<br /><br />Inside this depot are explosives and guns. One has to wonder why there are pistols on the moon. Even the ship had a full arsenal of pistols. <br /><br />There's a traitor on the crew and of course Doug and Tony get in the obligatory fist fight with him in the depot. Remember, they're all wearing space suits and one must wonder <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[trockner]

I don't think Richard Basehart would have signed onto VTTBOTS as Captain of The Seaview if he didn't think it had SOME redeeming value. <br /><br />After all, he DID do the narration for "The World At War" series of documentaries.

 

[spankdaddy]

Land of the giants kicked ass

 

[Leovinus]

The last episode I watched was returing to the Trojan War. You guessed it, the two travellers show up the day before the Trojan Horse is unveiled. Just like they show up the day before Krakatoa blows up. And the day before the Titanic sinks. And wouldn't you know it? Tony gets to ride in the Horse and help overthrow Troy so that he can rescue Doug who is held captive in the city. Isn't it just so handy that the Greeks and the Trojans all decide to speak English for the benefit of our two travellers and the folks watching back home in the control room?<br /><br />At one point, Tony's in a bit of a fix, so they send back a guard with a box of grenades and a machine gun to mow down the opposition. Then they managed to retrieve the guard after the battle. So tell me why they can't seem to get Doug and Tony? I tell you what -- the writing for this show is pretty bad.<br /><br />My daughter is a big Orlando Bloom fan ever since Legolas made his big screen appearance. So naturally, she saw him play Paris in Troy last year. So when I told her what this Time Tunnel episode was about, she *had* to watch with me. We both had a good laugh.<br /><br />And just before the end of the episode, the Time Tunnel redressed the Doug and Tony and then sent them off to get slaughtered by Indians in 1868 Old West. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[a_lost_packet_]

There was once a time that I can remember these shows came on, one after the other, in the afternoon and evening.<br /><br /><br />Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea<br />Star Trek<br /><Then the News - Time to get cleaned up for dinner. /><br /><Dumb Gameshow I think, who cares, I was eating dinner anyway. /><br />Land of the Giants and or Time Tunnel (I don't remember which came next here but both were televised.)<br /><br />No kidding. It was one summer and I was in TV-Land heaven. Of course, those were the days when UltraMan came on Sunday mornings where I lived too. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1">I put on my robe and wizard hat...</font> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

I used to watch Time Tunnel & Land of the Giants - seems like aeons ago now. I remember the theme song was pretty cool - anyway know any sites on the net where you can get the old theme music from some of these shows? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

The real thing: http://www.kfcplainfield.com/sound/timetunnel.wav<br /><br />A computer-synthesized version: http://www.elite.net/~gurpal/tv/timetnl.mid<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

Land of the Giants meets Time Tunnel <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Seems like Ad. Nelson was always having to use an atomic bomb on something and despite never getting authorization (Always this was mentioned!), he never got in trouble. Always liked how costumes and sets would show up interchangably on all the Irwin Allen shows. Lizard and alien suits especially. Virtually one whole episode of Lost in Space took place on a barely disguised Seaview set. Kept us entertained at the time, made money too, guess Mr. Allen has something to be proud of. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[drwayne]

I was a kid during the 60's, and I was into Voyage and LIS, but I never got into Giants and Time Tunnel nearly as much...<br /><br />I loved the Irwin Allen props too...<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[drwayne]

Its funny, I grew up to work around scientific and technical equipment, from college, through grad school, and into my career. But somehow, I never have worked around anything that looked as...right as those props - even now, knowing what they were...<br /><br />If I were ever to get REALLY rich, I would commission someone to build me a house that inside and out, looked like the J2.<br /><br />Yes, I am a sick puppy.<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

I formerly worked at a defense contractor and saw an old aircraft hydraulics test stand, probably built in the fifties, for the old B-36 Peacekeeper bomber. It just had that old, clunky, but believable look and feel of an old Irwin Allen set piece. Weird sensation looking at that old thing, I was seeing the future I had imagined as a child, and wasn't terribly impressed, yet, it was almost enchanting. This was 15 years ago, they have surely dismantled that old dinosaur by now. Wish I had some pix.<br /><br /><br /><br />What are they infected with? RAGE!<br />28 Days Later <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[drwayne]

One day I would like to visit this place:<br /><br />http://www.alphacontrol.com/<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[hracctsold]

Wayne,<br /><br />Thanks for the listed link, it brought back fond memories. One of my favorite characters was Roby the Robot on that show. I did like the org. shows better then the later movie though.<br /><br />One of my all time favorite movies is "Forbidden Planet"!! If I'm not mistaken, that was Roby's first role on the screen. I can't really say why I like it, but I do. Another old dated movie I really like is the one where they have to build a rocket ship and go to another planet (Zira, I think),who's moon is about to collide with the earth. I wish I could think of the name, but it excapes me at the moment.<br /><br />On the subject of Time Tunnel, I have really enjoyed it now that it is on the action channels. I watch it with enjoyment as often as I can. There are many old shows I used to really enjoy seeing, but when I get to see them again, I'm saying to myself, now why did I like this show, I don't remember it being so ..., (stupid, for example, in looking again at Get Smart!!). Not to say, I don't watch it, but not with as much fun as before. But I accept the limitations of Time Tunnel, and still can enjoy it. Henry

 

[vogon13]

When Worlds Collide is the movie your thinking of. Fairly intelligent treatment of another end of world scenario. Crack in the World is another semi-plausible tale with similar production values and that 'old time' sci-fi feel. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[hracctsold]

Thanks for the update, I forgot that name. But I do remember reading both books in that series, When and After Worlds Collide. As I remember they were nice books to read, the later taking up after they arrived there. But enough about this, and back to the thread.