The Time Tunnel Vol.1 DVD Review:

Irwin Allen was one of the most creative men in science fiction entertainment for a long time. He created hit shows like Lost in Space and fantastic films such as Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and The Poseidon Adventure. These are titles that have with held the test of time better than his other achievements. The Time Tunnel was a very popular show in the 1960’s but it is not nearly as well known these days. Fans that watched it when it was first on television may find the release of the first fifteen episodes to be quite exciting, and fans of science fiction may find the set-up for the show to be interesting, but this isn’t the kind of show that everyone will appreciate.

In the world of The Time Tunnel nothing is more valuable than the control of time. A group of scientists have created Project Tic Toc beneath the Arizona desert in order to figure out whether or not time travel is at all possible. The scientists believe that they have ten years to find out, but the government cuts the funding suddenly and gives them only 24 hours to test the never before used Time Tunnel. Two scientists, Dr. Tony Newman and Dr. Doug Phillips, go through the tunnel and find themselves that the tunnel works. The only problem is trying to get home.

It is basically similar to the concept for the show Sliders, which was very popular with science fiction fans in the nineties, but with a slightly more serious feel, and obviously less sophisticated special effects to boast. The great thing about this show is that one episode may take place during a historical event, while others take place in the future. The first episode takes place on the Titanic and the very next episode is on a ship to Mars. The two seem to find themselves arriving during wars quite often, whether it is Pearl Harbor, The French revolution, or the conflict between Ulysses and Paris. Many times the show almost feels like a history lesson each episode.

Volume 1 has the first fifteen episodes, including an extended version of the pilot. There are also a few special features, which is surprising for a show that is this old. There are home movies from Irwin Allen’s personal collection, which both help to give more insight into his genius as well as explore behind the scenes of the show. There are visual effects camera tests which are not incredible, but some might find the process of the special effects in that day to be somewhat interesting. There are also a number of television and radio commercials and four still galleries. The galleries are of concept art, production, merchandise, and there is a comic book gallery as well.



Ryan Izay