NEW Vol. 2-season 1 (DVD)

 

 

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While the second collection of 15 episodes from the single season of THE TIME TUNNEL (ABC 1966-67) doesn't necessarily consistently shine quite as brightly as the initial group comprising the content in volume one there are still some commendably well done segments to be found nonetheless that includes "Kill Two By Two," "The Walls of Jericho," "Idol of Death," "Billy the Kid," "Pirates of Deadman's Island," Chase Through Time," "The Death Merchant" and "Attack of the Barbarians" being the more noteworthy.

It is at this midway point in the season that producer-creator Irwin Allen broadens the series' premise to include capricously outlandish encounters with Robin Hood, Merlin the Magician, the wrathful spirit of the Roman Emperor Nero and even extraterrestrial beings (on four separate occasions).

Featured celebrity guest-stars and veteran film and tv performers impressively in evidence are Robert Duvall, Mako, Robert Walker, Jr., Eduardo Cianelli, Malachi Throne, Michael Ansara, Byron Foulger, Richard Jaeckel, Myrna Fahey, Allan Case, Paul Mantee, Abraham Sofaer, Lawrence Montaigne, Christopher Carey, Mabel Albertson, Anthony Caruso, Vitina Marcus, Del Monroe, Michael Pate, Donald Herron, John Hoyt, Lisa Gaye, Arthur Batanides, Jan Merlin, Peter Brocco, Ronald Long, Phillip Ahn, Arnold Moss and John Saxon.

The remaining 15 episodes are:

16) "The Revenge of Robin Hood" (30/12/1966)

17) "Kill Two By Two" (06/01/1967)

18) "Visitors from Beyond the Stars" (13/01/1967)

19) "The Ghost of Nero" (20/01/1967)

20) "The Walls of Jericho" (27/01/1967)

21) "Idol of Death" (03/02/1967)

22) "Billy the Kid" (10/02/1967)

23) "Pirates of Deadman's Island" (17/10/1967)

24) "Chase Through Time" (24/02/1967)

25) "The Death Merchant" (03/03/1967)

26) "Attack of the Barbarians" (10/03/1967)

27) "Merlin the Magician" (17/03/1967)

28) "The Kidnappers" (24/03/1967)

29) "Raiders from Outer Space" (31/03/1967)

30) "Town of Terror" (07/04/1967)

As in the previous volume one set, series fans can look forward to pristine video transfers taken from fully restored and digitally remastered 35mm source elements with each segment presented, including the original cliffhanger endings, complete and intact.

Welcome supplementary archival material will consist of the made-for-tv film TIME TRAVELLERS (1976) which was intended as Irwin Allen's follow-up to his 1960s SF tv classic (starring former TIME TUNNEL alumni Sam Groom and derived from a story concept credited to Rod Serling) along with original series cast member interviews of James Darren, Robert Colbert, Lee Meriwether and Whit Bissell in addition to a (roughly) 3 minute special presentation of the shelved 2002 TIME TUNNEL revival effort pilot will also be included to further augment this exceptional 4-disc collection.

Despite the fact that our two intrepid time travellers were never returned home again (due to the show's premature cancellation after only a single season) THE TIME TUNNEL (with its stellar luminary casting from Hollywood's finest, always diverse and interesting storylines and groundbreaking Emmy Award winning visual effects and cinematography) remains to be an enduring, immensely popular Television of the Fantastic favourite since its inaugural primetime airing nearly 40 years later that continues to enthrall and delight new generations of fans captivated by errant Project Tic-Toc scientists Tony Newman and Doug Phillips' ongoing exploits into new realms of colourful adventure and spellbinding excitement that was as much an invention of the vivid imaginations exhibited by the contributing staff writers as it was a reflection of the glorious pages in history.

Jeff T.

The Time Tunnel which originally ran during the TV show season of 1966/67,was unfortunately just a one season wonder.However it is a series which still captured the fancy of many a viewer back then and it still holds quite an appeal today.
The show involves the adventures of Project Tic-Toc run by General Kirk(Whit Bissell).Two scientists Tony Newman(James Darren) and Doug Phillips(Robert Colbert) are the time travellers who from week to week are injected by the tunnel from one random time period to another.Many of the story lines were quite interesting while others could be run of the mill.Overall though the acting was top notch and the special effects pretty good for that period.
Irwin Allen,the producer,made liberal use of the 20th Century sound archives for background music and effects and the video archives for filler scenes.
Volume Two to me is a bit more satisfying than Vol.1 in that it seems to have more to offer as far as special features go.There are:interviews with Whit Bissell,Lee Meriwether,James Darren and Robert Colbert,a still photo gallery,a rare unaired 2002 TV pilot called "The Time Tunnel" and a 1976 Irwin Allen produced TV Movie called "The Time Travellers".
The 2002 pilot is uninspiring and has a totally unbelievable story line.It involves the story of a man recruited to go back in time to the WW2 battle of the Hurtgen Forest.It occured from the fall of /44 to early /45 and was one of the deadliest battles of the war for the Germans and Americans.It seems a 1500s monk has been dropped into the Forest by erractic waves of time and that he has effected the future as a result.It's up to the team that's assembled to correct the situation.The story is ok up to this point but falls like a rock off a cliff from here.The team they assemble is made up of three men and two women!! First of all there were NO women combatants on EITHER side of that battle.Secondly one of the women is black.Thirdly neither woman gets challenged by any soldier outside the group when in battle.In reality they would stick out more than a unicorn in Times Square!
If you can get past these points,and I couldn't,the story is still mediocre at best.It's a good thing it wasn't picked up but it's still an interesting thing to see/have.
"The Time Travellers" is a made for TV movie from 1976 starring Booth Colman and Richard Basehart.It involves a Rod Serling story of a plague taking place in and around New Orleans during Mardi Gras Time.A doctor and a man connected directly with the time project go back to 1871 Chicago to find the answer from a doctor(Basehart) who apparently has the cure.
This show is far better than the 2002 pilot,because if for no other reason, it was written by Serling.Basehart gives a good performance as the period doctor but again the plot, over the approximately 70 minutes this plays, starts to wear a little thin.But again a good piece of video to own.
Like Volume one of this two volume series this has NOT been remastered,but the masters used are of such high quality I can see why they didn't.The only problem of note was the second to last ep in the entire group;it has about a 10 minute bout with several vertical black dirt/scratch lines that distractingly appear.If that was all I could see I'd say that's not bad overall.
Like the previous volume this also is a double sided four disc set.I really get annoyed with this double sided production of DVD sets.First of all it's cheap and secondly they are SO prone to scratching.Furthermore this entire season could have been put into just ONE set and with just one -sided discs at that;there was NO need to over charge like this and split it into two.But then again I see that Irwin Allens' TV shows ALL charge at a much higher rate than most others.Unfortunate.
In conclusion Vol.2 of the "Time Tunnel" finishes off the one and only season with our intrepid travellers Tony Newman and Doug Phillips played well by James Darren and Robert Colbert respectively.Even though the show was just a one-off it had ALOT of potential and plot wise could have gone anywhere had it continued.It is so unfortunate this is all there is but I for one am grateful we have this.
It's also a show the entire family can watch and enjoy and it is,I daresay,educational in the sense that the travellers do go back to actual historic events/dates which are played fairly accurately.
Get your set today and do a little time travelling yourself!

This amazing DVD set completes the original series and is a must for all "Time Tunnel" fans new or old. My only complaint is that a 30 episode series took two volumes to complete when the Studio could have easily released a complete series set to begin with. Recently the complete season one of the "Wild Wild West" with all 28 episodes & bonus extras was released on 7 single sided discs by Paramount and definitely more affordable. I hope this review is helpful.

Either the original prints of this show were in amazing condition to begin with or the studio spared no expense to remaster them for this DVD release. The video transfer is absolutely stunning and the audio is crisp and clean. It's too bad given the technology available today; the studio couldn't remaster the sound in 5.1 Dolby Digital, maybe they thought it didn't need it. In my opinion the picture is really amazing and I don't ever remember seeing this show look so good.

Season one volume two contains the final 15 episodes of this Irwin Allen classic and it remains one of my favorite TV shows of all time. From the creative mind of Irwin Allen we get to join scientists Tony Newman (James Darrin) and Doug Phillips (Robert Colbert) as they enter the Time Tunnel to prove that Project Tic Toc was indeed capable of sending humans through time and bringing them back, hopefully in one piece. Trapped in time and unable to return home because they tried to use the Time Tunnel before it was completed, the scientists now wait helplessly as they're colleagues try to get them back. Will Tony and Doug ever get back to the present or will they float in time for ever?

DVD extras include interviews with cast members, a still photo gallery, the 1970's made for TV "Time Travelers" movie and the unaired 2002 TV pilot episode. The bonus features this time around are a definite plus, although the footage of the 1970's "Time Travelers" movie is not as sharp as the 1960's episodes. As for the unaired 2002 TV pilot, it's almost an hour long and the sound is in 5.1. After watching the 2002 pilot episode I could see why the studio passed on it, it's like watching a lesser version of Stargate, only not as good.

The Cast:
Tony Newman... (James Darrin)
Doug Phillips... (Robert Colbert)
Lee Meriwether... (Dr. Ann MacGregor)
Whit Bissell... Army Lt. Gen. Heywood Kirk)
John Zaremba... (Dr. Raymond Swain)
Dick Tufeld... (Announcer)

DVD Episodes Include:
16 the revenge of Robin Hood
17 kill two by two
18 visitors from beyond the stars
19 the ghost of Nero
20 the walls of Jericho
21 idol of death
22 Billy the kid
23 pirates of deadman's island
24 chase through time
25 the death merchant
26 attack of the barbarians
27 Merlin the magician
28 the kidnappers
29 raiders from outer space
30 town of terror

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