Customer Reviews

The Time Tunnel: Volume One

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remembered this series well from my youth, and was pleased to see it on DVD at a reasonable price, so I ordered both volumes. What did I find? The picture quality of these DVDs really is excellent: superb colour, very sharp images. Someone did a great job here. I don't know how it could be improved! Unfortunately, I didn't find that the storylines and characterizations held up all that well over the years. I have purchased many other old TV series, and certainly enjoyed watching them again so many years later (The Invaders, Original Outer Limits, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Kojak, Mannix, Banacek, McCloud, Hawaii Five-O). In my view, however, this one just doesn't hold water, and as a result, I didn't find the series to be all that watchable. Some episodes were just tedious. As the "star", James Darren is generally annoying. Certainly, personal enjoyment of content is always a matter of opinion, and clearly, others have and will continue to have different views.

Five stars for picture quality, but my other observations reduce the overall rating to three stars. It's a disappointment. Not all journeys back in time are good ones, I suppose! If this series interests you, I would suggest that you start with Volume 1, and if you like it, then buy Volume 2.

Ultimately, I gave both sets to a friend of mine for his kids - aged 5 and 9 - to watch, and they love the shows. So, if it sparks an interest in history for children, then the purchase was worthwhile.

Great show! I love Irwin Allen. I'm surprised he didn't fight ABC a little more to keep it on the air for more than 1 season. Thirty shows in this series is not enough. I highly recommend it.

Just like we remembered! A total blast from the past.

Both volumes were purchased for my hubby's Birthday and he loved them! The quality of the discs were really good and the shipment came in just a few days with no problems at all.

Would totally recommend these for all retro sci-fi fans.

THE TIME TUNNEL (ABC 1966-67) is certainly one of the late Irwin Allen's better SF tv series produced in the 1960s and this long anticipated two volume DVD collection promises to be something truly outstanding for the show's devout fan following.

It has been promised (by informed insiders) that the source elements utilized for these disc pressings will be taken from the original 35mm print masters newly restored and digitally remastered in high definition with each episode presented in its entirety along with the original cliffhanger endings complete and intact. Probably in anticipation of ultimately issuing this valuable tv property once again in HD somewhere later down the line.

The volume one 4-disc box set (due out on January 24th, 2006) will consist of the first 15 episodes presented in their original ABC Television Network primetime broadcast order along with the unaired, 55 minute production pilot of "Rendezvous with Yesterday."

Many of this landmark program's best efforts can be found here including "Rendezvous with Yesterday" (in two versions), "One Way to the Moon," "End of the World," "The Day the Sky Fell In," "The Last Patrol," "Revenge of the Gods, "Massacre," "Reign of Terror," "Secret Weapon," "Night of the Long Knives" and "Invasion."

THE TIME TUNNEL is one SF tv series that certainly got off to a very strong start indeed!

The show's single season is marked by the early tv appearances of such distinguished performers as Carroll O'Connor, Ellen Burstyn, Tom Skerritt, Susan Hampshire, Jim Davis, Susan Flannery and even Robert Duvall many of whom would shortly achieve greater celebrity becoming Hollywood legends in the ensuing years to follow.

The list of actors and actresses who made guest appearances on the show reads like a virtual Who's Who of Hollywood including such notables as Michael Rennie, Gary Merrill, Warren Stevens, James T. Callahan, Paul Fix, Gregory Morton, Paul Carr, James Westerfield, Linden Chiles, Michael Pate, Torin Thatcher, Vic Lundin, John Doucette, Dee Hartford, Joseph Ruskin, Abraham Sofaer, Nehemiah Persoff, Michael Ansara, Kevin Hagen, Michael Pate, Joe Maross, Christopher Dark, Lawrence Montaigne, Marcel Hillaire, Oscar Beregi, Theodore Marcuse, David Opatoshu, R.G. Armstrong, Scott Marlowe, Rhodes Reason, John Lupton, Malachi Throne, Lyle Bettger, Michael St. Clair, John Wengraf, Donald Harron, John Crawford, Mako, Phillip Ahn, Jan Merlin, Frederick Beir, Byron Foulger, Ross Elliott, Edwardo Cianelli, Richard Jaeckel, John Hoyt, Myrna Fahey, Arnold Moss, Anthony Caruso, Rudolpho Hoyos, Peter Brocco, Robert Walker, Jr., Victor Jory, Regis Toomey, Lew Gallo, Vitina Marcus, Arthur Batanides, Paul Mantee, Christopher Gary, Vincent Beck, Mabel Albertson and John Saxon.

The initial fifteen episodes contained in the volume one 4-disc box set are comprised of the following:

01) "Rendezvous with Yesterday" (09/09/1966)

02) "One Way to Moon" (16/09/1966)

03) "End of the World" (23/09/1966)

04) "The Day the Sky Fell In" (30/09/1966)

05) "The Last Patrol" (07/10/1966)

06) "The Crack of Doom" (14/10/1966)

07) "Revenge of the Gods" (10/21/1966)

08) "Massacre" (28/10/1966)

09) "Devil's Island" (11/11/1966)

10) "Reign of Terror" (18/11/1966)

11) "Secret Weapon" (25/11/1966)

12) "The Death Trap" (02/12/1966)

13) "The Alamo" (09/12/1966)

14) "Night of the Long Knives" (16/12/1966)

15) "Invasion" (30/12/1966)

All are to be presented in spectacular colour taken from pristine, vault stored 35mm negatives for optimum visual and audio quality insuring maximum entertainment value.

This should prove to be one of the major DVD releases of 2006! Coming out in January it's certainly a marvellous way to begin the New Year for serious collectors of classic tv series from the Golden Age when television and imagination were not strangers to each other.

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 managed to 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,but the speical effects for that time are still pretty good and still hold up.Irwin Allen,the producer,also made liberal use of the 20th Century sound archives for background music and effects and the video archives for filler scenes.
Volume one has some fine eps in it and the acting,whether by the stars themselves or the supporting casts, are all top notch and believable.This four disc two-sided set,like Vol.2,is NOT remastered.However the master tapes used are of such high quality that I can see why they didn't got through the process.I didn't see any objectionable thing in this set worthy of repeating here,and that's saying something.
The extra features involve some interesting Irwin Allen home movies,a photo gallery,a visual effects camera test and a rare unaired version of the extended version of the pilot ep.
This entire season has been split into two different sets which I take umbrage to.I notice all of Irwin Allens shows on DVD are very expensive also and I think it is really "taking" the public,when they could have easily put this season into just one set.Also the DVDs are all two sided which are SO prone to scratching.They produce cheap but ask PLENTY!
In conclusion this wonderful show from the 1966/67 TV season has arrived on DVD and it looks great.The shows are generally quite interesting and the possiblities for it were endless,it is just a shame it didn't continue beyond one season.Do be warned of the two sided discs and the careful handling they require.However it's a show the ENTIRE FAMILY can watch and considering the surprising historical accuracy with which each show was handled,it is not a stretch to call it educational for the younger set.
Stir their imaginations and yours and get this series today!

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 albeit in mono. 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.

I have very fond memories of this short lived Irwin Allen classic and it remains one of my favorite TV shows ever. Because they dared to enter the Time Tunnel before it was properly tested; scientists Tony and Doug float helplessly in time, while waiting for their colleagues to retrieve them. The major concern for the two of them is not to do anything in the past that would alter the course of history. Will Tony and Doug ever get back to the present or will they wander the time continuum for ever?

I give volume one of the "Time Tunnel" five stars for pure television enjoyment and wish the show could have ran longer. Volume ones 4 double sided disc set contains the first 15 episodes of this classic show, the unaired extended version of the pilot episode, Irwin Allen's behind the scenes home movies, visual effects, camera test, still galleries and promotional TV and radio spots.

Once again this set is lacking in cast interviews. Many of the actors from this show are still alive, so why didn't the studio interview them for the DVD release? It would be a welcomed addition to any DVD release to see the actors today and get their thoughts on the show. My major gripe is that this show only ran for one season, so why split it into two volumes? Surely the studio could have compiled all 30 episodes into one complete boxed set at a reasonable price for fans.

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)

The Episodes:
Rendezvous with Yesterday
One Way to Moon
End of the World
The Day the Sky Fell In
The Last Patrol
The Crack of Doom
Revenge of the Gods
Massacre
Devil's Island
Reign of Terror
Secret Weapon
The Death Trap
The Alamo
Night of the Long Knives
Invasion

I recommend this DVD collection to everyone. I use to watch it as a kid and loved it. It is based on history. By this I mean one episode deals with the sinking of the Titanic and another with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. There is more but I can't remember them all. A more modern day version of this would be Quantum Leap. The only difference is the character in Quantum Leap became the person of the time and place he leaped to. Whereas in Time Tunnel they visit different places in history but remain the persons they are. If you liked Quantum Leap you will love this one too. Too bad it lasted only one season. It was a fantastic tv show in the 60's