The TIME TUNNEL

   US tv series (1966-7). An Irwin Allen Production for 20th Century-Fox Television/ABC TV. Created Irwin ALLEN, also executive prod. Writers included William Welch, Wanda and Bob Duncan. Dirs included Allen (pilot only), Sobey Martin, J. Juran. 1 season. 30 50min 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 spiral vortex 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 5 mins 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, justas 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 of Emperor Nero. Writing, performances and sets were dire. 2 novelizations are The Time Tunnel * (1967) and Timeslip! * (1967) by Murray LEINSTER.

   JB