Irwin Allen was perhaps best remembered as the successful producer of The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and The Towering Inferno (1974). In the decade before, he was mostly known for a run of science fiction television series he created and produced, including the original Lost in Space. The Time Tunnel was another high-concept show from this time, running for one season across 1966-1967. The premise was straightforward but compelling: two American scientists, Tony and Doug, are part of a team working on the titular tunnel (called Project Tic-Toc) for a decade now and to avoid being shut down, a volunteer must go through the tunnel into another time period to prove viability. As often happens things don’t go to plan and both scientists end up not just back in time but lost with no way of returning. They bounce from one period to another, always landing just at the point of impending calamity (for example comet impact, volcano explosion, jailbreak or on board the ill-fated Titanic). Back in the present, their colleagues can only watch what they’re doing and move them in time again before that calamity kills them.
The Time Tunnel is ruthlessly formulaic, each episode finding Tony and Doug being flung through time into whatever historical event (or occasionally future event) is happening. Later on, aliens start showing up but the formula roughly remains the same. The different time periods allow Allen to indulge in his love of using stock footage and pre-existing movie sets, and it’s basically the airport novel of television shows – almost totally devoid of subtlety, characterisation and depth, and when compared to other shows of the same period totally uninterested in having anything to say. That’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable, because as with most Allen shows it is entertaining and undemanding popcorn fun.
This Blu-ray release puts right what an earlier DVD release made a mess of, by restoring the broadcast order of episodes and retaining the teaser for the next episode when Tony and Doug arrive wherever the next plot has taken them. It was shot on film so – a few shots with damage here and there aside (and taking account stock footage was never cleaned up) – is brightly colourful and sharp on this release, and it has never looked better. The extras are the same from that DVD release, including an extended pilot, the 2002 remake pilot (which went no further), the similarly-themed Allen TV movie Time Travellers (1976), cast interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and a handful of promotional items. For fans of the show it remains a comprehensive package, enlivened now by a mostly beautiful HD presentation and comes recommended.
THE TIME TUNNEL – THE COMPLETE COLLECTION / CERT: PG / CREATOR: IRWIN ALLEN / STARRING: JAMES DARREN, ROBERT COLBERT, WHIT BISSELL, LEE MERIWETHER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
