As before, the TV version of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, quite unlike the 1961 movie, is unexpectedly restrained (at least in its first year) and the "science" part of the science fiction much less preposterous that it was in the feature film. Once again Admiral Harriman Nelson (Richard Basehart) shares command of his fantastic super-sub, the SSRN Seaview, with Captain Lee Crane (David Hedison). Also on board are stolid Lt. Commander Chip Morton (Robert Dowdell), everyman sailor Kowalski (Del Monroe), and gruff Chief Curly Jones (Henry Kulky).

However, Kulky wasn't with the show much longer: the familiar character actor, an ex-wrestler often in crime films, died of a heart attack in February 1965 in the midst of production, though he'd appear in quite a few shows that aired after his death, through most of the rest of the season. About this time, another semi-regular was added to the cast, Richard Bull, who played the ship's doctor in a number of episodes. Bull would go on to greater fame as the long-suffering Mr. Nels Oleson on Little House on the Prairie.

A common thread to the TV shows Irwin Allen created is that he knew how to maximize the resources of 20th Century-Fox, at least for his pilots and a couple of early shows representative shows with which to dazzle potential sponsors. Like the one for Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, the pilots for The Time Tunnel and Lost and Space were quite spectacular with eye-popping sets, great special effects, and lots of adventure, even though none of the pilots were well-written. But where, once underway, The Time Tunnel shamelessly pillaged the Fox stock footage library for all of its historical spectacle, and where Lost in Space quickly became rather threadbare and shoddy, the production values on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, at least through its first year, remains surprisingly high.

Common to most first year Voyage scripts is that they often have interesting or at least visually exciting first acts, but completely run out of steam during the last 10-12 minutes prior to the Big Finish, a sure sign the writers were straining for ways to stretch the thin material over the last act, and that Allen and Welch weren't much help in nurturing their writers along. And though Allen relied on hack talent like Welch and Peter Packer to churn out unambitious scripts (though Allen did hire a few surprising names, like former Hitchcock collaborator Charles Bennett), unlike Lost in Space and Time Tunnel he at least hired good, workmanlike directors to breathe some life into them. This volume's list of helmers include Gerd Oswald (The Outer Limits), Felix Feist, James Goldstone (soon to direct Star Trek's second pilot film), and Laszlo Benedek.

Talents agents were quick to realize that appearing on an Irwin Allen show wasn't exactly a feather in one's cap. The earliest episodes featured guest stars that were bigger name character talent like Eddie Albert, Everett Sloane, and David Opatoshu, or rising talent like Robert Duvall, Carroll O'Connor, and Jill Ireland. Over the course of Volume 2, on the other hand, one can see the caliber of talent slowly moving down the ladder, actors who were shuffled from one Allen show to another, like Torin Thatcher, June Lockhart, and Mike Kellin, or were finding acting jobs scarce, despite their talent (e.g., George Sanders).

Video & Audio

In direct contrast to the inexcusably poor, 8mm-like transfers that aired in syndication a few years back, Fox's new DVDs of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea are near flawless, with black and white television photography at its finest. The shows are not edited or time-compressed, and despite the double-sided nature of these DVDs, gave this reviewer no playing problems. Episodes are offered in both their original mono and a (imperceptible) stereo remix. A Spanish mono track is included, as well as optional English and Spanish subtitles.

Extra Features

Included is a pristine Blooper Reel that's more interesting than funny, but worthwhile. Next is what's billed as a Still Gallery that's actually a collection of Gold Key comic book covers, featuring some wonderfully outlandish artwork. Finally, a smattering David Hedison Interviews find the still-handsome actor looking several decades younger than his nearly eighty (!) years. Though the interview is shorter than one would have liked, Hedison is honest about initially wanting no part of the show, but goes on to say how impressed he was with the first season shows and talks about his close friendship with co-star Basehart, and graciously acknowledges writers Allan Balter and William Read Woodfield, whom he asserts were the show's best scribes.

Parting Thoughts

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is a real blast from the past, a fun series that simply looks great on DVD. Highly recommended.

Stuart Galbraith IV is a Kyoto-based film historian whose work includes The Emperor and the Wolf - The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune and Taschen's forthcoming Cinema Nippon. Visit Stuart's Cine Blogarama here.