What can I say? I mean this show was on 7:00 PM Sundays for most of it's run and was followed by Efram Zimbelist Jr. in "The FBI!" Why do I remember this? Because school was Monday and these would be the last shows I could watch before facing a week of shear terror! I guess anything was good if it was on at that time.
It's only competition was Lassie or Disney both of which had no monsters. I would see this show in re runs much later and wonder why I would ever waste my time with it. I flubbed my homework so I could watch this? Now all I think of is the thousands of dollars of income I have lost because I didn't spend more time studying!
Richard Basehart and David Hedison were busy in the first couple of years but after that it was Chief Sharkey, Kowalski, and Paterson and that stupid mini sub in the missle room. This was bad. Also I wonder who the contractor was for the Seaview's electrical system cause every week of the show(and seemingly without fail) the circuitry room would blow up!
My favorite episode as "Jonah and the Wahle" which was when the diving bell containing Captain Crane gets swallowed by a whale like it was bait. Improbable as it was this episode introduced the shows first season in color (the 2nd year I believe)and a redesigned Seaview with a "Flying" Sub. Considering Richard Basehart's best film is "Moby Dick!" you had to wonder who wrote this episode.
I guess they added the flying sub so they could get the action off the sub and into the air! Darn thing crashed every week! How did it get it's certification?
My least favorite episode (I was too young) was the "Phantom" who was the ghost of a World War one U Boat out looking for his lost love. The "Phantom" was in two episodes so I guess someone liked it. As an adult I think these episodes have some class.
The best year of the show drama wise was the first (in black and white)which is why I gave it a seven. Most of the last (4th) year was so silly I really didn't mind if I missed it. The show was a success because it lasted four years in those days was unusual. They just ran out of ideas and, since it was 1968, a generation had really grown up.
The show was unintentionally funny. The cheapest monster was the "flame creature" which was the flame from a blow torch held out in front of the camera. After Captain Crane had rescued some crewmen who were overcome from the heat, he picked up the always handy intercom microphone to alert the control room. All I could think of him saying was "Send down two glasses of ice tea and QUICK!"
And then there was Chip, the exec. How did he survive the boredom. He was in every episode and all he said was "Hello Admiral" or "OK Lee!" And then there was that incredibly bad sonar system and the stupid computer. Boom, sparks aplenty, the Seaview rocks back and forth! "You OK Chip?" At least Dowdell (who played Chip) made a good living in soap operas later on.
Then there were the monster costumes. Irwin Allen had several shows on at once including "Lost in Space" and the "Time Tunnel". The same monster costume would cycle through all the shows. Sometime they would paint it a new color but once it was on "Lost in Space," three weeks later you would see it on "Voyage!" And then there was the clown monster! Hey Bozo, put that ray gun down!
I think that the very talented actors in the show like Richard Basehart (Moby Dick), David Hedison (Felix Lieter in James Bond,) and the aforementioned Chip Dowdell must have thought the same thing I do after looking back on this show which is:
Oh it hurts to even think of the wasted time I spent with this show!
It's only competition was Lassie or Disney both of which had no monsters. I would see this show in re runs much later and wonder why I would ever waste my time with it. I flubbed my homework so I could watch this? Now all I think of is the thousands of dollars of income I have lost because I didn't spend more time studying!
Richard Basehart and David Hedison were busy in the first couple of years but after that it was Chief Sharkey, Kowalski, and Paterson and that stupid mini sub in the missle room. This was bad. Also I wonder who the contractor was for the Seaview's electrical system cause every week of the show(and seemingly without fail) the circuitry room would blow up!
My favorite episode as "Jonah and the Wahle" which was when the diving bell containing Captain Crane gets swallowed by a whale like it was bait. Improbable as it was this episode introduced the shows first season in color (the 2nd year I believe)and a redesigned Seaview with a "Flying" Sub. Considering Richard Basehart's best film is "Moby Dick!" you had to wonder who wrote this episode.
I guess they added the flying sub so they could get the action off the sub and into the air! Darn thing crashed every week! How did it get it's certification?
My least favorite episode (I was too young) was the "Phantom" who was the ghost of a World War one U Boat out looking for his lost love. The "Phantom" was in two episodes so I guess someone liked it. As an adult I think these episodes have some class.
The best year of the show drama wise was the first (in black and white)which is why I gave it a seven. Most of the last (4th) year was so silly I really didn't mind if I missed it. The show was a success because it lasted four years in those days was unusual. They just ran out of ideas and, since it was 1968, a generation had really grown up.
The show was unintentionally funny. The cheapest monster was the "flame creature" which was the flame from a blow torch held out in front of the camera. After Captain Crane had rescued some crewmen who were overcome from the heat, he picked up the always handy intercom microphone to alert the control room. All I could think of him saying was "Send down two glasses of ice tea and QUICK!"
And then there was Chip, the exec. How did he survive the boredom. He was in every episode and all he said was "Hello Admiral" or "OK Lee!" And then there was that incredibly bad sonar system and the stupid computer. Boom, sparks aplenty, the Seaview rocks back and forth! "You OK Chip?" At least Dowdell (who played Chip) made a good living in soap operas later on.
Then there were the monster costumes. Irwin Allen had several shows on at once including "Lost in Space" and the "Time Tunnel". The same monster costume would cycle through all the shows. Sometime they would paint it a new color but once it was on "Lost in Space," three weeks later you would see it on "Voyage!" And then there was the clown monster! Hey Bozo, put that ray gun down!
I think that the very talented actors in the show like Richard Basehart (Moby Dick), David Hedison (Felix Lieter in James Bond,) and the aforementioned Chip Dowdell must have thought the same thing I do after looking back on this show which is:
Oh it hurts to even think of the wasted time I spent with this show!