Doomtomylo
a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
bkoganbing
Irwin Allen who gave us so many good science fiction spectaculars for the big screen and a couple clinkers took a hand in converting one of his big screen efforts for television. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea cast Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson who designed and now owns the Seaview which is like the Starship Eneterprise exploring strange new horizons and going where no one has gone before under the sea. Even today a lot of the ocean depths are still unexplored so viewers imaginations are stimulated. Like Star Trek Basehart and the Seaview run into all kinds of villains and situations in the ocean depths.Basehart's character just like Walter Pidgeon who played Admiral Nelson on the big screen is based on Hyman Rickover. But unlike Pidgeon and Rickover in real life he never got his own submarine to take home and play with. Rickover operated strictly for the US Navy and so did Pidgeon with his big screen Seaview.Though the Seaview is owned by some scientific think tank it does run with a Navy crew. One headed by David Hedison playing Captain Lee Crane the role played by Robert Sterling on the big screen. The usual service comedy/drama situations happened here as well as running into monsters and aliens and a few human villains.This was a nice show which I watched as a lad. Still holds up well today.
drystyx
This was before Star Trek, so VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA has bragging rights.For those unaware, it is a science fiction TV series in which a civilian designed submarine is built beyond the wildest specifications for deep sea research. It surpasses any underwater vehicle of any military. The admiral is a brilliant scientist, played by Richard Basehart, one of the icons of the hip crowd of the day, in famous roles such as a tightrope walker who foils strongman Anthony Quinn, a reluctant hero in the Korean War,a recruiter of Germans to spy for the Allies, and his most ironic role as a Russian brother to William Shatner.While Admiral Nelson is a saner, more balanced Captain Kirk, David Hedison as Crane, plays a bit more human version of Spock. The Chief is an equal of Scotty, the blonde Chip had to be darkened to Chekhov during the seventies when men weren't allowed to have blonde hair, Kuwaski may be the closest to the doctor as an emotional constituent, and Patterson is Sulu.I must confess I was too young to understand this show when it came out, being born in 1956, but I remember my brother telling me it was the predecessor of STAR TREK. I hadn't realized how much until I got the dvds of the first two seasons. I vaguely remember shows that came afterward.Even up to now, most action series, and even some comic series, had a group of plots which had to be used. Indeed, as in all action episodes, we find the TEN LITTLE INDIANS, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, the prophecies of MACBETH, and all the usual plots that must be used.The difference is in the intelligence in which this show is handled, and the iconoclastic Nature. It broke all barriers, barriers Star Trek tried to avoid. Usual stable heroes like Leslie Nielson were deranged, usual sneaky cowards like Michael Pate were honorable. Even Michael Ansara, who played a radical in the film went against type to be a balanced, stable character in an episode.It wasn't a perfect series. There were episodes when it looked like it was filmed XENA style, with the action filmed first and the plot added later, such as in a hastily put together Manchurian Candidate episode with Manchurian villain Silva. A few episodes like this lost logic altogether, but were still held together by the interesting credibility of the Seaview characters. For most of us, Entertainment and Interest is best served by credible characters in incredible situations instead of the seventies pattern of non-credible characters in credible situations. There was always over the top encounters, but the crew of the SEAVIEW, as the submarine was called, was always very three dimensional. They had human foibles. Nelson would show irritation and jealousy, Crane would show insecurity. Chip would show fear. Kowaski would show disapproval of authority.This made the regular characters not only more identifiable and easier to relate to, but more exciting than STAR TREK, I dare say.
ericbryce2
I was a kid back in the 60s and Voyage was one of my favorites. The plot lines followed the typical pattern of the day like other sci-fi shows back then. Every week a different undersea monster. The star of the show was the Seaview, a sleek nuclear sub with windows in the nose and fins designed after the 58 Cadillac. There were plenty of TV themed toys available back then I had to have my own Seaview. I got it one Christmas, It was yellow, about a foot long but I was disappointed to find a handle sticking out of the front so you could wind the rubber bands that made it go. Kinda ruined the aesthetics of the model. I also had the plastic model that was put together with glue like an airplane model. although it was much smaller. The closest I ever got to run it was in the bathtub and I had to make my own ping noises. My family must have thought I was nuts. The Seaview got a remodel in the last season with new windows in the nose and a docking birth underneath for the Flying Sub. I recently rented some DVDs from the series. As I expected they had not stood the test of time but back then it was all we had. Three channels if you were lucky. I kinda hope they don't try to do a remake because those things never work like that awful remake of Lost in Space.
Chris Gaskin
I watched Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea on TV when Channel 4 screened it on Sunday afternoons in the early 1990's.The first series was black and white and the remaining episodes were in colour. It is about the Seaview nuclear powered submarine and each episode had a different story, including aliens, monsters and espionage.The series starred Richard Basehart and David Hedison and was directed by the great Irwin Allen. The flying sub used in this series was to appear in Allen's 1971 movie City Beneath the Sea.It would be nice to see this series again and for it to be released on Video/DVD.
