Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea  

Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea was the successful TV spin-off of the 1961 movie of the same name. Richard Basehart, as Admiral Nelson, and David Hedison, as Captain Crane commanded the glass-nosed, nuclear-powered Seaview for 110 episodes over four seasons on ABC. The first season, shot in black and white ran for 32 episodes and mixed espionage, the Cold War, and science fiction in a successful blend. The second year went to color and ran 26 episodes. With a big budget and color, plus a re-fitted Seaview and the addition of the classic Flying Sub, the second year was truly epic. A budget cut was sometimes apparent in the 26 episode third year, but good writing still turned out some classic adventures. An increased budget improved the 26 episode fourth year, where Voyage set a record for an American science fiction television program when it hit it's 100th episode. Richard Basehart and David Hedison turned in consistently fine performances, even when confronted with less than sophisticated material. They both deserved Emmy's, but undoubtedly were overlooked as Irwin Allen shows were viewed unfairly as "kiddie" shows. Luckily for vintage and new fans alike, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea's first season is now being released in boxed DVD sets. Hopefully, the entire series is in the works. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea is truly classic American television with surprisingly high production values, above average acting and directing, and special effects that still look good today. (Remember, in the sixties, there was no CGI, so the Seaview, Flying Sub and Diving Bell were filmed in real water!) Don't miss this one!