The Time Tunnel first aired on the ABC Network in September of 1966, with the episode “Rendezvous with Yesterday”. This episode is, as with many used to explain the set-up and introduce the main characters.
The series is set in the near future (1968), and is based upon the exploits of Tony Newman (James Darren) and Doug Phillips (Robert Colbert), who are scientists involved with Project Tic Toc, a top secret US Government-funded program, researching into time travel. In the first episode a budget-conscious senator is visiting the tunnel complex, to assess where the 7.5 billion in taxpayers’ money is being spent and with what progress. Seeing very little progress he threatens to pull the plug, upon his return to Washington. Later that night Tony takes matters into his own hands, entering the tunnel, and losing himself in time. He arrives, unfortunately, upon the Titanic only hours before its collision with an iceberg. This event gives the senator the proof that time travel is possible and the project’s funding is safe. Tony, however, is not, and therefore Doug enters the tunnel in an attempt to retrieve him. This attempt fails with the tunnel control only able to swap the two men about, from one time period to another, but unable to return them to the present.
This series is arguably the best series to have been made by Irwin Allen, though it was the least successful commercially, with only 30 hour-long episodes being made in its short run.
