MovieChat Forums > The Time Tunnel (1966) Discussion > The best episode?

The best episode?

posted 13 years ago by varuns-1
16 replies | jump to latest

I was an avid watcher of this series as a kid, when it appeared as reruns. I recently bought the whole set on DVD.

What is your favourite episode or pick of the best episode?

My short list would include Pearl Harbour, the Alamo, Visitors from beyond the stars and Devil's Island. From this group, I would have to pick Pearl Harbour.

The worst episodes are Raiders from outer space, Town of Terror, One way to the moon, End of the world, Night of the Long Knives and Kill Two by two. "End of the world" gets the nod for being mostly confined underground. Boring and difficult to watch. The final two episodes are pretty bad as well.

None of the other episodes are awful. Some are quite good, including Billy the Kid, and the plot to kill Lincoln episode.

[–] dtmuller 13 years ago

Interesting choices.

My favorites include Titanic and Pearl Harbor, but number one on my list is "Kill Two by Two", which you apparently hated. While "One Way" is by no means great, I give it credit for being the only episode set in a recognizable future without cheesy aliens.

On the other hand, I think you and I are the only two people who liked "Visitors from Beyond the Stars", although I wouldn't put it as one of the best.

"Raiders" and "Terror" are easily the worst, with the prize going to "Raiders". "Nero's Ghost" and "Merlin" are also really bad.

[–] varuns-1 13 years ago

I should give "Kill Two by Two" another fair viewing. It's been a few years. I didn't 'hate' it, just disliked it. The idea of the time travellers being chased for the whole episode on an island by a derelict Japanese soldier is just not as appealing as the other concepts, including real historical events like the Alamo, Pearl Harbour("The day the sky fell in") and Devil's Island. Or of the novel( at the time) idea of meeting up with aliens in the old American west. As a kid, I was quite fascinated by that, hence the favouritism toward "Visitors beyond the stars".

You are right about "The Ghost of Nero"- lousy. I liked "Merlin the Magician" for its beginning and end, particularly when he says "The age of miracles has just begun", as the time travellers vanish. The in between story is just ok.

"Night of the Long Knives" was unpleasant, not to mention anachronistic. There was no "Heera Singh" inciting or leading a rebellion in Afghanistan. Possibly in the state of Punjab, but in Afghanistan, any such character would have a name like "Khan" not "Singh". Bad history.

As a kid, and even now, one of the things that enthralled me was when the time travellers disappear at the end of each episode and reappear into another time zone, and how that leads into the next week's episode.

[–] Lonixcap 12 years ago

It looked to me like the quality of the episodes depended on the quality of the stock footage they used from old 20th Century-Fox movies and how that footage was integrated into just about every episode.

On that basis, I liked the episode that had the footage from Irwin Allen's remake of The Lost World (1960), with that classic giant lizard fight scene.
Don't remember the episode name, though.

In some instances it looks as if certain episodes were made based solely on the stock footage they could use.
In "Night of the Long Knives" there's footage from King of the Khyber Rifles, a 1953 action epic with Tyrone Power; as well as from Khartoum(1966), with Charlton Heston.
Somehow, Irwin Allen got hold of stock footage of battle scenes from this film which was in theaters when the Long Knives episode first aired.

But the best episode for me was the pilot, which led to the Titanic episode, also one of the better ones.

[–] Superleedsfan 12 years ago

In my opinion the worst episodes were those set in the future or where aliens were involved. They really did seem to run out of ideas towards the end.

After that, the further in the past they were set the worse they seemed to be as a rule although there were exceptions. I enjoyed the Robin Hood episode for instance.

My favourites would be Pearl Harbour, Secret Weapon, Abraham Lincoln, Kill 2 by 2 and Robin Hood.

[–] sanddragon939 12 years ago

The best ones IMO are the Titanic, Krakatoa Pearl Harbor, Secret Weapon and 'Kill Two by Two' episodes.

I also liked 'Chase Through Time' and the one where Ann gets kidnapped and taken to the future (can't remember the name), though I felt they paled in comparision to the 'historical' eps...

[–] ddc300 12 years ago

Episode in question where Ann is taken to the future was "The Kidnappers". It was written almost verbatin and turned into the year four "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" episode, "Time Lock" (instead of Ann it was Admiral Nelson that was taken to the future to be added to a colleciton of historical figures).

[–] ddc300 12 years ago

While the pilot episode and the Pearl Harbor show are by far the greatest episodes of the series -- and 'must see' shows for anyone who has not seen the series yet -- one of the best written, acted and directed episodes is one from the later half of the series run: The Death Merchant.

The episode was directed by Nathan Juran, a man with motion picture experience. Juran did a fine job with the always awesome Malachi Throne, this time playing medievel madman Machiavelli, brought into the 'future' at the time of the American Civil War. Great performances all around and even a subplot regarding the Tunnel needing additional power from Hoover Dam! (Veteran stuntman Paul Stader does a great stunt scene when a ceiling panel in the Tunnel complex comes crashing down after an explosion from a Dam connecting transformer).

[–] ikinmoore 12 years ago

I must admit the death Merchant was by far the best Episode of TT. It just went on from one punch up to another. Good story and plenty of action for a series which is now 45 years old. I used to watch as a child and love it compered to the rubbish of Star Trek(Okay that is my opinion)....I would love to know who the stunt men were is this episode were...anyone out there know any thing about that ??????

The best films are made in an intelligent format.

[–] kducklin2 12 years ago

For me, One Way to the Moon might well be the best. I think it's a really neat little script; I especially liked the twist halfway through, and the resolution that leaves the bad guy thinking he's home free.

I agree that the Pearl Harbour episode is probably the best of the historical stories, though, and the final scene between Tony and his father is both touchingly written and well acted.

"Duck, I says..."

[–] varuns-1 12 years ago

The most disturbing episode has to be "Reign of terror". The sheer bloodlust of the 'revolutionaries' really comes out, particularly in the scene where the supposed ancestor of Whit Bisell is beaming as he sees the future execution of Marie Antoinette. This episode caused me to read up on the French revolution, and I can only say, thank goodness the episode didn't actually show any of the mass killings.

Just viewed "Chase through time" last night, after many years. Has to be one of the more watchable and interesting episodes. Going from one million Ad to one million BC in one programme. The transformation of the cold robotic alien at the end was nice. Incidentally, are we supposed to assume that the aliens were sent back to their own time zone, and how would the time tunnel scientists have guaranteed that?

[–] dtmuller 12 years ago

Incidentally, are we supposed to assume that the aliens were sent back to their own time zone, and how would the time tunnel scientists have guaranteed that?

Yes, I think we are supposed to assume that. How could they have guaranteed that? Easy--throughout the series they could send anyone to any time and place they chose with pinpoint accuracy. Except Doug and Tony. That, of course, was never explained, and in my mind was the biggest flaw of the series.

[–] blcmitchell 12 years ago

I have always felt that Kill Two by Two was one of the best episodes. It was a neat little concept (based on that old Man Hunting Man bit) and stellar acting by Mako. I also liked how great of friends Doug and Tony are in it. They just seem like a couple of dudes doing their best to help each other survive. They always did, but it seemed to by exemplified in this episode. It was one of the first episodes I put on in my new theatre room, and I must say it looks good on my system. Very colorful.

I also must say that One Way to the Moon is always a go-to episode for me. I love the take-off scene and the repair scene as well. Doug sounds so confident in his abilities. The whole episode is great fun. And check out the arse kicking that Doug gives Beard in the Moon Shelter. He really tosses him hard at one point. No silly camera tricks there! Just good ol' fake fighting, but that throw really looked painful!

I will agree, however, that Devil's Island is a good choice for a favorite episode. That's another one that looks good on an upscaled system. I really hated that main guard. What a jerk! It's another episode that really highlights how far each of them go to help one another.

"Don't poke dead things."

[–] dtmuller 12 years ago

If you're a One Way to the Moon fan, you should check out the film Destination: Moon, from which the exterior space scenes were taken. The film is good in itself, but you get the extra kick of spotting "Tony and Doug" in a number of scenes.

[–] blcmitchell 12 years ago

You're right! I remember catching that on TCM one afternoon. Hollywood sure got it's money's worth out of those space suits; can't tell you how many times I've seen those things pop up in movies and old television series'.

"Don't poke dead things."

[–] r-feinberg 9 years ago

I agree with blcmitchell that Kill Two By Two was one of the best episodes. Mako! I wasn't familiar with his work, but his acting is on a whole other level. He's playing for keeps, not just play-acting like some of the other TT bad guys.

[–] 9 years ago

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