The Time Tunnel is a 1966–1967
U.S. color
science fiction TV series. The show was created and produced by
Irwin Allen, his third
science fiction television series. The show's main theme music was
Time Travel Adventure.
The Time Tunnel was released by
20th Century Fox and broadcast on
ABC. The show ran for one season of 30 episodes. Reruns currently air on
AmericanLife TV Network and on
Hulu. A pilot for a new series was produced in 2002, although the pilot was not picked up.
The series
Summary
Project Tic-Toc is a top secret U.S. government effort to build an experimental
time machine known as "the Time Tunnel". When the costs of the project approach those of the entire U.S. space program, a United States Senator Leroy Clark (
Gary Merrill) launches an investigation of the project. The Senator thinks that the tunnel has cost too much money for too little reward. At his request the Senator is allowed to visit the project base and be given a tour. Once he reaches the central control room the Senator explains his complaints to the project heads. The Senator then says that he wishes to close down the project as a waste of time and money that has not worked.
Key Time Tunnel scientist, young physicist Dr. Tony Newman (
James Darren) turns the machine on and sends himself back in time in an attempt to prove that the Time Tunnel project funds were not wasted. In so doing, Newman becomes "lost in time". The Time Tunnel top personnel can see through the Tunnel that Tony Newman is aboard the soon to sink Titanic. They can also see that he cannot escape before the sinking, and they cannot retrieve him.