Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964–1968)

The submarine Seaview is commissioned to investigate the mysteries of the seas. Usually it finds more problems than answers...

Creator:

Irwin Allen

Stars:

Richard Basehart, David Hedison, Robert Dowdell

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 8 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Richard Basehart	...	Admiral Nelson (110 episodes, 1964-1968)
David Hedison	...	Captain Crane (110 episodes, 1964-1968)
Robert Dowdell	...	Chip Morton (108 episodes, 1964-1968)
Del Monroe	...	Kowalski (96 episodes, 1964-1968)
Terry Becker	...	Chief Francis Ethelbert Sharkey (70 episodes, 1965-1968)
Paul Trinka	...	Patterson (53 episodes, 1964-1968)

Storyline

Voyage chronicled the adventures of the world's first privately owned nuclear submarine, the SSRN Seaview. Designed by Admiral Harriman Nelson, she was a tool of oceanographic research for the Nelson Institute of Marine Research. Though the show is known for its few "monster" episodes, many plots were veiled commentaries of what was happening in the news. Such plotlines as nuclear doomsday, pollution of natural resources, foreign threat, and theft of American technology are all still relevant today.

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Plot Keywords:

submarine | alien species | paranoia | monster of the week | transformation | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Viaje al fondo del mar

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Irwin Allen Productions, 20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

52 min 52 min (110 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color Black and White (31 episodes)

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Epsiode 2.1, "Jonah And The Whale," was the first episode to be broadcast in color. Seaview is redesigned with only one set of observation windows and a hatch for the flying sub, although stock footage was used throughout seasons 2-4 showing the sub with three or six windows. New uniforms appear also as well as the flying sub. Over the course of seasons 2-4, there were six different flying sub models used for filming.

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Quotes

Captain Crane: A man learns a great deal sitting on top of an armed nuclear bomb for twenty-four hours.
Admiral Nelson: I can think of a number of important people in this world of ours who would profit enormously from the experience.

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Connections

Referenced in The Secret Life of Words (2005)

User Reviews

The most reliable characters on television!

I was so young when this show debuted I couldn't stay up to watch it. However, I could hear the theme song and it was beautiful. It's got to be my favorite theme song because it communicates what the show is about, the wonders of the sea.

Every kid on the block would tune into this show when it was on and although I had to catch it in reruns several years later, that's when I got hooked. The show was too 'grown up ' for me at the time and didn't have enough women in mini-skirts and false eyelashes for me. This was a 'man's man' show and I was so sick of war at the time I could only get interested if a babe or a monster appeared on the show. I do remember a few episodes when they debuted and they're classics now.

Later, channel 7, ABC in New York City would rerun the show on Saturday afternoons and it's still the ultimate Saturday afternoon show and I fondly recall that music wafting from every house for a mile around like clockwork every Saturday.

This brings me to the reliability of the actors. These were people you could count on to bring you solid performances and characters you knew you could depend upon. That's what VTTBOTS is all about for me, the portrayal of people who were professionals and had the character to solve those problems they'd wind up in.

I often laugh at some episodes knowing Irwin Allen and his penchant for stock footage, rehashed sets and props, monkeys, and explosions were more of a menace to the crew than the plot points and evil scientists.

One episode had the late great actor Victor Buono as an evil scientist. This episode you have to see to believe. It's so hysterically funny I woke up neighbors one day watching it.

It's not all laughs however as some great drama was portrayed on the show which made me look at the cast with respect and admiration to this day. Remember this show was in the early 60's and having minorities on a show was rare so you have to bypass the political incorrectness to appreciate the show for what it is.

By all means if you can get past the plot holes and the trademark Irwin Allen cost saving production, you'll find some stories and acting that will really be something to treasure.