The Price of Doom (12 Oct. 1964)

A scientist on a research facility in Antarctica discovers a new form of sea plankton that turns monstrously large and aggressive if exposed to heat. After the scientist mysteriously disappears, the Seaview is sent in to investigate.

Director:

James Goldstone

Writers:

Irwin Allen (creator), Harlan Ellison

Stars:

Richard Basehart, David Hedison, David Opatoshu

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Richard Basehart	...	Admiral Nelson
David Hedison	...	Captain Crane
David Opatoshu	...	Reisner
John Milford	...	Wesley
Jill Ireland	...	Julie
Henry Kulky	...	Curley Jones
Del Monroe	...	Kowalski
Paul Trinka	...	Patterson
Steve Ihnat	...	Pennell
Robert Dowdell	...	Chip Morton (as Bob Dowdell)

Storyline

A scientist on a research facility in Antarctica discovers a new form of sea plankton that turns monstrously large and aggressive if exposed to heat. After the scientist mysteriously disappears, the Seaview is sent in to investigate.

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Genres:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 October 1964 (USA)

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cambridge Productions, Irwin Allen Productions, 20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When first shown in the UK it was preceded by a warning for "people of a nervous disposition".

User Reviews

Top-flight season one outing from Harlan Ellison.

Arctic scientists inadvertently expose a newly discovered deep-ocean plankton to heat and light at their arctic base, and the stuff grows wild, killing them. Alarmed by the unexpected silence, Nelson drives Seaview toward the Arctic base with Dr. Reisner and his associate Dr. Julie Lyle on board. Reisner has high hopes that plankton can help feed the world's starving populations. Opposing Reisner is Phillip Wesley, a representative of the big corporation that laid out the money for the research--he wants results that pay dividends. When things go amiss, Nelson concludes there's a spy on board and it has to be one of the three.

Harlan Ellison was dissatisfied with the treatment of his script for "The Price of Doom," so it was credited under his pen name Cordwainer Bird. Picky, picky! As with this episode, Voyage's first season produced numerous thoughtful, well written and acted hours that resonated similarly to first-season classic Outer Limits episodes. There might be a bear (monster) on the loose, as in this episode, but it wasn't the point of the show. The human story was the essence of things. Not only had writer Ellison scripted for "Limits," but this episode's director, James Goldstone, helmed several "Limits" outings. As science fiction chronicler Mark Phillips has pointed out, "The Price of Doom is classic Voyage.