The Time Tunnel (ABC-TV, 1966 - 1967)
The Time Tunnel was a 1966–1967 U.S. color science fiction TV series, written around a theme of time travel adventure and starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was inspired by the 1964 movie The Time Travelers (AIP/Dobil), and was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science fiction television series, released by 20th Century Fox Television and broadcast on ABC. The show ran for one season of 30 episodes. A pilot for a new series was produced in 2002 but did not proceed to a series.
On Thursday, September 8, 1966, "Star Trek" premiered on NBC-TV.
On Friday, September 9, 1966, "The Time Tunnel" premiered on ABC-TV.
If you have never heard of the second science fiction TV show, The Time Tunnel was a huge, secret project to attempt to allow America access to, and, hopefully, control over, the timeline of history.
The plot of the show was that two scientists would be time transported to the scene of some major historical event, about 12 hours before it was to happen.
To illustrate the plot in action, please watch episode 1.04, "The Day the Sky Fell In". This was my favorite episode.
Tony and Doug arrive inside the Japanese consulate in Honolulu the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The young Anthony Newman was living in Honolulu at the time... His father, a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, was never seen again after the attack. When Tony tries to warn his father of the impending attack he only succeeds in making his father wary of the danger.
i will not spoil the episode by saying too much, but imagine that you had 12 hours to either prevent the attack on Pearl Harbor, or, at least, minimize the damage.
The two scientists do even more !
They even try to get the Japanese to call off their attack; foretelling the officials in the Japanese Consulate in Honolulu of the destruction the upcoming war will bring to Japan.
The show also cast Lee Meriwether as Dr. Ann MacGregor - a major role for a woman back in 1966. Singer James Darren was cast in a major and serious role as the younger of the two time travelling scientists.
As you can imagine, both for dramatic effect, and to show how complex time travel - and the technology needed to do this - the equipment often breaks down. Even when working properly, they still have to wrestle with causality and history change questions.
While the plot is much more limited than Star Trek, where they can travel in space as well as time, this TV show was important. Compare this show to the CBS-TV science fiction show of the time, "Lost in Space" and you will see that the ABC show was better.