Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Season 1, Volume 1

Producer Irwin Allen, “the master of disaster,” spun off this popular ABC series from his 1961 movie of the same title, continuing the adventures of a modern-day Captain Nemo and his technologically advanced atomic submarine. Although it's best remembered as a science-fiction show, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea initially concentrated on suspenseful episodes inspired by the Cold War, with enemy agents from unnamed countries flitting in and out of the 1964-65 first season, sometimes disguised as scientists working on some project aboard the sub. Richard Basehart starred as retired Admiral Harriman Nelson, inventor of the submarine Seaview, a one-of-a-kind craft with extraordinary capabilities. In the pilot episode, “Eleven Days to Zero,” Nelson learns that an impending tidal wave of biblical proportions threatens to wipe out a good portion of the civilized world. He gambles that a nuclear explosion, set off in exactly the right place, will disperse the gathering waters and nullify the threat, but enemy agents attempt to foil the plan, hoping to take advantage of the worldwide chaos in the big wave's wake to secure control of vital resources. The opener also introduced series regular David Hedison as U.S. Navy captain Lee Crane, who takes command of the Seaview when Nelson's first skipper is killed. Subsequent entries in this 16-episode compilation present a series of adventures designed to show off the sub's capabilities and the resourcefulness of its crew, as in “The Fear Makers,” an exceptional episode in which an enemy agent releases a fear-producing gas into the Seaview's ventilation system, causing panic among the crew when the sub dives on a dangerous mission. Overtly science-fictional elements first become pronounced in “The Sky Is Falling,” in which the Seaview comes across an alien spaceship that has crashed on the ocean floor, while “Turn Back the Clock” finds Nelson and Crane exploring an uncharted island where dinosaurs still roam. Although they seem a little naïve today (and—needless to say—not altogether convincing in terms of applied science), these debut episodes retain an undeniable charm. Looking sharp on DVD, the set also features the never-before-seen original color pilot episode, home video footage from Allen, a promo reel, and still galleries. Recommended. (E. Hulse)