Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea depicts the hazardous adventures of the crew on board the atomic-powered submarine, Seaview.

Irwin Allen's television series, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea depicts the often hazardous adventures of the crew on board the atomic-powered submarine, Seaview. The television series is based on the 20th Century-Fox feature-film of the same name, also produced by Irwin Allen, who spent five years undertaking research for the original idea.

The high production values on the series owe much to the fact that the interiors of the Seaview are those used in the motion-picture. The main interior sets used for the film and the series are estimated to have cost more than $400.000. The television series also utilized costumes, special effects models and stock footage from the 1961 film.

Admiral Harriman Nelson (Richard Basehart) is a retired US Navy four-star admiral, he is also one of the world's leading scientists, and holds degrees in both Marine Biology and Nuclear Physics. Nelson is also one of the most brilliant computer geniuses alive. Admiral Nelson is the director of the Nelson Institute of Marine Research, whose headquarters is in Santa Barbara, California. The Seaview was designed by Nelson and built under the auspices of his institute.

The series is set in the near future; the early 1970s to the early 1980s (the series originally aired between 1964 &1968). The Seaview undertakes many missions and has an impressive, if somewhat eclectic passenger list, which changes from mission-to-mission; they can be world leaders, politicians, scientists, spies, or even castaways. The Seaview's crew also encounter a host of monsters and aliens during the course of the missions.

The captain of the Seaview is Commander Lee Crane (David Hedison) who is on secondment from the US Navy. Robert Dowdell plays executive officer Lt Commander Chip Morton. The crew members include - Chief Curley Jones (Henry Kulky from 1964 to 1965 - Terry Becker from 1965 to 1968), and Crewman Kowalski (Del Monroe).

In the first episode, Eleven Days to Zero, a huge tidal wave is about to destroy the majority of the civilized world, unless the Seaview and her crew can prevent it from happening. Admiral Nelson plans to set off a nuclear explosion at a propitious time and place in order to stop the the approaching wave. Unfortunately, there are some who do not wish to see the tidal wave stopped in its tracks - as they believe that with the ensuing upheavel, they can take over the world!

 

Watch the Intro

Irwin Allen Productions / 20th Century Fox Television

110 x 52 minute episodes

First season: monochrome, seasons 2,3,4 in Colour

Originally aired in the US on ABC Television - September 14 1964 to September 15 1968.

Our thanks to Diane Kachmar of davidhedison.net

Source of reference for some of the above: The Irwin Allen News Network