At last we finally get the DVD release in the UK of this iconic second series created and produced by Irwin Allen. This was the second of the Irwin Allen produced science fiction action series and it dates from 1965. After the success of the 1961 film of the same name, (also created and produced by Irwin Allen), and the success of the first series to TV made in Black and white, this second series is now in glorious colour. This series, like all the Irwin Allen productions, brought a big budget film feel to a TV series.
This series is great fun. It is full of escapist novelty. You cannot take it too seriously, it is just meant to be fun.
The seaview is the worlds most advanced nuclear submarine, created by its commander, retired Admiral Haarriman Nelson, and housed in a pen at his Nelson Institute of Marine Research, Santa Barbara, California. It is six hundred feet long. It can dive to and travel faster than any of its rivals and is equipped with all the latest devices including atomic torpedoes. It carries a separate mini sub, a diving bell, a snowcat, and an innovative flying fish, a vessel capable of water and air travel.
The series is set 13 years into the future. Nelson and his crew are meant to be doing research but usually end up maintaining peace below the waves by fighting fiendish humans, fish and aliens. This first series tends to be more serious and generally more sensible. Later series see the story lines becoming more far fetched. The addition of colour film gives the show an extra dimension and it truly is full of colour. I feel that it also showed up the limitations of the special effects of the time. For example sea monsters are less than convincing. But in the same way that you might forget about strings in the Gerry Anderson productions, you soon get lost in the pure escapism of the stories and enjoy the adventure.
Assisting Nelson is Captain Crane, Chip Morton, Francis Sharkey and Curley Jones.
Irwin Allen went on to produce other great shows, Lost in Space, Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. All were produced in the 1960s before he went onto produce many feature films such as Towering Inferno.
This new series has some interesting plots, good scripts and good acting.
Here in the UK the series was originally screened on ITV in some regions only. However I was lucky since every episode from the first series to the last series of Voyage to the bottom of the sea was screened on ITV in my area during a slot around 4.40pm on Thursday afternoons during the early 1970s. This screening time became the Irwin Allen slot for a few years as they also screened the other Irwin Allen shows as well. I loved these shows and looking at this great DVD set it is still entertaining all these years later. Voyage to the bottom of the sea was later repeated on channel four on Sunday mornings during the 1990 and for a lot of people this was the era that they remember most since it was a national screening to all areas.
This DVD set has the complete series two, which is very exciting and interesting. The Picture quality is very good. Unlike the release of the first series on DVD with the plastic DVD container that had rounded spines rather than the more familiar straight edged square type, this release has the standard sort of container with straight edges. Inside there are seven discs. Everything is familiar after seeing series one. Each disc has the same sort of menu page as those on series one but its in colour. And the intro credits to each episode are the same except they are in colour. There are 26 episodes and some special features including an interview with David Hedison, Special Effects footage, stills gallery and American broadcast information. There are subtitles for the deaf, There is no booklet inside. The outside of the cover sleeve is reasonably well presented. All of this is housed inside a cardboard sleeve. Generally it is a good presentation.
It is an interesting series of action and adventure and I look forward to the release of series three. This is highly recommended.