The Time Tunnel

In 2006, an experiment of the Department of Energy in hot fusion to produce energy releases a storm in time along 240 minutes, changing history. Only the personnel in the core of the laboratory know the true story and now they need to fix points in the history that have been punctually changed. The bureaucrat and former Marine Doug Phillips (David Conrad) is a family man that is recruited by his friend Flynn (Kavan Smith) to join an expedition to 1944 due to his great knowledge of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest in Germany. The team formed by Doug, Flynn, Toni Newman (Andrea Roth), J.D. (Tawny Cypress) and Wix (Bob Kiherr) is assigned to find a monk from 1546 that has been accidentally transported to the spot and is the carrier of Black Plague.

"The Time Tunnel – Unaired Pilot 2002" is a reasonable attempt to revive the cult series from the 60's. The concept is a sort of Stargate and is not bad; however there is too much information in this pilot that is darker than the original show and the characters are not charismatic as the original time traveler scientists are. This pilot id part of the Extras in the second box of "The Time Tunnel". My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

I had heard about this and thought "another bland update, no one will watch it, it'll stink." How wrong I was, this showed solid promise, with Tony being updated to a female lead named Toni, it was one pleasant surprise after another.

They kept key features like the long tunnel itself, while changing a few items such as the new "time storm" and the fact that only the staff of the tunnel experiment knew the world had changed.

This big thing that was missing that as a fan I would have liked would have been references to "project tic toc" but well acted, well thought out, and it would have been a fine continuation to the Time Tunnel family.

I would not call this an update. It was new. The names of the two lead characters should not have been recycled and they could have called it Time Tube or something. Superior to the original, for most episodes maybe but it lacked the thrill of that first Time Tunnel show on the Titanic. Better than Star Gate, sure. The new Toni Newman - wow, but I think calling it an update is what killed it for fans of the old show.

The characters were pretty good. Even the relationships seemed to click pretty good.

All in all a fun ride but I'm not sure I will watch it twice.

Watch it if you can find it. It is for sale here and there on the Internet but the only copy available is from a VHS master.

The Time Tunnel concept is fabulous, and I would love to see a new series, but the 2002 un-aired pilot is the typical today's sci-fi, which focuses more on the proverbial arrogant, cocky characters and the "beating-around-the bush" storyline, with an overindulgence of bad humor. Too many of today's yuppie scriptwriters have no care nor understanding of quality writing and engaging characters. The Time Tunnel (2002) unaired pilot, unlike the original 1960s Irwin Allen series, has unlikeable, cold characters and horrendous acting. It does have an interesting storyline but is far less suspenseful than the original Time Tunnel series because this new version doesn't have Doug and Tony lost in time, but can return them to the tunnel at any time.

The un-aired pilot's best attribute is a nicely done war scene with incidental background music that challenges the emotions, and snow flurries that enhances the scenic setting landscape of war.

Overall, there is no comparison between the poorly produced Time Tunnel (2002) and the fabulous Time Tunnel TV series of 1966.

-- Ed Shifres

This was a fascinating & superior updating of the 1966 Irwin Allen series of the same name.Unlike that(and all of Allen's sf series)show, this is an intriguing & well thought-out premise.While attempting to create a clean,renewable,& abundant energy source,the Dept.of Energy inadvertently rips open a time vortex into past ages.A timestorm then ripples throughout these distant eras which in turn causes anomalies that disrupt our present.The TT complex is shielded from these alterations & realize how history has changed.They have plotted 240 anomalies which need to dealt with,so a team of experts are assembled in order to journey back in time in order to correct the errors caused by the anomalies,& then are retrieved back to the present.This would have been a wonderful series had it been picked up.In its premise it answers the problem inherent in all time travel scenarios:the past cannot be meddled with,no matter how benevolent the intentions are,because it may produce harmful ramifications all the way into the present.But here the time-team must restore the past to what we know it should be,their missions are to make things right.While this premise is hardly original & has been used by other TV series such as Voyagers & Quantum Leap,it works.The cast was likable & you cared about them.The fx were terrific.What a shame we won't be watching them return to the past to set things right with those other pesky 239 anomalies that are left.