Os Astronautas

It is indeed a pleasure to read that someone else in this VAST UNIVERSE has heard of, and remembers the comedy series "It's About Time", for I thought that I was the only one...

I mentioned it to my Dad the other day, and he couldn't recall it....(I am 55 and he is 80!!) All I really remember is the two astronauts, stuck in the time-shift which brings them back to ancient civilization, and the fact that "over the hill" and "other side of valley" were significant.

The laughs then sort of come at you, like an episode of "F Troop", but it is still a long time ago...

The theme ("It's About Time, It's About Space,.....") has also stuck in my head over the years, and I would love to see it on DVD.

I am not THE ONLY ONE....

I found the common thread through most of the member comments for IT'S ABOUT TIME to be hilarious: three pages of comments from startled people who all thought they were the ONLY ones who remember the show! And everyone can still whistle the theme song. The thing that captivated me about this show when I was a kid were the dinosaurs, lifted mostly from the movies DINOSAURUS! and THE BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN. In fact in one scene where a tyrannosaurus (from DINOSAURUS!) is supposed to be trying to attack some cave men hiding in a cave you can clearly see that it's actually digging away at the entrance to a mine, complete with supporting timbers and a sign warning people to keep out. Later on when (I assume) the show wasn't doing too well in the rating and the producers decided to bring cave people back to the future in a sort of BEVERLY HILLBILIES scenario I quickly lost interest. The only other things about the show that really stand out in my memory are the goofy cast of cave people (Mike Mazurki, Joe E. "Ooh! Ooh!" Ross, Imogene Coca, and a sort of prehistoric Daisy Duke who always wore nylons under her animal skins) and the fact that one of the two astronauts (I think if was Frank Aletter, although I'm not sure) had to dye his hand blonde because the producers didn't want two brunettes in the leads.

You know, that's a lot to stick in one's memory after forty years!

I could easily see this show being resurrected as a big budget theatrical comedy (replacing "cheesy" stop-motion dinos with cheesier CGI effects), with Tom Arnold as the leader of the cave family and Will Farrell and Greg Kinnear as the astronauts. Ugghhhh.......

I really enjoyed this show when I was 8 years old! And as someone mentioned, one day it simply disappeared, without a trace.

Would I still love it now? Who knows? Time travel is always an interesting concept (even as goofy at it is here), and transporting cave people (who speak English!) to "modern" times would probably still be funny... But I used to love "Gilligan's Island" back then, and can't stand it now, so it's hard to say.

Still, it brings back good memories.

I have never seen reruns of it, but it wasn't even a full 'season' worth of shows (back then, 39 episodes a year was the norm, leaving 13 weeks open for "summer replacement" shows). I don't know why only 26 episodes were made. It must've rated pretty poorly at the time.

Here are the original, and amended, theme songs:

It's about time, it's about space, About two men in the strangest place. It's about time, it's about flight - Traveling faster than the speed of light. This is the tale of the brave crew As through the barrier of time they flew. Past a fighting minuteman, Past an armored knight, Past a Roman warrior, To this ancient site. It's about caves, cavemen too, About a time when the earth was new. Wait'll they see what is in sight! Is it good luck or is it good night? It's about two astronauts, it's about their fate, It's about a woman and her prehistoric mate.

It's about time, it's about space, About two men in the strangest place. They will be here right on this spot No matter if they like it or not. How will they live in this primitive state? Will help ever come before it is too late? Will they ever get away? Watch each week and see! Will they be returning to the 20th Century? It's about time for our goodbyes To all these prehistoric gals and guys. IT'S ABOUT TIME!

When the show's concept changed mid-season and the cave people moved to 20th century New York, the theme song changed as well:

It's about time, it's about space, About cave-people in the strangest place. It's about time, it's about flight- Traveling faster than the speed of light. About cave-people and the brave crew As through the barrier of time they flew. Past a Roman warrior, past an armored knight, Past a fighting minuteman to this modern site. It's about time for you and me To meet these people from 1,000,000 BC. It's about two astronauts and how they educate A prehistoric woman and her prehistoric mate.

It's about time, it's about space, About cave-people in the strangest place.

They will be here with all of us, dodging a taxi, car or bus. Where will they go? What will they do In this strange place where everything is new? Will they manage to survive? Watch each week and see. Will they get accustomed to the 20th Century? It's about time for our goodbyes To all these prehistoric gals and guys. IT'S ABOUT TIME!

"It's About Time" (1966-67) was created by the late, great Sherwood Schwartz who gave us "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch". The fantasy comedy ran for 26 episodes in the vein of his "Gilligan's Island" with this series also about travelers sent off course and stranded in a jungle setting with absurd plots. Being produced at the same time, "It's About Time" shares some of "Gilligan's" sets, props, and incident music. And it's little surprise that star Jack Mullaney at times has Gilligan-like goofy traits with sayings and actions that mimic him.

Joe E. Ross with his rough-around-the-edges looks and primitive sense of humor ("Oooo Oooo") was great casting as Gronk. Imogene Coca as Shag/Shad, however, seems a waste of her talents, although she is predictably good in any role. Mike Mazurki is another piece of great casting, and Cliff Norton also does a fine job with the boss caveman role.

I'm watching the series for the first time (as a 26-year-old) in chronological order, but understand how it can get repetitious after a few episodes. Yet, it's still startling to see the complete role reversal of having the cavemen travel to the 20th century near the end, in an attempt to save the short-lived series.

Reflecting upon the series, it had an interesting, unique premise that the writers had trouble expanding upon. If not fully mined for laughs, it at least touched upon many of the funny situations that could arise from adjusting to 1 million years of life. It was hard to think of Frank Aletter and Jack Mullaney as stars when you had the established talents of Imogene Coca and Joe E. Ross, who eventually shifted into that role. Many of the episodes were repetitive, but some were absurdly funny.

I enjoy the matte shots (albeit simplistic), conveying the viewer to the prehistoric era. Starting off, the series has some funny dialogue and situational comedy. It's silliness is part of its fun. It's family friendly, and I can see how kids would enjoy it. If you allow the absurdity to be part of the enjoyment, it can be a fun series.

I'm 26, so for me, I grew up with the shows of 90s and loved them. Then the new millennium rolled around....and what happened? What are these distasteful, offensive shows on today, and why is it viewed as acceptable? I don't know what happened to the industry, but I can tell you what happened to me- I turned to television from the classic period. They are most certainly funnier, more well-written, wholesome, and some drive home important moral lessons. My wife is 23 and also loves classic shows and films. When we have children one day, we hope to share that love with them.

I remember watching this show as a child of about 11 or 12 and even remember the theme song, although I do get mixed up in the words from the original story and the spin off story when the 'primatives' return to the present. I don't remember any of the episodes except I know I just really enjoyed the show. My children think I'm crazy when I am prompted by one of them saying "It's about time...." and I start to song the theme song - "It's about time, it's about space, it's about 2 people in the strangest place, etc.etc.....". It was really a nonsense show but good for a few (clean) laughs, something that is sadly missing on today's TV.