The Time Tunnel (TV Series) One Way to the Moon (1966) User Reviews

Unexpected stowaways!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 6 December 2018]

After Titanic's wreck now Irwin Allen takes our heroes in a imaginary journey to Mars, for first time it wasn't based in real facts as featured in majority of the all episodes, as happens always they are caught in rocket's countdown to change few seconds to take off, once there the rocket's crew easily realised something wrong over such additional weight, finding them on chamber below, so it spent much more fuel to reach Mars, then they had to change their plans and get to land in the moon, refuel and taking a trip to Mars ahead, before they have to find out who really are the saboteur, l'm not tired to see it again!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1971 / How many: 5 / Source: TV-VHS-Cable TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5

Engaging in the 60's, Dated in 2009

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 12 September 2009]

Doug and Tony jumps to 1978, therefore ten years ahead of their future, on board of the service module of a rocket of project MEM4, in the countdown to head to Mars in a space race with the Soviets. Their overweight does not allow the rocket to reach the escape velocity and the skipper intends to jettison the module; however the speed is reached and the crew formed by Colonel Kane, Major Harlow, Ensign Beard and officer Nazarro discover them and they are considered stowaways. The scientists explain that they are part of the Time Tunnel TicToc Project, and Major Harlow tells that had heard something about this secret project. When the crewman Nazarro discovers that the communication systems had been sabotaged, they blame Doug and Tony while heading to the moon for refueling due to the overburn to reach the necessary velocity. Meanwhile General Heywood Kirk invites three representatives of the MEM4 project to com to The Time Tunnel complex, and one of them is the same Navy Ensign Beard that is one board of the rocket. But neither the personnel of the Time Tunnel nor the crew of the rocket knows that Beard is a traitor.

"One Way to the Moon" was an engaging episode in the 60's with the climax of the Cold War, James Bond, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and many other espionage movies. However, in 2009, both the plot of race against Soviets and the theme of reaching Mars in a rocket are dated. Fortunately the story has no contradiction, since Beard does not see his fate in the future due to the explosion of the control panel and the manhunt to the other traitor. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Túnel do Tempo" ("The Time Tunnel")

One Way to the Moon

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 9 September 2022]

One Way to the Moon has some very interesting elements which could have been better utilised.

It could had been so Quantum Leap.

The first episode ended with Doug and Tony on a space rocket being fired up. The story set 10 years in the future in 1978.

They are on the first man mission to Mars. However there is a saboteur on board called Beard. He is aiding another side, presumably the Russians.

Back on at the present in 1968 at the Project Tic-Toc base. Beard is also present seeing his future self accusing Doug and Tony of being spies and wanting to throw them out of the rocket.

There is an interesting concept but it fizzles out in lame shootouts as another saboteur manages to disarm the sole military man with a gun.

Lt General Kirk at the base never addresses why Beard wanted to have Doug and Tony killed off. That he was also a saboteur.

Espionage In Space

[ShadeGrenade · 9/10 · 14 October 2007]

'One Way To The Moon' is one of my favourite 'Time Tunnel' episodes, made just before the show got bogged down with historical battles and alien invasions. Its one of only two spy stories in the series, the other being 'Secret Weapon', and its a pity they did not do more in similar vein.

The premise is this: enemy agent Beard has infiltrated a U.S. manned flight to Mars in the year 1978. The Russians want to stop the Americans from reaching The Red ( how ironic ) Planet first. Doug and Tony materialise aboard the rocket seconds before lift-off. Their excess weight slows it down, making the mission impossible without emergency refuelling. So they head for the Moon.

The crafty Beard denounces them as spies, and recommends dumping them out of an airlock. But after going outside to repair the damaged hull, the scientists remain aboard until the ship touches down.

At Project Tic-Toc in 1968, Beard watches his future self with amazement. His fellow enemy agent Dr.Brandon blows up one of the Time Tunnel's computers, breaking visual contact with Tony and Doug. When his treachery is uncovered, he begins shooting at guards and flees. Unable to leave the complex, he hides out in the Tunnel's coils, where he is found - and later murdered - by Beard.

Beard has successfully preserved his cover but is no longer able to see the fate of his future self - blown up by a bomb he planted in the fuel dump.

As the rocket lifts off without them, Doug and Tony are thrown back into the infinite corridors of time...

Stock footage from George Pal's 'Destination Moon' provides the space and Moon scenes ( watch the rocket change shape in mid-journey! ). Rather oddly, the fuel dump has gravity, but lacks oxygen. As the Time Tunnel whisks the scientists off to another adventure, it divests them of their spacesuits, leaving them on the lunar surface without air.

Bad science aside, this is a tense, exciting episode, neatly combining international intrigue and science fiction ( the first Moon landing was a good three years off ). James T.Callahan is impressive in the role of the duplicitous 'Beard'.

Neither Tony nor Doug inform General Kirk of Beard's base treachery, indeed the adventure is not referred to again. Its almost a pity Beard does not get to watch his own death - the look on his face would have been priceless!

Wonderful William Welch Adventure

[StuOz · 11 August 2006]

Tony and Doug go to the moon.

Who could forget the teaser when we hear Dick Tufield's memorable narration for the first time ever, then we see our time travellers tumble inside a spacecraft. They panic. And the sight of them pounding on a hatch ("Let us out! Don't blow the hatch!") is indeed powerful.

Act one is loaded with imaginative William Welch lines, given to spacemen Warren Stevens and Larry Ward, about the time travellers coming from ten years in the past. Great stuff. This alone makes the whole hour worthwhile.

An act four death scene in the Tunnel command centre is a shining moment in the acting range of Whit Bissell as General Kirk. Kirk appears on the scene, looks at the dead body, then gives a look to the killer, that one look from Bissell says 100 words. What an under-rated talent Mr Bissell was.

Warren Stevens was another great talent and this actor also appeared in THREE episodes of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (a year one spy show, a year three alien show & a year four ghost show). As for Larry Ward, well, without wishing to give too much away, you might wish to watch The Outer Limits episode Counterweight (1964), guest starring Larry Ward.

"One Way" is a wonderful William Welch adventure.

Surprisingly good, despite scientific anomalies

[shakspryn · 9/10 · 26 January 2020]

I just watched this episode on the Blu-ray release, which looks great. I watched the series 54 years ago, when I was 9. Irwin Allen's shows often had a very high cheesy factor when set in the future, but this episode was very well done. The look of the Moon was outstanding! Great sets and visuals! Lots of action and excitement. I was watching it thinking. wow, how could a show this good not get more than one season? So far the first two episodes have been first-rate. Looking forward to seeing the other 28.

Most Intelligent Irwin Allen Plot - Ever

[billbadford · 9/10 · 30 November 2020]

Irwin Allen TV shows and episodes are famous for high action, cheesy monsters, and really dumb plots. But this script is not only intelligent but has barely a glitch - which is amazing for any time-travel story. And the twist at the end with the villain is quite unique.

Why does seeing the future not affect the past?

[DRBERNABO256 · 5/10 · 29 April 2006]

I am watching these shows again for the first time in forty years and since I know more now than I did then it is adding an entirely different element of fun to the endeavor. In the first episode Tony and Doug end up on the "Titanic" and think nothing of trying to save the ship and changing the course of human events. In this second episode they jump ten years into the future (to the year 1978), and end up on a spaceship bound for Mars. Their addition 355 pounds puts the ship in danger, although the real threat is the enemy agent aboard the ship. Remember, the people back at the Time Tunnel in Arizona can see what is happening to the boys. The enemy agent shows up in the present (1968) at the facility and sees himself in the future. Somehow he manages to not see himself get killed in the future and does not remember in the future that these time travelers are going to show up on the space ship, while nobody at the facility notices that this guy is the enemy agent. What are the rules here? Damned if I know. The value here remains nostalgia and we must reluctantly admit that in former days Irwin Allen was the face of science fiction on television.

Why are the spacesuits different colours?

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 27 June 2022]

After escaping The Titanic, Doug and Tony wind up ten years in the future, on a manned mission to Mars. Surprised to find the time travellers in the rocket's service hold, the astronauts suspect the two men of being saboteurs...

I've got a big problem with this episode: the time tunnel crew can see where and when Doug and Tony arrive, so why don't they simply put this on record so that the crew of the rocket will be prepared for the eventuality when it happens? If the crew were forewarned, then they wouldn't be suspicious on finding the men on board. It seems so obvious to me that it kinda ruins the fun.

As for the rest of the show, we get stock footage of an Atlas ICBM test launch standing in for the Mars rocket launch, spaceship footage from Destination Moon that looks nothing like the aforementioned Atlas missile, a spacewalk on the exterior of the Mars rocket (also borrowed from Destination Moon), and a fistfight scene on the moon's surface that is clearly not taking place in 1/6th of Earth's gravity.

5/10. Cheap and cheerful Irwin Allen nonsense.

Very exciting episode and fine sets once again. The moon looks brilliant

[Coffee_in_the_Clink · 27 March 2020]

The second episode of "The Time Tunnel" has our duo propelled ten years into the future, finding themselves on board a spaceship about to begin the first human-manned voyage to Mars. They are discovered by the crew who immediately suspect them as being foreign agents, sent to sabotage the mission. When the ship runs in to problems, the captain is compelled to make a stop-off at a fuel station on the Moon. Here, things go pear-shaped completely. "One Way to the Moon" follows on from the Titanic jaunt in the Pilot episode and is the TV episode equivalent of trying to cram as much food as possible in to you at an all-you-can-eat buffet. It moves at a fast pace and actually becomes tiring by the end as so much happens, the least of which is the mind-boggling scenario we are presented with where the villain in the present finds himself at the lab watching himself in the future, all of which begs questions such as If he can see himself now, how does he not know back then? etc. etc. The sets once again are this episodes strong point, the Moon looking quite authentic and better than any average contemporary designs.

A Lunar Mess

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 15 January 2015]

In this episode the guys go into the future. They become a liability as they affect the velocity because of their combined weights. It goes without saying that this aired before the voyage of Neil Armstrong (by about three years). It is cheaply made, using stock footage from old movies. The element that is missing in a futuristic episode is that the real charm of the series is attempting to deal with history that could conceivably be altered. In this one, they are definitely not respected for their efforts and are ultimately treated as ballast. I remember being so disappointed by this episode after enjoying the Titanic one so much. There are times when I can understand how this show only made it through one season (although I'm sure budgets and production had much to do with it).