Watch Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Name: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Genre: Science Fiction, Action & Adventure
Released: 1964-09-14
Cast: Richard Basehart

TV-G
1964
4 Seasons
7.2 (4,193)

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was a science fiction television series that aired on ABC from 1964 to 1968. The show was produced by Irwin Allen and starred Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson, the captain of the Seaview, a futuristic submarine, and David Hedison as Captain Lee Crane, the Seaview's executive officer. The series was set during the Cold War era and featured the adventures of the crew of the Seaview as they explored the depths of the sea and encountered various threats to the security of the United States.

The show's premise is that the Seaview is a nuclear-powered submarine designed to take on a variety of missions, ranging from scientific research to espionage. The vessel is equipped with the latest technology, including a laser beam and a missile launcher, and is manned by a crew of more than 100 officers and enlisted men. The Seaview is commanded by Admiral Nelson, a brilliant scientist who is determined to use his ship to advance the cause of science and protect the world from the dangers of the sea.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was noted for its use of cutting-edge special effects and innovative storytelling techniques. The show's creators used a combination of live action and miniatures to create elaborate underwater scenes, and the show's scripts often featured imaginative plot twists and cliffhanger endings. In addition to its action-packed storylines, the show also explored themes of trust, loyalty, and morality, as the crew of the Seaview grappled with difficult ethical dilemmas and personal conflicts.

Over the course of its four-year run, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea introduced a number of memorable characters, including Kowalski (Terry Becker), the Seaview's chief petty officer; Sparks (Arch Whiting), the ship's communications officer; and Dr. Will Jamieson (Richard Bull), the Seaview's chief medical officer. The show also featured a number of notable guest appearances, including appearances by Vincent Price, Patrick Macnee, and Barbara Eden.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was initially envisioned as a serious drama, but it gradually evolved into a more lighthearted adventure series as the show's popularity increased. The show's upbeat tone and fast-paced action helped it become a hit with audiences, and it ultimately ran for 110 episodes. Despite its success, however, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was plagued by criticism from some quarters, who argued that the show was a simplistic and one-dimensional portrayal of the Cold War era.

Despite these criticisms, however, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea remains a beloved cult classic, and it continues to inspire a legion of devoted fans. Its influence can be seen in numerous subsequent science fiction series, and its legacy can be felt in the enduring popularity of the submarine adventure genre as a whole.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is a series that is currently running and has 4 seasons (110 episodes). The series first aired on September 14, 1964.

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Seasons

4 3 2 1

26. No Way Back

March 31, 1968

Seaview experiences a sudden power overload and blows up, killing all hands aboard. When Admiral Nelson (who was at the Nelson Institute at the time of the accident) hears of the destruction of the Seaview, he gets an impossible to refuse offer from Mr. Pem (who survived from A Time To Die): in exchange for the use of the sub's nuclear reactor, Pem will transport Nelson back in time to before the explosion which destroyed Seaview. Once back in time, Pem renergizes his time travel device and brings the sub back even further in time to the American Civil War. Before the crew has time to absorb this, the ship is boarded by Major General Benedict Arnold! Now Nelson has to stop Pem's far-reaching plan to take over the world and avoid the explosive disentergration of Seaview.

25. The Death Clock

March 24, 1968

"... but the Flying Sub's my baby!" Captain Crane to Chief Sharkey Seaview's reactor is running wild -- again. Without taking the time to don protective anti-radiation gear, Captain Crane runs into the Reactor Room to shut down the pile. An explosion renders him unconscious. Although treated in Sickbay with a special anti-radiation device, the Captain does not come out of his coma-like state. Doc can find no explanation. (Apparently, Doc hasn't read the script.) Corpsman Mallory has turned that life-saving device into a time-machine. Mallory is testing his fourth-dimension gadget on Crane before using it to enslave the entire world! A warped and insane Captain Crane from the future shoots and kills Admiral Nelson, because he believes the Admiral has held him back from achieving all he should have. Maybe he's paying Nelson back for the Krueger incident.

24. Edge of Doom

March 17, 1968

"Idiots!!!" Admiral Nelson to himself. There is an imposter on Seaview. Lee Crane is the main suspect. Admiral Nelson takes Morton and Sharkey into his confidence. They must put Crane to the test to find out whether or not he's the man they know. Captain Crane is really put through the ringer in this episode! Admiral Nelson hurts his feelings on purpose, the Captain practically chokes to death from a fire in the Circuitry Room that he gets blamed for, he gets locked in a storage room, and he's driven half out of his mind by the Admiral, Morton and Sharkey. Through it all, Crane maintains his inner belief in himself. But he must have needed a vacation after this mission was over!

23. Attack

March 10, 1968

Aliens are at it again. They're planning to destroy the Earth. However, one of the aliens claims to be a good guy. Can he be believed? Will mankind survive yet another close encounter with space visitors? * Skip Homeier also appears in "The Amphibians" and "The Day the World Ended" * Kevin Hagen guest-starred in "The Shape of Doom".

22. Flaming Ice

March 3, 1968

Seaview is under polar ice, trying to discover the cause of increased flooding around the world. Nelson finds out that Frost Men are in the process of melting the ice cap. The Seaview's reactor is just what they need to finish the job.

21. Savage Jungle

February 25, 1968

Alien jungle growth is spreading across Italy, and before long -- thanks to a crewman who is really an alien spy -- the vegetation invades Seaview too. The Admiral has built a device that might help, but first he and Crane have to fight their way through the overgrown corridors to prevent the missiles being used to spread the infestation even farther. * Patrick Culliton played various crewmen over Voyage's 4 seasons.

20. Man-Beast

February 18, 1968

"You had no right -- no right to make that second dive without orders from me!" Nelson to Crane Another scientist with another artificial atmosphere (see Season 1's "The Condemned") that will revolutionize deep-sea diving. When will Admiral Nelson learn! Naturally, Captain Crane is used as a guinea pig for these dangerous experiments. And there are fatal side-effects. * A great Nelson/Crane argument takes place in the Admiral's cabin after the Captain has made his unauthorized second dive. * In this episode it is not Nelson who shoots Crane, but rather, Chip Morton. * Notice the tears of gratitude and relief in Crane's eyes after Nelson gives him the antidote at the very end of the episode. * Crane also shed a tear (from pain) in Season 3's "Day of Evil". Years later, David Hedison would appear in a Fantasy Island episode entitled: "Man-Beast"!

19. Secret of the Deep

February 11, 1968

Naval ships have been disappearing, and Seaview is on a hunt for the undersea installation responsible. They find a sea-lab that is not only well-armed but surrounded by overgrown and ferocious sea-creatures. To complicate matters, the guest expert aboard is a traitor. Various "dangerous denizens" of the deep from earlier episodes_4-18 reappear here, thanks to re-used footage: there's a whale, and one of those globular-eyed bottom-dwelling monsters seen in such episodes_4-18 as "Deadly Creature Below".

18. The Abominable Snowman

February 4, 1968

"But that's not the goal of a man -- of a scientist!" Admiral Nelson At an experimental station in the Antarctic, the crew discovers a 'tropical paradise' -- but most of the scientists are missing. When two unconscious survivors are brought aboard Seaview, something deadly starts to stalk the corridors. Meanwhile, the temperature outside is still rising .... * The white furry monster costume also appears in at least one Lost in Space episode.

17. Nightmare

January 28, 1968

Poor Captain Crane. The things he had to go through. This time, he's in the Flying Sub, when he receives a distress call from the Seaview. He comes back to his sub, only to find it abandoned -- again. But wait, there's a force-field on the spiral stairs which knocks Crane out, and there's a stranger aboard who naturally shoots at him. Eventually Crane sees the crew, and he hears the voice of Nelson calling him a traitor. It takes about an hour, and a bullet in the shoulder (fired by guess who?), before Crane discovers aliens are testing the human race. Most of what happens is a nightmare, but missiles are actually fired!

16. The Lobster Man

January 21, 1968

A lobster-like alien emerges from a capsule retrieved from the ocean floor. He claims that all he wants is one of Seaview's nuclear rods to power his ship for the homeward journey, but neither Captain Crane nor Admiral Nelson is convinced he can be trusted. Victor Lundin also played the neck-braced Hansjurg in Season 2's "The Menfish".

15. Terrible Leprechaun

January 7, 1968

About the plot . . . Um . . . Well . . . Uh . . . Okay, here it is: You see, there are these twin leprechauns, one good, the other icky. The icky one wants all the gold that's buried beneath an underwater defense installation in the Irish Sea. The good leprechaun does his best to stop his evil brother from doing any harm . * Footage of Morton and Kowalski trapped in an underwater cave was borrowed from previous episodes_4-18. So what else is new? * Why this episode wasn't broadcast on St. Patrick's day, we'll never know!

14. The Return of Blackbeard

December 31, 1967

The ghost of Blackbeard is alive and well, and he wants the Seaview and her crew. The pirate 'drafts' Kowalski, who makes a very convincing and quite blood-thirsty buccaneer. Nelson and Crane have their hands full trying to protect the President of the United States (a guest of a Middle Eastern Shah on a nearby yacht), and regain control of their ship. What will Nelson come up with this time to save the day?

13. Deadly Amphibians

December 17, 1967

Seaview has been sent to the ocean floor by mysterious pressure impacts. Crane, Sharkey, and Kowalski go out in the Flying Sub to investigate. They, too, are sent to the bottom of the sea. Strange creatures (half men-half fish) present themselves and explain that they intend to take over Seaview (who doesn't?) and eventually the world! Don Matheson starred as Mark Wilson in Land of the Giants.

12. Blow Up

December 10, 1967

The Seaview is en route to rendezvous with the fleet when Sharkey reports a missle fuel leak. Crane and Morton believe it's worth returing to port to repair, however Nelson knows how to handle it. Taking a small breathing device with him, the Admiral locks himself in the compartment in question to effect repairs. However, he drops a wrench, the circuts blow and Nelson is knocked out. When he comes to, he's gripped by paranoia which worsens with each passing minute. Trusting no one, Nelson loses his grip on reality, arresting Doc, fighting with Sharkey and finally launching a nuclear missle at the fleet!

11. A Time to Die

December 3, 1967

finds herself suddenly out of touch with the rest of the world, in the wrong part of the ocean and encountering strange creatures. It seems she's been thrown a million years back in time. Then the Admiral opens his cabin door and finds himself back in his Santa Barbara office, confronting the strange Mr. Pem and his pocket-sized time machine, and has to play a risky game before time can return to its normal course. The early part of this episode contains two astronomical errors. First, Nelson takes snapshots of the eclipse-darkened sky with an ordinary camera, but when the shots are developed they show galaxies and nebulae that could only be seen with a telescope. Second, the Admiral describes the pictures as showing 'constellations'. Henry Jones (Pem) also appears as Sprague in "Night of Terror" and once again as Pem in "No Way Back". This episode features re-used footage from "Thing from Inner Space". A bust which adorns the Admiral's office looks remarkably like one seen in the Nazi commander's quarters in "The Last Battle".

10. Terror

November 26, 1967

A scientist experimenting with plant life on a remote island has run into trouble. A shore party from Seaview arrives only in time to hear his dying warning that the world will be taken over in eight hours. Nelson brings aboard the only unusual thing he can find -- a red orchid, which proves to be a malign alien (that proceeds to take over his mind and those of the crew).

9. Rescue

November 19, 1967

Seaview is on the lookout for an enemy sub and its underwater sub-pen. Sonar picks up a contact. The rogue sub fires at Seaview, which is saved only by virtue of her new electronic hull shield. Not so fortunate is Captain Crane, who has just located the sub-pen while on patrol in the FS-1. A powerful laser fires a beam at the Flying Sub, crippling the ship. Running out of air, moving in and out of consciousness, Crane is unable to give the pen's coordinates to Nelson. Thanks to the hard work of some enemy agents aboard, Seaview seems unable to rescue the Captain. Worried about Crane trapped in the Flying Sub, Admiral Nelson is particularly impatient in this episode. He constantly barks at Morton and the Chief. One of the enemy agents, Marco, a crewman we have seen in many other episodes_4-18, is never found out, and apparently keeps his job on Seaview!

8. Time Lock

November 12, 1967

A man from the future sends two androids back in time to kidnap Nelson from Seaview in order to add him to a collection of other famous military figures abducted from various eras of the past. The plot of this episode is virtually identical to the plot of the "Time Tunnel" episode entitled "The Kidnappers".

7. Fatal Cargo

November 5, 1967

Doctor Blanchard has created a device to control the actions of a white gorilla. Unfortunately, his assistant Leo Brock wants the fame that the inventor of such a device would gain. As a result he uses the device to enrage the gorilla and kill Blanchard. Nelson gets there too late to save Blanchard, but the gorilla is taken on board. Brock sets the gorilla free and he runs amock until both Brock and the gorilla are killed.

6. Man of Many Faces

October 29, 1967

In an attempt to control the planet's tides, Dr. Randolph Mason (a nut if ever there was one -- he is part scientist, part make-up artist!) has invented a powerful electromagnet and established a magnetic field around the moon. The only person who seems to recognize the obvious danger in this silly plan is Harriman Nelson. At first glance, it would appear that Nelson has killed Dr. Randolph. At second glance, it would appear that Captain Crane has betrayed the Admiral. On third glance, the moon is getting closer and closer to Earth, and will soon collide with our beautiful blue orb -- unless the Seaview can save the world. Again. * In this episode, we learn that Chief Sharkey attended Lincoln High in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. (There actually is a Lincoln High in Coney Island.) The Chief admits he got an 'A' in only one subject: Home Economics!

5. Sealed Orders

October 22, 1967

"There's nothing to do here but to keep from disappearing." Lt. Commander Morton Seaview is carrying a new missile, and Nelson has orders to deliver it to its launch site at all costs. Unfortunately, the missile malfunctions, and Nelson can't get into the sealed silo to fix it. Soon, the crew starts to disappear, and bizarre phenomena plague the ones who remain. * This episode features a brief uncredited cameo by Richard Basehart's son, John, as a young crewman in the Missile Room: the Admiral asks him, "What's your name, son?"

4. Journey with Fear

October 15, 1967

Aliens snatch a manned space probe launched from Seaview with Chip Morton aboard, and transport it at the speed of light to their observation post on the rocky, unstable surface of Venus. Checking out the duplicate capsule, Crane suffers the same fate before he even has time to launch. With Chip blinded and a prisoner, and the planet's surface due to undergo catastrophic quakes in a few hours, the odds seem to be against the two men.

3. Cave of the Dead

October 8, 1967

"Those who see the Flying Dutchman never, never reach the shore." Investigating the loss of Navy ships, Nelson finds an ancient dagger in a cave on an uncharted island, and falls under a strange curse. Haunted by visions of skeletons and an anachronistic ship, he has trouble convincing the crew of his sanity. Meanwhile, Seaview is sailing in circles, and the visiting Commander Van Wyck seems to have disappeared. Guest star Warren Stevens also appeared in "The Saboteur" and "Deadly Invasion".

2. The Deadly Dolls

October 1, 1967

The Seaview crew is being entertained by puppet cairactures of the Captain and Admiral, compliments of Professor Multiple. Multiple remains on-board when the sub departs, and his dolls soon come to life, replacing their real-life counterparts. Only Nelson and Crane avoid capture and transformation. Multiple boasts that he and the others are all puppets, created by machines from the future that have traveled into the present, and need the Seaview as a new host body. Can Nelson and Crane overcome this fantastic threat?

1. Fires of Death

September 17, 1967

The Seaview is being buffeted about by underwater explosions due to the eruption of an active volcano. Dr. Turner (Victor Jory) is aboard to stop the eruptions. However, his true mission is to bring up "elixir stones." An alchemist, Turner needs the stones to keep him immortal. However, in order to bring up the stones, he needs to stimulate the volcano into full eruption!

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Where to Watch Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is available for streaming on the ABC website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea on demand at Amazon and Vudu.