IRWIN ALLEN NEWS NETWORK

OUT NOW - THE TIME TUNNEL: THE DIMENSIONS OF TIME

Danger awaits our heroes all across the centuries in Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel: The Dimensions of Time, a box set of full-cast audio drama, available now.

Big Finish Productions' audio drama adaptation of the iconic producer Irwin Allen's 1960s TV series The Time Tunnel continues today with the release of a second box set of full-cast audio adventures.

This time, the four time-travelling heroes – Captain Lewis Haworth (Seán Carlsen), MB (Safiyya Ingar), Cole Smith (Jay Reum), and Clare MacGregor (Rachel Handshaw) – visit New York at the time of the Stonewall uprising, meet Joan of Arc in 15th-century France, and step foot on the fateful Titanic.

Through it all, can they put history back on track, track down the lost scientists Tony Newman and Doug Phillips, and stop the sinister forces of Rakervia from taking over the world?

Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel: The Dimensions of Time is available to purchase now for just £19.99 (download to own) or £24.99 (download to own + collector's edition 3-disc CD). Please note: the collector's edition CD box set is strictly limited to 1,000 copies and will not be re-pressed.

This box set comprises the following three episodes:

Families and Lies – June 28, 1969 by Mark B Oliver

Cole arrives, alone, in Greenwich Village, Manhattan on Saturday, 28th June 1969, the day before the Stonewall uprising. With Lewis and MB nowhere to be found, he forges new friendships, but they have their own troubles. Inside the Project Tic-Toc Control Room, Clare must persuade Elenya that reuniting her friends is in all their interests.

Divine Intervention – April, 1429 by Lisa McMullin

MB and Cole find themselves in 15th Century France, towards the end of the Hundred Years War. It's France versus England but MB and Cole will be lining up on the side of France – alongside the Maid of Orleans herself – Joan of Arc. Is she a witch, a heretic or a feminist revolutionary?

Rendezvous with Tomorrow – April 15th, 1912 by Gary Hopkins

MB and Cole follow in the footsteps of Doctors Newman and Phillips aboard the doomed passenger ship Titanic in the year 1912. It seems that, after all, history can be re-written. Clara MacGregor, meanwhile, discovers that the past can be read in different ways. Is it possible that the journey's end is in sight?

Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel: The Dimensions of Time has a guest cast including The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy star Sandra Dickinson, as well as John Schwab, Edwin Flay, Flavie Ravenhill, Nick McArdle, Rachel Lincoln, Andrew Wincott, Richard Unwin, Anthony Draper, Mark Elstob, Sanjay Lago, Conrad Westmaas, Todd Kramer, and Mark Arnold.

The episodes are written by three different writers new to the world of The Time Tunnel, each tackling a historical subject they have particular expertise and interest in.

The first episode's writer Mark B Oliver said: "I did a lot of research into the Stonewall Uprising, and what I found most fascinating were the oral histories that people have recorded over the years. These are people that were there and experienced what exactly happened. And the common thread is that they agreed to disagree about the exact details!"

The second episode is scripted by Lisa McMullin, who said: "I've had a real hankering for quite a while to tell a pure historical story, so this was such a treat. It was really enjoyable telling the story of Joan of Arc. I had loads of interest in her before, and I'm always fascinated by how religion can be a real comforter to people but is also used to justify so much horror."

And, finale writer Gary Hopkins said: "At the time we were discussing what we might want to do with this episode, I was reading a fantastic book called The Darks and Bounds of a Failing World, all about the tragedy of the Titanic and the Edwardian era. So it all fell into place at just the right time. I'd grown up watching various representations of the Titanic through film and television, but I always wanted to go back to the factual origin."

This is the second volume of Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel, following February 2025's release The Nightmare Begins. Big Finish listeners can save money by purchasing Volumes 1 and 2 in a multibuy bundle for just £38 (download to own) or £47 (download to own + collector's edition 3-disc CD box sets).

Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel: The Dimensions of Time Box Set

Irwin Allen's The Time Tunnel TM & © 2025 Legendary. All rights reserved. Used under license. Based on the original television series "The Time Tunnel" © Legendary and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Irwin Allen Behind the Scenes of the Voyage Movie

As we go through our archives of pictures and clippings, if we find any pictures from behind the scenes of Irwin Allen productions, we will post them in the relevant section. Above is a rare photo of Irwin Allen and Winton C. Hoch up on a crane, filming a scene on the full scale Seaview bridge set which is situated on the Sersen Lake on the 20th Century Fox backlot. Hoch must have had great balance, as he does not appear to be holding on to anything while standing on that high, yet narrow platform.

While we were going through folders of clippings, we also found the above picture of Frankie Avalon on the Seaview set with two ladies modelling hats. Great to see the red Mini-Sub being used as a backdrop.

If you have any behind the scenes photos from any of the Irwin Allen productions including of props, etc. that you think others might enjoy seeing, please feel free to contact us and when sending in any Irwin Allen materials, please let us know who to credit with each picture.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Movie - Behind the Scenes Gallery

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SERSEN LAKE ON THE FOX BACKLOT

The Sersen Lake was named after Fred Sersen who founded and headed the special photographic effects department at 20th Century Fox for some 34 years. He won an Academy Award for "The Rains Came" (1941) which utilised the lake. He died in December 1962 at the age of 72. The Sersen Lake was demolished after filming of the 1961 movie Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea as part of the sell off of land on the Fox backlot. A new lake and backing was set up at the Fox Ranch in Malibu and was used for surface shots of the Seaview in the subsequent television series of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964-68). L. B. Abbott affectionately referred to this new lake as Sersen Lake.

The superb, but desperately sad historical video above goes through the history of developments of the 20th Century Fox backlot. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is mentioned around 7 minutes 8 seconds into the video, and the destruction of the Sersen Lake backing can be seen around 8 minutes 28 seconds.

Interesting Seaview Miniature Prop Picture

The photo of the Seaview Miniature shown above comes from the Motion Picture Exhibitor Flyer-Poster. It has pipes or hoses along the port side, to create enhanced wave effects. This is the only photo we have seen of the Seaview miniature prop with pipes connected to the side. The article that comes with the Motion Picture Exhibitor Flyer discusses the 18 foot long Seaview prop miniature.

The September 1961 issue of American Cinematographer describes the effects process:
For the scene of the sub emerging dramatically from the depths of the sea, the craft was properly positioned below water at the right trajectory for the action. By means of a trip-release and a winch with a line on the tail of the sub, the craft's natural bouyancy was accelerated for the "jump-up" effect. Within the sub model itself high-pressure water hoses were connected to ballast portholes to produce, at the proper time, the effect of water ballast issuing forth as the craft surfaces. The addition of a detergent to the water created the desired effect of foaming turbulence.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Movie - Seaview Miniature

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA BLUEPRINTS

We have been adding some blueprints to the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea collection on our site including the Phantom Strikes blueprint above, and below, the second season revamp of all the Seaview miniatures to cater for the introduction of the Flying Sub.

COSTUME EARRINGS FOR THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE

This is a pair of gold filigree costume earrings which were issued for extras in The Poseidon Adventure. If anyone enjoys studying costumes and jewellery in movies, please let us know if you spot any extras wearing these earrings.

GOLDIN.CO AUCTION 21 JANUARY 2026

The seller of a couple of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea prop items has asked us to spread the word about the upcoming auction where they appear for sale. The Goldin.co 2026 Winter Hollywood Memorabilia Auction on Wednesday 21 January 2026 features two Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea TV props. The first is an original dagger prop used in the episode Cave of the Dead. The second item appears to be a blueprint for the sectional layout plan of the Seaview drawing that you see as a framed picture on the Missile Room wall in the episode Deadly Creature Below (sold for $1000 including the buyer's premium).

Has anyone spotted this dagger prop in any other Voyage episodes or Irwin Allen television shows? If so, please do let us know.

Both auction items come with a Letter of Provenance signed by Virginia Aaron, the wife of David Aaron, who worked in the prop department at 20th Century Fox and who had these items in his collection for several decades.

As with all auctions and high value purchases, please do your research and check all terms and conditions, including any additional buyer premium fees and shipping costs. We recommend getting insurance if it is offered and using payment methods that offer the best level of protection.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Auction Gallery (Courtesy of Goldin.co)

FANTASY WORLDS OF IRWIN ALLEN - 2024 BOOK RE-RELEASE

Great news for Irwin Allen fans, especially those who weren't able to afford or get hold of the original The Fantasy Worlds of Irwin Allen by Jeff Bond. The cost of shipping such a substantial book overseas will have been prohibative for many. This amazing book has been re-published with a fresh cover design and a lower price point by Titan Books and is available now in both the US and UK.

Available from Amazon.com (#ad)

Available from Amazon.co.uk (#ad)

IRWIN ALLEN: MASTER OF DISASTER COLLECTION

Released on 12th September 2023 (in the US) is the blu-ray set Irwin Allen: Master of Disaster Collection featuring 7 television and theatrical release movies. The set features the following movies: The Poseidon Adventure, When Time Ran Out, Fire, Flood, Cave-In, Hanging by a Thread, and The Night the Bridge Fell Down.

Irwin Allen: Master of Disaster Collection Blu-Ray set at Amazon US (#ad)

Irwin Allen: Master of Disaster Collection Blu-Ray set at Amazon UK (#ad)

DAVID HOLDERBAUM MODEL BUILD GALLERY

View David Holderbaum Model Gallery

HELP NEEDED WITH RESEARCH

The main focus of our efforts at the Irwin Allen News Network is to document the history of all of the Irwin Allen movies and television shows and this implies extensive levels of research. We are particularly trying to credit actors and crew who didn't receive on-screen credits in the productions.

We are also studying the movies, trying to identify as many people as possible who appeared on screen and this is proving to be a never-ending challenge. We have recently added a gallery of faces from The Poseidon Adventure and The Time Travelers amongst others and have several faces we cannot yet identify. If you can help with any of these missing names with corroborating pictures of the unnamed actors, please contact us.

CONVENTIONS

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SCIENCE FICTION MUSEUM

Visit the Spindrift and Robot at the Seattle Science Fiction Museum