1964, Television: “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea”

On 14 September 1964 the American science fiction television series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" premieres on ABC (American Broadcasting Company). The series, based on the 1961 film, was created by Irwin Allen, it used the movie sets, costumes, props and models from the film. The main characters were played by Richard Basehart (Admiral Nelson) and David Hedison (Captain Lee Crane).

A total of 110 episodes were produced: 32 filmed in black-and-white (1964–1965) and 78 in color (1965–1968). The first two seasons took place in the then future of the 1970s. The final two seasons took place in the 1980s. The musical score "The Seaview Theme" was written by Paul Sawtell.

Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson

David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane

Synopsis

The world's first privately owned nuclear submarine, the SSRN Seaview, was designed by Admiral Harriman Nelson (Richard Basehart). The Seaview does oceanographic research for the Nelson Institute of Marine Research...

Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson,
David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane and
Bob Dowdell as Lieutenant Commander Chip Morton

Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson,
David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane,
Del Monroe as Kowalski, Bob Dowdell as
Lieutenant Commander Chip Morton and
Terry Becker as Chief Sharkey

Awards

The series won 4 Emmy awards during its run:

• Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment - Special Photographic Effects: L.B. Abbott (special photographic effects) (1965)
• Primetime Emmy for Individual Achievements in Cinematography – Special: L.B. Abbott (photographic effects) and Howard Lydecker (photographic effects) (1966)
• Primetime Emmy for Individual Achievements in Cinematography – Cinematography: Winton C. Hoch (cinematographer) (1966)
• Primetime Emmy for Individual Achievements in Film and Sound Editing: Don Hall (sound editor),Dick Le Grand (sound editor), Daniel Mandell (sound editor) and John Mills (sound editor) (1967)

Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson and
David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane

Main Cast

• Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson
• David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane
• Bob Dowdell as Lieutenant Commander Chip Morton
• Derrik Lewis as Lieutenant Commander O'Brien (1st-2nd seasons)
• Henry Kulky as Chief "Curly" Jones (1st season)
• Terry Becker as Chief Petty Officer Francis Ethelbert Sharkey (2nd–4th seasons)
• Del Monroe as Kowalski
• Arch Whiting as Sparks
• Paul Trinka as Patterson

Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson

David Hedison as Captain/Commander Lee Crane

Trivia

• James Doohan was offered the part of Chief Sharkey but he turned it down because in the same week he was offered the role of Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott in "Star Trek" (1966).
• Del Monroe appeared in both the film and TV series. He played the same character "Seaman Kowski" in the film and "Seaman Kowalski" in the TV series.

"Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" ABC promo 1 (1964)

"Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" ABC promo 2 (1964)


"Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" ABC promo 3 (1964)